Sr. Experiential Director (Payment Services Client)

Socket.dev; Connecticut; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Octagon is a leading experiential marketing agency with global reach. We are seeking an experienced producer to oversee planning and execution of event, experiential marketing, and hospitality programs across multiple live and virtual formats, ensuring excellence in guest journey and client satisfaction.

You will manage complex programs, mentor junior staff, and drive budgets and timelines while coordinating with partners and venues to deliver best-in-class hospitality experiences.

Qualifications

• A passion and expertise in experiential program management and hospitality-driven experiences.
• 9+ years of event, brand marketing, experiential, and/or hospitality experience.
• Previous experience working in an event management setting, with direct ownership or lead responsibilities over complex programs.
• Deep hospitality background and expertise in the guest journey, with the ability to design and execute elevated hospitality programs and elements.
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to bring consistency, accountability, and operational excellence to a full body of work.
• Ability to handle multiple programs simultaneously while proactively managing deadlines, communications, and workstreams.
• Proven experience of your success in building strong client relationships.
• Budget management and/or reconciliation experience, including the ability to monitor financials and manage budgets accurately and efficiently.
• A desire to supervise, manage, and mentor more junior employees.
• Superb communication skills – both written and verbal.
• A can-do attitude and a desire to succeed.
• Computer proficiency, including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel domestically and work weekends or holidays as needed. Anticipated travel level: Moderate (30-45%)

Responsibilities

• Lead through all aspects of event and hospitality programming; from initial brainstorming through execution (on-site and virtual) and wrap-up
• Take on the most intricate programs, overseeing program management and supporting clear ownership across workstreams
• Be the day-to-day client liaison across multiple programs, maintaining clear communication and proactive follow-through
• Develop tailored experiential and hospitality event strategic plans grounded in the guest journey
• Assist and/or manage numerous projects simultaneously, both large-scale custom experiences and smaller-scale events
• Oversee the management of materials related to individual events, including but not limited to digital programs, invitations, ordering of premiums
• Create and foster relationships with internal and external partners as well as outside vendors, properties, hospitality partners, and venues
• Spearhead program budgets, monitor financials, and ensure budgets are managed accurately and efficiently in partnership with the broader team
• Provide guidance to junior team members and help ensure consistent delivery of call recaps, deadlines, communications, and workstream management

Skills

Experiential program management

Hospitality-driven experiences

Project management

Client relationships

Budget management

Deadline management

Team leadership/mentoring

Communication skills

Travel readiness

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Agency: Octagon

Job Function: Production

Job Subfunction: Experiential and Events Production

Job Description: EXPERIENCES /Responsible for planning and executing event, experiential marketing, and hospitality-driven programs.

Our headquarters are in Stamford, CT, but the location of this position can be flexible with a priority given to candidates open to hybrid work (3 days week in office) in one of our office locations—Stamford, CT, New York, NY, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL or Atlanta, GA.

If you enjoy rocking out at a private concert, cheering on your favorite sports team and meeting world-renowned chefs, this position is for you.You will provide overarching oversight across one Payment Services partner, ensuring consistency, accountability, and operational excellence across the full body of work. You will take on the most challenging and complex programs, oversee program management, and provide guidance to junior team members. The day-to-day includes leading event and activation logistics, driving execution of your programs, managing daily client communications, and helping ensure the team is consistently delivering against partner objectives.

While you’re coordinating these programs, you’ll assist in brainstorming new programs and spearhead budget management, helping to monitor financials and ensure budgets are managed accurately and efficiently. Given the continued focus on elevated hospitality-driven experiences, this role will bring a deep hospitality background and expertise in the guest journey to strengthen the team’s ability to design and execute best-in-class hospitality programs and elements across the board.

If you are looking for an opportunity with planning and executing events, activations, and hospitality experiences of all sizes alongside a team who find the fun in the chaos, this position is for you.

THE WORK YOU’LL DO

• Lead through all aspects of event and hospitality programming; from initial brainstorming through execution (on-site and virtual) and wrap-up
• Take on the most intricate programs, overseeing program management and supporting clear ownership across workstreams
• Be the day-to-day client liaison across multiple programs, maintaining clear communication and proactive follow-through
• Develop tailored experiential and hospitality event strategic plans grounded in the guest journey
• Assist and/or manage numerous projects simultaneously, both large-scale custom experiences and smaller-scale events
• Oversee the management of materials related to individual events, including but not limited to digital programs, invitations, ordering of premiums
• Create and foster relationships with internal and external partners as well as outside vendors, properties, hospitality partners, and venues
• Spearhead program budgets, monitor financials, and ensure budgets are managed accurately and efficiently in partnership with the broader team
• Provide guidance to junior team members and help ensure consistent delivery of call recaps, deadlines, communications, and workstream management

THE BIGGER TEAM YOU'LL JOIN

Recognized as one of the "Best Places to Work in Sport", Octagon is the global sports, entertainment, and experiential marketing arm of the Omnicom Group.

We take pride in being Playmakers - finding insightful, bold ways to create play in our work, our lives, and in the world. We believe in the power of play to create big ideas and unlock potential for our clients and talent.

We can put ourselves in the shoes of fans because we ARE fans - of sports, entertainment, and culture at large. This expertise allows us to continually evolve the fan experience across sports and entertainment alongside some of the biggest brands and talent in the world.

The world needs play more than ever. Are you a Playmaker?

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• A passion and expertise in experiential program management and hospitality-driven experiences
• 9+ years of event, brand marketing, experiential, and/or hospitality experience
• Previous experience working in an event management setting, with direct ownership or lead responsibilities over complex programs
• Deep hospitality background and expertise in the guest journey, with the ability to design and execute elevated hospitality programs and elements
• Excellent project management skills with the ability to bring consistency, accountability, and operational excellence to a full body of work
• Ability to handle multiple programs simultaneously while proactively managing deadlines, communications, and workstreams
• Proven experience of your success in building strong client relationships
• Budget management and/or reconciliation experience, including the ability to monitor financials and manage budgets accurately and efficiently
• A desire to supervise, manage, and mentor more junior employees
• Superb communication skills – both written and verbal
• A can-do attitude and a desire to succeed
• Computer proficiency, including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Flexibility and willingness to travel domestically and work weekends or holidays as needed. Anticipated travel level: Moderate (30-45%)

The base range for this position is $90,000 – $120,000. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications

$90,000-120,000

Omnicom’s policy requires employees to work in the office for a minimum of three days a week, unless additional in-office days are directed by their agency or manager. Our objective is to increase this requirement over time, and many of our agencies as well as Omnicom’s corporate group already require five days of in-office attendance.

Omnicom is committed to hiring and developing exceptional talent. We agree that talent is uniquely distributed, and we’re focused on developing inclusive teams that can bring the best solutions to everything we do. We strongly believe that celebrating what makes us different makes us better together. Join us—we look forward to getting to know you. We will process your personal data in accordance with our Recruitment Privacy Notice.

Link to Recruitment Privacy Notice: https://www.omc.com/privacy-notice

For US Job Seekers: It is the policy of Omnicom and any of its affiliates to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, ethnic origin, gender, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, or local law. EOE/AA/M/D/V/F.