Strategic Event Programming Lead

Clearpath; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits

Meaningful career

Growth opportunities

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Stand Together in Arlington, VA, seeks an experienced Senior Manager, Event Programming to shape and lead strategy-aligned programming across a portfolio of events, from small convenings to flagship tentpoles. You will own the end-to-end programming lifecycle, partnering with senior leaders to translate goals into compelling sessions and on‑stage delivery.

You will set standards for quality, define throughlines and themes, and serve as a strategic advisor across teams.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in event programming, content development, live events, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience owning programming for complex, multi-session events.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to turn abstract goals into concrete programming plans.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to collaborate across teams and manage multiple stakeholders.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable working in fast-paced environments.
• Calm under pressure and confident in making decisions in live event settings.
• Enthusiasm to contribute to Stand Together's vision and principled approach to solving problems.

Responsibilities

• Lead programming development for a portfolio of events, including both small convenings and large tentpole events.
• Translate organizational priorities and partner needs into clear programming strategies, frameworks, and outcomes.
• Define and drive programming throughlines, themes, and narratives that shape the overall event experience.
• Establish and uphold programming standards, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment across events.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to internal leaders on programming direction, tradeoffs, and opportunities.
• Design session formats, agendas, and run‑of‑show outlines that balance inspiration, insight, and engagement.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to identify priority topics, speakers, and stories aligned to strategic goals.
• Develop speaker briefs, talking points, and session guidance to ensure clarity, consistency, and impact.
• Collaborate with speakers and moderators to refine content, sharpen messages, and elevate on‑stage delivery.
• Work closely with event operations, guest experience, creative, production, and partnerships teams to ensure programming is executable and aligned with the overall event design.
• Serve as the programming point of contact for internal leaders, speakers, and external partners.
• Coordinate timelines, approvals, and feedback loops related to programming development.
• Set and maintain a high bar for programming quality across all events.
• Lead onsite programming execution for key moments, including speaker preparation, stage management, and real‑time decision making.
• Support and mentor team members in onsite execution and problem‑solving.
• Lead post‑event debriefs, synthesizing insights and applying learnings to continuously improve programming strategy.

Skills

Event programming

Content development

Live events

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Detail oriented

Calm under pressure

Job description

Stand Together in Arlington, VA, seeks an experienced Senior Manager, Event Programming to shape and lead strategy-aligned programming across a portfolio of events, from small convenings to flagship tentpoles. You will own the end-to-end programming lifecycle, partnering with senior leaders to translate goals into compelling sessions and on‑stage delivery.

You will set standards for quality, define throughlines and themes, and serve as a strategic advisor across teams.