Senior Event Operations Lead — Hybrid, Growth-Driven

Curate Group; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k

PTO + holidays

Birthday off

Maternity/Paternity leave

Hybrid work policy

Travel expense coverage

Bonus up to 20%

Job summary

Curate Group, a dynamic events company, seeks an experienced Event Operations Manager for Lumos Experiences in Illinois. You will own end-to-end operational delivery across venues, lead weekend staffing, and coordinate production to ensure high-quality, safe events.

This role requires proactive leadership, strong planning, and hands-on execution. Based in Arlington Heights with a 3:2 hybrid work model (office and WFH), you’ll travel to shows, optimize operations, manage budgets and drive

Qualifications

• Proven experience in event operations, production or management.
• A natural self-starter who thrives on responsibility and momentum.
• Ability to motivate a team, set and uphold high standards and bring energy to your events.
• Confident in making decisions, even under pressure and always ready to find a solution.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to multitask.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Driving license, traveling to various locations as needed.
• Proficiency in Google Suite, AI and team collaboration tools.

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Event Operations: Own the full operational delivery of our shows across Illinois, from pre-show planning and venue coordination to on-the-ground execution and post-event review, ensuring every event runs smoothly, on-brand and to a high standard.
• Venue Management: Maintain a detailed venue catalogue with layouts, access and contact information; liaise with venues to develop event operations plans, venue advance sheets, emergency procedures and safety documentation as required.
• Staff Recruitment, Scheduling & Training: Lead weekend team recruitment, onboarding and ongoing training for Event Managers and Assistants; manage and maintain up-to-date training resources, playbooks and manager toolkits.
• Musician & Production Coordination: Work with the Musician Booker to ensure artists are well-briefed and supported; oversee production teams to ensure all technical and operational elements are executed seamlessly.
• Processes & Operational Standards: Develop and standardize processes across all shows to drive consistency, reduce ambiguity and improve efficiency.
• Budget & Inventory Management: Manage inventory, storage locations, equipment maintenance and logistics to ensure events are properly resourced.
• Field Presence & Quality Control: Attend a minimum of two shows per month, with additional event attendance as needed during training, launches and peak periods.
• Reporting & Continuous Improvement: Deliver post-event reports, analyze KPIs and customer feedback and proactively propose improvements to keep Lumos ahead of industry trends.
• Special Event & Venue Preparation: Coordinate venue-specific requirements including permits, vendor sourcing, local compliance requirements, and operational planning for unique or non-traditional event spaces.
• Coordinate Venue Insurance Requirements: certificates of insurance (COIs), vendor documentation, permits and compliance records to ensure all events meet venue and local requirements.

Job description

Curate Group, a dynamic events company, seeks an experienced Event Operations Manager for Lumos Experiences in Illinois. You will own end-to-end operational delivery across venues, lead weekend staffing, and coordinate production to ensure high-quality, safe events.

This role requires proactive leadership, strong planning, and hands-on execution. Based in Arlington Heights with a 3:2 hybrid work model (office and WFH), you’ll travel to shows, optimize operations, manage budgets and drive