Event Operations Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION TITLE: EVENT OPERATIONS MANAGER

On board experiential marketing

On Board Experiential (OBE) is an award-winning, full-service, experience-led agency that creates meaningful brand experiences worldwide. Recognized by Event Marketer as one of the best places to work in events, our clients include Nike, Meta, JPMorgan Chase, Sephora, Starbucks, and Converse, to name a few. We work out of our homes and physical offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, NYC, and London, or wherever our adventures take us! OBE is also a founding member of The ADD Collective, extending our reach and resources while staying true to our core capabilities.

The most important part of our business is our people. They are hardworking, imaginative and make magic happen on the regular. But behind each majestic activation is a human deserving of a healthy work-life balance. That's why we believe in recovery days, happy hours, friendly but competitive fitness challenges, and OBE offsites.

We show up for each other — in open conversations that heal, inspire, and bring us closer. We want to hear about your lived experiences and unique perspectives. Being unapologetically yourself isn't just welcome here. It's part of the job.

SUMMARY OF POSITION

The Event Operations Manager is an integral part of the Account Team, delivering an exceptional level of service and execution of programs on behalf of our clients. Responsible for cultivating and growing our client accounts and relationships, which requires a comprehensive understanding of our clients’ business needs and industry.  They provide end-to-end project management on assigned programs and share accountability for their financial and operational performance, including budget tracking and resource coordination. Bringing consistent excellence and support, the Event Operations Manager ensures that programs and marketing strategies successfully promote client brands, products and services in accordance with client objectives and initiatives.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Partner with client / brand teams to understand and identify business opportunities and develop solutions and plans that deliver measurable results against program KPIs.

• Guide and coordinate the development of experiential tactical plans for IRL and / or virtual execution, in partnership with appropriate departments including Strategy / Creative, Production, Tech, Digital and Social.  

• Manage the day-to-day activities for each project and event, ensuring programs are planned, staffed, and executed on time and on budget across internal and external teams.

• Lead weekly internal and external status meetings and deep dives, and manage the distribution of all communications between the client and account team throughout the engagement.

• Support the development of program SOWs and track resources, budgets, timelines, and deliverables against contract terms and client commitments.

• Provide ongoing monitoring of expenses and actual costs for approved program budgets. Update client and obtain client approvals as needed.  Reconcile all project/event expenses in partnership with program Production lead.

• Track creative deliverables through client review and approval in partnership with other departments.

• Maintain organized internal and client-facing program documentation, including folder structures, shared resources, and key files, so that materials stay current and accessible to the account team, cross-functional partners, and external vendors.

• Remain current with industry trends and technologies.

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Education / Experience

• 3+ years of experience in project management, marketing, promotions, and events within an advertising, media, marketing or experiential agency. 

• Minimum 2 years of experience as a day-to-day client contact or Account Lead to hospitality or enterprise clients.

• Strong project management capabilities, organization skills, attention to detail and ability to juggle multiple projects in a demanding but highly collaborative environment.

• Experience working with tech clients is strongly desired

• Experience managing IRL experiential activations is required.

• BA/BS in marketing, business administration, communications, or related field.

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong communication skills with ability to connect with others authentically while equally honoring and respecting diverse perspectives.   

• Ability to build trust and respect through coaching, communication, and listening.

• Think creatively, with willingness to extend beyond the unexpected and consistently strive for innovation. 

• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and excellent organizational skills. 

• Ability to effectively present and sell ideas, bring ideas to life through storytelling. 

• Excellent ability to proactively identify issues/obstacles and create timely and effective solutions. 

• Ability to manage multiple clients with potentially differing priorities, commitments, and deadlines. 

• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and in teams.

• Must be able to work in a collaborative manner both internally and with clients. 

• Experience managing program financials and reporting.

• Ability to learn and navigate various office management platforms (inclusive of but not limited to Office 365, Keynote, Google Drive, Smartsheet, Slack, Zoom, etc)

Other Qualities and Skills

• Natural curiosity—the drive to always be learning and growing, professionally and personally.

• Team-oriented, driven, focused, passionate, and able to stay level-headed under pressure.

• Pro-active and Self-starter who takes the initiative on tasks and is solutions oriented.

• Comfortable with public speaking to both internal and external partners

• High energy and flexibility in working non-traditional hours as needed (some nights and weekends as deadlines dictate).

• Experience working with international teams and multiple time zones.

• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds and stay on your feet for extended periods of time.

• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time (nationally and internationally).

Compensation Range: $80,000 - $95,000 annually. This is the pay range OBE believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the level of experience, relevant skills, professional certifications, market pay, and demand for the role. OBE reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. For this role, Benefits include medical/dental/vision insurance, employer-paid basic life and personal accident insurance. Also included: Annual Profit Sharing/Bonus Plan based on the company’s performance and your individual performance, 401(k), Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, PTO, STD/LTD insurance benefits. 
 

On Board Experiential is An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age, or any other federally protected class.