Freelance Production Manager

placemaker.; Dubai; On-site; AED 221,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

placemaker. is seeking an experienced freelance event production manager to oversee planning, coordination and execution of brand activations and experiential projects in the UAE.

You will manage the full event production lifecycle, translating creative concepts into practical production plans, ensuring on-time delivery, strict budgeting and top quality across multiple simultaneous projects, with hands-on vendor negotiations and on-site leadership.

Qualifications

• Experience in event production or experiential marketing.
• Proven delivery of large-scale activations and product launches.
• Strong budgeting, cost estimation and cost-control capabilities.
• Experience pitching production concepts and sourcing suppliers.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end event production of activations, campaigns, product launches and events.
• Develop production budgets, BOQs and project timelines.
• Collaborate with creative teams to translate concepts into production plans.
• Lead pitching, supplier sourcing, quotations and negotiations.
• Oversee fabrication, AV, logistics and on-site execution.
• Manage contractors and production teams, ensuring quality and safety.
• Maintain client relationships and align expectations throughout projects.
• Coordinate permits, venue approvals and operational requirements.

Skills

Event production

Brand activations

Budgeting

Vendor negotiations

Project management

Logistics coordination

Tools

Excel

BOQ tools

Job description

we are looking for an experienced freelance event production manager to oversee the planning, coordination and execution of events, brand activations and experiential projects.

the successful candidate will manage the full event production lifecycle, translating creative concepts into practical production solutions while ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget and to the highest quality standards.

key responsibilities

• manage end-to-end event production of brand activations, experiential campaigns, product launches, retail pop‑ups and corporate events.
• develop production budgets, cost estimates, BOQs and project timelines, ensuring effective budget management and cost control.
• collaborate with creative and design teams to assess technical feasibility and translate concepts into executable production plans.
• lead production pitching, supplier sourcing, quotations and vendor negotiations.
• manage fabrication, technical production, procurement, logistics, installation and on‑site execution.
• oversee contractors, suppliers and production teams, ensuring quality, safety and adherence to project deadlines.
• manage client relationships, provide production updates and ensure expectations are aligned throughout the project lifecycle.
• coordinate permits, venue approvals and operational requirements where necessary.

requirements

• experience in event production, experiential marketing, brand activations or a similar environment.
• proven experience delivering brand activations, product launches, experiential campaigns and large-scale events.
• strong commercial acumen with hands‑on experience in budgeting, cost estimation, BOQs and cost control.
• experience in production pitching, supplier negotiations and managing production budgets.
• strong technical understanding of fabrication, event builds, AV and production logistics.
• established network of suppliers and production partners within the UAE.
• excellent project management, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work effectively under pressure.