Director of Events and Experiences

Candidate; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

Perplexity in San Francisco is seeking a Director of Events to own our events worldwide: hosted, speaking, and sponsored. You will set the strategy, run production, manage the budget, and build the team.

If you have produced flagship events and dinners in the same week, understand sponsorship value, and want to build an events function from the ground up, this role is for you.

The role requires leading a team, partnering with Brand, Creative, Sales, and Finance, and being onsite for major events.

Qualifications

• 12+ years producing large-scale events and programs.
• Experience building and leading an events team.
• Managed multi-million dollar budgets and vendor contracts.
• Negotiated sponsorship deals and evaluated ROI.
• Led executive speaking programs and stages selection.
• Strong production knowledge: run of show, AV, registration.
• Willingness to travel internationally.
• Based in SF or NYC preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own events: Hosted, speaking, sponsored. Strategy, budget, production, results.
• Set the calendar: Decide which events we run, which we speak at, and which we skip.
• Produce hosted events: Launches, dinners, summits, roadshows. Concept, programming, venue, vendors, run of show.
• Run the speaking program: Prepare the speakers and select stages.
• Manage sponsorships: Negotiate terms, design footprint, and account for spend.
• Run field events with Sales: Get the right customers in the room and ensure follow-up.
• Be Perplexity: Ensure events look and feel like our product; collaborate with Brand and Creative.
• Lead the team: Equal parts IC and manager.
• Build the system: Playbooks, event tiers, intake, vendors, agencies, budgets.
• Measure: Attendance, pipeline, signups; assess ROI of events.
• Be on site: You are in the room for key events.

Skills

Event production

Budget management

Team leadership

Sponsorship negotiation

Job description

Perplexity is seeking a Director of Events to own our events worldwide: the ones we host, the stages we speak on, and the ones we sponsor. You will set the strategy, run production, manage the budget, and build the team. If you have produced a flagship and a dinner in the same week, know what a good sponsorship deal looks like, and want to build an events function from the ground up, this role is for you.

Responsibilities

• Own events. Hosted, speaking, sponsored. Strategy, budget, production, results.

• Set the calendar. Decide which events we run, which we speak at, and which we skip.

• Produce hosted events. Launches, dinners, summits, roadshows. Concept, programming, venue, vendors, run of show.

• Run the speaking program. Pick the stages. Prepare the speakers.

• Manage sponsorships. Negotiate terms, design our footprint, and account for the spend.

• Run field events with Sales. Get the right customers in the room. Make sure someone follows up.

• Be Perplexity. Our events should look and feel like our product. Work with Brand and Creative on every one.

• Lead the team. Equal parts IC and manager.

• Build the system. Playbooks, event tiers, intake, vendors, agencies, budgets.

• Measure. Attendance, coverage, pipeline, signups. Know which events worked and stop doing the ones that didn't.

• Be on site. For the events that matter, you are in the room.

Qualifications

• 12+ years producing events, including large hosted events, sponsorships, and field programs, ideally in-house at a technology company.

• Has built or led an events team.

• Has owned large budgets, agency relationships, and vendor contracts.

• Has negotiated sponsorships and knows a bad deal when they see one.

• Has run an executive speaking program: selecting stages, preparing speakers, managing the day.

• Knows production: run of show, staging, AV, registration, staffing, security, permits.

• Drives measurement. Has built event attribution and tracked brand sentiment, and reports what each event returned.

• Can partner with Sales, Product, Comms, Brand, Finance, Legal, and executives.

• Power user of AI tools. Most of your work already runs through them, and you can show us how.

• Based in San Francisco or New York. Willing to travel internationally.