Associate, Business Operations & Systems, Events

Shoptalk; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Benefits

401K Match

Paid Time Off

Hybrid Work Schedule

Job summary

People Inc. in New York is seeking an Associate for Business Operations & Systems within the Events team. The role focuses on improving workflows and systems that enable efficient event planning across the portfolio, with a emphasis on scalable solutions.

You will partner with cross-functional groups, help pilot Airtable-based processes, and manage projects from discovery to implementation, while ensuring adoption and reporting across events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• 2+ years in event operations, business operations, process improvement, or related field.
• Experience supporting live events with complex workflows and deadlines.
• Experience partnering with technical teams to translate business needs into workflows.

Responsibilities

• Support the events systems roadmap by prioritizing improvements based on impact and needs.
• Evaluate workflows and recommend practical simplifications or improvements.
• Pilot solutions within events and expand across the portfolio where appropriate.
• Develop Airtable as a core operational platform for event planning, budgets, invoicing, sponsorships, and service delivery.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate spreadsheets and automate processes.
• Support interfaces, dashboards, views, and reporting for visibility and decision-making.
• Manage projects from discovery through implementation with clear objectives and timelines.
• Coordinate feedback and communication of progress and risks to Events leadership.
• Measure impact of solutions and identify further improvements.
• Gather team feedback and translate into system requirements and improvements.
• Support testing, rollout, documentation, training, and adoption of new processes.

Skills

Project management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Workflow analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Airtable

Excel

Job description

Job Title

Associate, Business Operations & Systems, Events

Job Description

About the Position

The Associate, Business Operations & Systems, Events will improve the processes and systems that help the Events team work efficiently across its portfolio. The role will focus on understanding current workflows, identifying opportunities to simplify them, and helping implement solutions that can scale across events.

About the Team

The Events team brings People Inc.’s brands to life through live experiences that connect audiences, talent, partners, and communities. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Events, this role will support events including the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston, and others within the Food portfolio.

In-office Expectations

This New York-based position is hybrid, with three days per week in the office and up to two days remote.

Position Contributions

25% Business Operations & Process Improvement

• Support the Events systems roadmap by assessing and prioritizing improvements based on business impact and organizational needs.
• Evaluate existing workflows and recommend practical ways to simplify or improve them.
• Help pilot solutions within individual events and expand them across the portfolio where appropriate.

25% Systems Development & Airtable

• Help develop Airtable as a core operational platform for event planning, programming, budgets and invoicing, sponsorships, customer service, and other workflows.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate or redesign spreadsheets, documents, trackers, and manual processes.
• Support interfaces, dashboards, views, and reporting that improve visibility and decision-making.

25% Project & Roadmap Management

• Support systems and process improvement projects from discovery through implementation, with clear objectives, stakeholders, timelines, and outcomes.
• Coordinate feedback, dependencies, and follow-up across teams; communicate progress and risks to Events leadership.
• Measure the impact of implemented solutions and identify further improvements.

15% Cross-Functional Partnership & Adoption

• Gather feedback from teams and translate it into system requirements and improvements.
• Support testing, rollout, documentation, and training for new processes and systems.
• Monitor adoption and help establish ownership so systems remain accurate and useful over time.

10% Automation, AI & Reporting

• Identify opportunities for automation, AI, reporting, and alerts that support Events operations.
• Translate business needs into clear use cases and requirements for technical partners.
• Stay current on tools and capabilities that could improve how the team works.

Minimum Qualifications and Job Requirements

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.

Experience

• 2+ years of experience in event operations, business operations, process improvement, program management, or a related field.
• Experience supporting live events, media, hospitality, production, or another environment with complex workflows and competing deadlines.
• Experience partnering with technical or systems teams to translate business needs into workflows, test solutions, and support implementation.
• Preferred experience improving processes across multiple teams or events, developing dashboards or reporting, or moving teams from manual trackers to more structured systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong project management, analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to evaluate workflows, identify practical improvements, and coordinate work across teams with different priorities and levels of technical expertise.
• Attention to detail and the ability to adapt solutions as business needs evolve.
• Preferred familiarity with Airtable, Excel, or similar platforms, including databases, interfaces, automations, and integrations.
• Preferred familiarity with workflow automation and AI-enabled business tools.

Approximate Travel Required

10%

It is the policy of People Inc. to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, the Company will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Accommodation requests can be made by emailing [e-mail].

The Company participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E-Verify program, please click here: https://www.e-verify.gov/employees

Pay Range

Salary: New York: $66,800.00

The pay range above represents the anticipated low and high end of the pay range for this position and may change in the future. Actual pay may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to work location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of People Inc's total compensation package for employees. Other compensation may include annual bonuses, and short- and long-term incentives. In addition, People Inc. provides to employees (and their eligible family members) a variety of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, unlimited paid time off (PTO), adoption or surrogate assistance, donation matching, tuition reimbursement, basic life insurance, basic accidental death & dismemberment, supplemental life insurance, supplemental accident insurance, commuter benefits, short term and long term disability, health savings and flexible spending accounts, family care benefits, a generous 401K savings plan with a company match program, 10-12 paid holidays annually, and generous paid parental leave (birthing and non-birthing parents), all of which may vary depending on the specific nature of your employment with People Inc. and your work location. We also offer voluntary benefits such pet insurance, accident, critical and hospital indemnity health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance.