Event Project Director

build the bandwagon; Harrogate; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Build the Bandwagon is seeking an Event Project Director in the UK to provide strategic leadership across live events, conferences, exhibitions, virtual events, and campaigns. The role combines hands-on delivery with team leadership and growth of the delivery function.

The suitable candidate will have extensive agency-based project delivery experience, strong client relationship skills, and a track record of managing multi-million pound budgets while leading pitches to senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience delivering complex, high-value projects in an events agency.
• Proven ability to manage budgets and lead diverse delivery teams.
• Experience pitching to senior stakeholders and C-suite executives.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight and hands-on management of complex event projects from brief to delivery.
• Lead project teams, mentor staff, and develop the delivery function.
• Own risk, budget, and schedule management across live, hybrid, and virtual events.

Skills

Senior Project Manager

Project Director

Agency environment

Client relationships

Budget management

People management

Strategic thinking

C-suite presentations

Job description

Are you a senior events professional ready to lead an agency's most complex, high-value projects while shaping the team around you? We're looking for an Event Project Director to provide strategic leadership and hands-on oversight across live events, conferences, exhibitions, virtual events and campaigns, combining direct delivery of major projects with leadership and development of our wider project delivery team.

This is a senior, client-facing role for someone who thrives on high pressure projects, building and developing strong relationships and delivering experiences that make a huge impact.

Please note - you MUST have extensive project delivery experience within an events agency, be based in the UK and available to work 3 days per week from our offices in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

Day to Day Responsibilities:

• Providing strategic oversight and hands-on management of complex event projects across all phases, from brief to delivery, including debrief.
• Managing the development of strategic content, ensuring events align with overarching objectives and deliver meaningful impact in line with our strategy.
• Leadership of project teams, providing direction, mentoring and supporting their professional development.
• Acting as the primary point of escalation and decision-maker across live projects, proactively identifying risks and opportunities to keep projects on schedule and within budget.
• Creating complex budgets from scratch, overseeing other budgets across the team, and delivering effective budget management.
• Ensuring full compliance with Health & Safety regulations and applying in-depth knowledge of technical production.
• Confidently negotiating with suppliers to secure competitive rates that balance client value with commercial objectives.
• Building and maintaining strong and highly effective relationships with multiple client stakeholders.
• Leading pitches for large or complex opportunities from brief to completion, working closely with the Client Lead and managing the relevant internal teams.
• Taking on a significant part of client-facing pitch presentations, and often leading the direction of the presentation.
• Maintaining awareness of the development of clients' overall accounts, working alongside the Client Lead to identify additional opportunities and connect with relevant internal stakeholders.
• Acting as Project Lead with overall responsibility for the site and event delivery on complex projects, including running client rehearsals and a degree of speaker direction.
• Being up to date with industry trends.

Skills and Experience:

• Extensive previous experience as a Senior Project Manager or Project Director in an agency environment.
• Proven track record of sole responsibility for delivery of complex, high-value projects within the events and exhibition space.
• Comfortable in pitching and leading presentations including presenting to C Suite level stakeholders for major global brands.
• Extensive experience delivering live events including managing timelines, technical production, supplier and venue management, H&S and delegate management.
• Experience managing budgets in excess of £1m.
• Demonstrable experience leading and developing a team, including mentoring more junior project delivery staff.
• Strong strategic thinking, with the ability to translate client and business objectives into event and project strategy.
• Ability to work in a client-focused, fast-paced environment, comfortable operating at executive stakeholder level.