Senior Project Manager: Conferences + Strategic Events

Job description

Do you thrive in fast-paced environments, love a good checklist, and get a buzz from seeing a perfectly-executed event come to life?

We’re looking for a high-energy, sharp-thinking Senior Project Manager to lead the delivery of complex, high-impact conferences and strategic events — particularly in the association, public sector, and education space.

This is a senior delivery role for someone who’s operationally solid, confident in their decisions, and takes initiative like their life depends on it. You won’t just manage a timeline — you’ll drive it. You’ll lead everything from logistics and budgets to speaker comms and on-site delivery. 

If you’re a calm operator with a strong sense of urgency, who doesn’t need to be chased, this is for you.


Strategy, planning and project management

• Create and manage comprehensive project plans and timelines for each event, ensuring all workstreams are tracked and on time (via ClickUp)
  

• Take briefs and translate strategic vision into detailed execution plans
  

• Track dependencies, update stakeholders, manage risks and flag bottlenecks early
  

• Run regular status meetings with internal team and external stakeholders
  

• Manage post-event close-out, learnings, and debriefs
  

Programme curation and speaker management

• Work with committees or internal teams to curate the programme structure and content
  

• Research and recommend speakers; brief and manage speaker invites and comms
  

• Gather bios, photos, and session details; manage speaker prep, slides, and on-site needs
  

• Draft and manage session run-of-show and speaker call sheets
  

Marketing and delegate acquisition

• Develop event marketing strategy in collaboration with our creative lead
  

• Brief and manage timelines for all creative marketing assets: banners, social media posts, mailers, registration page content, etc.
  

• Write or edit content for newsletters, speaker spotlights, and delegate campaigns
  

• Track marketing performance and drive ticket/registration targets
  

• Coordinate with registration platform and monitor sign-up metrics
  

Sponsorship and exhibition management

• Develop or support sponsorship strategy and benefits with our sponsorship lead
  

• Manage sponsor relationships and ensure all deliverables and benefits are fulfilled
  

• Work with creative to develop sponsorship decks and proposals
  

• Oversee exhibitor sales, onboarding, contracts, and support
  

• Coordinate all exhibitor and sponsor logistics, floorplans, and signage
  

Operations and logistics

• Source and manage venues, caterers, AV suppliers, and décor partners
  

• Handle all JOC applications, permits, safety documentation, and compliance
  

• Oversee technical and production delivery including show calling, venue layout, signage, staffing, transport, and accommodation
  

• Own on-site delivery from setup through live event to breakdown
  

• Manage daily production schedules and ensure nothing is missed
  

Supplier and budget management

• Source, negotiate with, and manage suppliers and partners
  

• Build and maintain detailed budgets for each project in collaboration with our finance & ops lead
  

• Track expenses, raise POs, review invoices, and ensure profitability targets are met
  

• Proactively reforecast where needed and manage within financial constraints
  

Creative concept and experience execution

• Contribute to creative brainstorming and event conceptualisation
  

• Ensure creative elements (branding, gifting, staging, activations, touchpoints) are briefed and delivered on time
  

• Work with our internal creative lead to ensure outputs are on-brand and impactful
  

• Ensure the attendee experience reflects the overall vision and theme
  

Team collaboration

• Work closely with our CEO (client-facing lead) to ensure the strategic vision is realised
  

• Collaborate with our head of creative & workflow to manage internal timelines and deliverables
  

• Direct PMs or freelancers assigned to support your project where relevant
  

• Support a collaborative, proactive, get-things-done culture inside the team
  

 You’ll LOVE this role if you are:

• The one people trust to make sure it actually gets done
  

• Energised by complexity — not overwhelmed by it
  

• Bored by basic events and want your work to have meaning
  

• Obsessed with detail but still fast on your feet
  

Requirements

Project management mastery

• Able to manage multiple moving parts across marketing, programme, logistics, and finance
  

• Experienced with project management tools (ideally ClickUp or similar)
  

• Builds and maintains realistic but ambitious timelines — and keeps people accountable
  

Strong operational expertise

• Confident managing JOC processes, permits, risk and safety compliance
  

• Familiar with supplier procurement, contracts, AV briefs, floorplans, and production schedules
  

• Comfortable leading venue walk-throughs, load-in/load-out, and live event troubleshooting
  

Financial acumen

• Builds and manages detailed event budgets
  

• Tracks expenses, raises POs, manages payments with finance
  

• Ensures profitability and avoids scope creep
  

Programme and content sensitivity

• Comfortable curating or shaping event programmes
  

• Can communicate professionally with senior speakers, thought leaders, and committees
  

• Understands how content, programme flow, and format shape experience
  

Marketing and delegate strategy awareness

• Understands basic event marketing flows (awareness > conversion > retention)
  

• Works with creative team to execute marketing timelines and campaign needs
  

• Has worked with delegate registration systems or can learn quickly
  

Sponsor and exhibitor management

• Has supported or led sponsor benefit delivery
  

• Comfortable managing floorplans, packages, and deliverables
  

• Confident engaging with corporate sponsors and exhibitors
  

Excellent communication

• Clear, professional, and adaptable across written and verbal comms
  

• Can liaise confidently with venues, suppliers, committees, speakers, and sponsors
  

• Able to write clear briefs, reports, and updates
  

Leadership and accountability

• Self-directed, proactive, and solutions-oriented
  

• Calm under pressure, unflustered by last-minute changes
  

• Leads internal contributors and freelancers with focus and clarity
  

High EQ and stakeholder maturity

• Understands the dynamics of associations, academia, and public-private environments
  

• Able to hold space in politically sensitive or layered stakeholder settings
  

• Balances assertiveness with diplomacy
  

Energy and drive

• High-output, high-energy mindset — takes ownership, doesn’t wait to be asked
  

• Thrives on structure and momentum
  

• Sees the big picture but doesn’t drop the details
  

Company Description

idna is a strategic event and experience agency that works on events that shift industries, spark conversations, and build better futures — particularly in education, health, sustainability, and leadership.
We design and deliver complex conferences and events with associations, foundations, and impact-focused corporates.

Posted on 13 May 11:49, Closing date 12 Jul