Senior Operations & Event Manager

Energy Capital & Power; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Energy Capital & Power (ECP) in Africa seeks a Senior Operations & Event Manager with 6-10 years of experience in large-scale international conferences, exhibitions, and corporate events. You will lead planning, budgeting, and execution, coordinating VIP protocol, venues, and supplier logistics to ensure flawless delivery.

The role requires strong leadership, negotiation and communication skills, fluency in English, and willingness to travel internationally and work extended hours as needed.

Qualifications

• 6-10 years' experience in event operations, conferences, exhibitions or project management.
• Strong experience managing budgets, suppliers and complex logistics.
• Experience with Presidential/VIP protocol and government stakeholders.
• Fluent English; Arabic and/or French strongly preferred.
• Willingness to travel internationally and work extended hours when required.

Responsibilities

• Manage the planning, budgeting and delivery of large-scale international events.
• Develop floor plans, venue layouts, operational schedules and room allocations.
• Manage Presidential, VIP and government protocol, including movements, seating, security and hospitality.
• Oversee exhibitions, including exhibitor requirements, stand builds, branding and logistics.
• Manage venues, hotels, accommodation, transportation, catering and delegate logistics.
• Coordinate build-up, event and breakdown schedules.
• Oversee AV, staging, production, branding, registration, Wi-Fi and technical requirements.
• Appoint, brief and manage suppliers and contractors, including negotiations and cost control.
• Manage budgets, quotations, purchase orders, invoices and financial reporting.
• Lead risk, health & safety, security and contingency planning.
• Lead internal teams, contractors and temporary event staff.
• Manage relationships with clients, sponsors, exhibitors, venues, government stakeholders and senior executives.
• Develop and improve operational processes, systems and SOPs.
• Conduct post-event reviews and implement improvements.

Skills

Event operations

Budget management

Vendor management

Team leadership

Negotiation

Communication

Problem solving

Travel readiness

Job description

Energy Capital & Power (ECP) is a leading Africa-focused energy events and media platform that connects governments, investors, and industry stakeholders across the oil, gas, power, and renewable energy sectors. Through high-level conferences, investment forums, and industry publications, ECP facilitates strategic dialogue and promotes investment opportunities across Africa's energy landscape.

Job Description

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Operations & Event Manager with 6-10 years of experience managing large-scale international conferences, exhibitions and corporate events. The ideal candidate will be highly organised, commercially focused and capable of managing complex events from planning through to execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the planning, budgeting and delivery of large-scale international events.
• Develop floor plans, venue layouts, operational schedules and room allocations.
• Manage Presidential, VIP and government protocol, including movements, seating, security and hospitality.
• Oversee exhibitions, including exhibitor requirements, stand builds, branding and logistics.
• Manage venues, hotels, accommodation, transportation, catering and delegate logistics.
• Coordinate build-up, event and breakdown schedules.
• Oversee AV, staging, production, branding, registration, Wi-Fi and technical requirements.
• Appoint, brief and manage suppliers and contractors, including negotiations and cost control.
• Manage budgets, quotations, purchase orders, invoices and financial reporting.
• Lead risk, health & safety, security and contingency planning.
• Lead internal teams, contractors and temporary event staff.
• Manage relationships with clients, sponsors, exhibitors, venues, government stakeholders and senior executives.
• Develop and improve operational processes, systems and SOPs.
• Conduct post-event reviews and implement improvements.

Qualifications

• 6-10 years' experience in event operations, conferences, exhibitions or project management.
• Strong experience managing budgets, suppliers and complex logistics.
• Experience with Presidential/VIP protocol and government stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of exhibitions, floorplans, production and event logistics.
• Fluent English required; Arabic and/or French strongly preferred.
• Strong leadership, negotiation, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and work effectively under pressure.
• Willingness to travel internationally and work extended hours when required.

Additional Information

Key Attributes: Organised | Commercially Minded | Detail-Oriented | Calm Under Pressure | Strong Leader | Problem Solver | Professional | Proactive | Multilingual