Director of Events & Operations

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in District of Columbia, +1 more state.

📋 Description

• Directly oversee the LaJoy Creative team and contract/freelance personnel; establish performance expectations, mentor for development, and strengthen team capacity as the organization expands.

• Take ownership of the company’s event production standards and quality benchmarks across all client interactions, ensuring uniformity regardless of the executing team member.

• Create and consistently enhance internal operational systems (project management, resource allocation, vendor management, financial oversight) to accommodate the growing volume and complexity of client projects.

• Direct staffing and resource allocation decisions across multiple concurrent client initiatives, balancing team capacity, budgetary constraints, and personnel development.

• Act as a senior client-facing leader on the firm's most strategic or highly visible projects, stepping in for crucial relationships and high-stakes situations.

• Collaborate with the CEO on business development efforts: defining new opportunities, shaping proposals, establishing pricing/budget guidelines, and representing the firm in presentations and finalist discussions.

• Responsible for the client retention strategy — identifying growth opportunities within existing accounts and ensuring that service quality promotes repeat business and referrals.

• Represent LaJoy Creative at industry events, partner gatherings, and speaking engagements as part of the CEO's visibility strategy.

• Leverage established client and network connections directly into LaJoy Creative’s business pipeline, actively converting personal/professional relationships into new engagements for the firm.

• Identify, nurture, and secure new business opportunities by combining strong business insight with a comprehensive understanding of the events, hospitality, and mission-driven/nonprofit sectors.

• Develop and sustain a network of referral partners, industry contacts, and former clients that can be activated for repeat business, introductions, and co-marketing initiatives.

• Monitor and report on business development activities and pipeline health as part of regular leadership updates to the CEO.

• Manage event and departmental budgets, including forecasting, margin oversight, and profitability evaluations across the firm's active project portfolio.

• Oversee vendor strategy at the portfolio level — negotiating master agreements, establishing preferred-partner terms, and managing the firm’s overall vendor risk and cost position.

• Prepare contracts, scopes of work, and significant expenditures when assigned by the CEO.

• Serve as a vital thought partner to the CEO on organizational growth, capacity planning, and long-term operational strategy.

• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and team development initiatives for the events and operations department as headcount increases.

• Identify and advocate for process, technology, or staffing investments that enhance margin, quality, or scalability.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.

• Ten (10) or more years of progressively responsible experience in event production, event operations, or hospitality management, including at least 2-3 years in a people-management or department leadership role.

• Proven experience managing a portfolio of concurrent client engagements, rather than just individual events.

• Experience with budget ownership, P&L or margin accountability, and vendor contract negotiation at a strategic level.

• A demonstrated history of generating new business, whether through activating personal networks, referral partnerships, or direct sales/business development responsibilities.

• Existing relationships within the events, hospitality, philanthropic, or nonprofit sectors that can feasibly be integrated into LaJoy Creative's client and partner pipeline.

• Prior experience in a hospitality, events firm, or mission-driven/nonprofit-adjacent environment is strongly preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Health benefit stipend.

• Cell phone stipend.

• Unlimited PTO and complete office closure.

• Opportunities for professional development and other growth initiatives.