Events & Engagement Lead

Tribe Group; Auckland; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

High-visibility role

Variety of launches and events

Collaborative marketing team

Travel opportunities for offshore work

Job summary

Ford NZ based in Ellerslie is seeking a senior events lead to own end-to-end planning and delivery of launches, dealer conferences, trips and flagship activations. You’ll manage budgets, suppliers and Health & Safety, collaborating with Marketing, Product and Sales in a fast-moving, governance-driven environment.

This role requires 8+ years of events experience, strong project and stakeholder management, and the ability to operate within a global brand while balancing local momentum and offshore

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience focused on events and marketing delivery.
• Proven success delivering high-visibility events end-to-end.
• Strong project management including timelines and dependencies.
• Calm, effective execution under pressure with stakeholders.
• Experience managing budgets, suppliers and agencies.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end planning and delivery of Ford NZ events and activations.
• Deliver product launches with tight run-of-show.
• Plan and run dealer conferences, incentive trips and training events (NZ + offshore).
• Lead flagship activations and partnership activity (some nights/weekends).
• Manage the marketing vehicle fleet and database; coordinate transport for events/media.
• Manage suppliers and agency partners for quality and value.
• Own event budgets including forecasting, approvals, accruals and reporting.
• Lead Health & Safety planning: site checks, risk assessments, inductions and follow-up.

Skills

Event planning

Stakeholder management

Project management

Budget management

Vendor management

Job description

About The Opportunity

Ford is an iconic global brand with a proud local legacy, and a culture built on respect, service, and delivering a great customer experience across the full lifecycle (pre-sales, service and after sales).

Based in Ellerslie, Ford NZ is on a transformation journey to remain an innovative market leader. With deep heritage (120 years in NZ) and the scale of a global organisation, it’s a fast-moving environment where pace, process, governance and stakeholder management matter — you’ll be comfortable navigating structure and ambiguity while keeping delivery tight and outcomes clear.

The marketing team is a highly collaborative, delivery-led environment with strong cross-functional involvement. Marketing works closely with Product, Sales and the wider business, and success comes from people who can work through complexity, influence stakeholders, and maintain momentum while operating within a global brand and governance framework.

Tribe are proud to be partnering with Ford on a number of new roles to support their mission to grow market share.

In This Role, You Will

• Own end-to-end planning and delivery of Ford NZ events and activations
• Deliver product launches (dealer, partner and public-facing) with tight run-of-show
• Plan and run dealer conferences, incentive trips and training events (NZ + offshore)
• Lead flagship activations (e.g., Fieldays) and partnership activity (some nights/weekends)
• Manage the marketing vehicle fleet and database (fuel, grooms, transport for events/media)
• Manage suppliers and agency partners (venue, production, travel, catering) for quality + value
• Own event budgets (forecasting, approvals, accruals, reconciliation and reporting)
• Lead Health & Safety planning: site checks, risk assessments, inductions and incident follow-up

What You’ll Bring

• 8+ years’ experience with a strong focus on events and marketing delivery
• Proven success running high-pressure, high-visibility events end-to-end
• Strong project management: timelines, dependencies, decisions, and calm execution
• Confident stakeholder manager — can “manage up/out/down” with tact and firmness
• Commercially pragmatic: can translate big ideas into workable plans within budget/time
• Strong supplier and agency management (briefing, negotiation, performance, outcomes)
• Working knowledge of event Health & Safety and risk management (certification a plus)
• High EQ and discretion — trusted relationship-holder with dealers and senior stakeholders
• Comfortable in a global operating model (process, governance, offshore dependencies)

What’s on Offer

• High-trust, high-visibility role in an iconic brand with genuine local momentum
• Huge variety: launches, dealer events, trips, partnerships and flagship activations
• Collaborative, low-ego marketing team with shared ownership and shared wins
• Not a one-person band — outsourced event support is in place alongside internal support
• Flexible and fair culture (time in lieu / give-and-take around peak event periods)
• Penrose based with limited day-to-day travel, plus key events requiring onsite presence

To apply for this vacancy, you MUST be a New Zealand citizen, resident, or have already secured the right to work in New Zealand and therefore hold a valid visa.