Experiential Event Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Northwestern Mutual is seeking a Sr. Event Manager, Campus Events Management for the Meetings and Events team within CEE. This role will report to the Senior Manager, Campus Events Management.

About you:

Northwestern Mutual is seeking a strategic and highly creative Sr. Event Manager, Campus Events Management to join a talented team of seasoned event professionals. This team is responsible for leading the planning and delivery of large-scale, live, and experiential event experiences. The ideal candidate is a seasoned event professional with deep expertise in end-to-end event management, contract negotiation, industry benchmarking, compliance (ADA, risk mitigation, sustainability, safety), experiential event design, and project management.

You will shape experiences that reflect Northwestern Mutual's brand, culture, and business priorities while delivering seamless execution across complex stakeholder environments. Translating business objectives into thoughtfully crafted, brand-forward experiences that engage, inspire, and drive measurable impact.

What You'll Do:

• Key driver in delivering event objectives. Meeting and often exceeding success metrics that are aligned to enterprise goals. Demonstrate an ability to translate insights and business strategy into memorable, outcome-driven live experiences.
• Forecast, build, manage, and reconcile large-scale event budgets to optimize spend against industry best practices while ensuring financial compliance, governance, and an exceptional attendee experience.
• Work with the appropriate teams to venue transformations and develop end-to-end event plans, including creative direction, spatial design, attendee flow, content integration, and production strategy.
• Partner cross-functionally to ensure space meets and exceeds the needs of the learning sessions to surpass attendee engagement goals.
• Oversee master session scheduling, concurrent programming logistics, and attendee journey mapping.
• Partner with venues and caterers to design creative menus that reflect brand, location, culture, and audience.
• Oversee F&B strategy including dietary inclusivity, cultural considerations, service style, and experiential culinary activations.
• Ensure food and beverage programs align with sustainability goals and budget optimization.
• Ensure all events under management are adhering to event industry best practices, including but not limited to:
  • ADA compliance and accessibility standards
  • Safety and security protocols
  • Risk mitigation planning
  • Governance and financial compliance (including anticipating regulatory or operational risks and create proactive contingency plans.)
• Partner with cross-functional teams during the RFP processes utilizing your deep industry experience to be the strategic advisor on rates and terms.
• Ensure financial transparency and strong governance practices.
• Serve as one of the primary event leads for high-profile meetings and events.
• Direct venue and vendor teams through all planning phases and on-site execution.
• Partner with appropriate key stakeholders cross-functionally in Field Function, Strategic Communications, Marketing, S&P, Technology, CEE, and executive leaders to deliver event objectives.
• Collaborate with association partners as primary liaisons on their conferences and closed meeting sessions during larger field events.
• Co-lead live event execution with fun, creative, calm, decisive, and growth mindsets.
• Troubleshoot complex attendee or program challenges in real time.
• Prepare presentations for kick-off meetings, project plans, and conduct post-event analysis including ROI, attendee experience metrics, sustainability outcomes, and financial reconciliation.
• Key driver in hotel and event vendor RFPs, rate evaluations/cost analysis, and contract negotiations. Manage key vendor relationships once procured and evaluate vendor deliverables and performance.
• When applicable, identify risks, contribute to contingency plans, and ensure compliance with company policies and regulations.
• Consistently apply a growth mindset towards the business, function, and your development.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in event management/hospitality, business, marketing, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years event management experience.
• Proven ability to manage large budgets and complex contract negotiations.
• Demonstrated organizational agility to work across organizational boundaries, influence, and collaborate with all levels on solutions that benefit the organization.
• Strong communication, executive presence, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Exceptional business acumen and focus on achieving business impact through progressive practices and sound business judgment.
• Ability to translate goals and strategies into executable business plans.
• Facilitation and team building skills; ability to play an active, operational and communicative role.
• Expertise in site selection, hotel contracting, and multi-venue logistics.
• Experience working with production/AV partners and immersive design teams
• Interpersonal savvy and comfort interacting with and presenting to all levels of the organization, including senior leaders.
• Ability to train and mentor event coordinators.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends during event execution periods.
• Proficiency in event management platforms (Cvent), project management software, Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with AI productivity tools preferred.

Attention to Detail: Focuses on specific details to spot and correct errors in advance of them being found and surpass quality expectations. Performs work with thorough proofreading for presentation, content, accuracy, and overall quality.

Customer Service Mindset: Anticipates customer needs and applies understanding of customer needs or perspectives to solve problems and drive outcomes as the basis for decision making. Leverages knowledge of trends affecting customer to help them make informed decisions.

Event Management: Oversees the execution of corporate events, ensuring smooth operations and high-quality outcomes. Manages teams, addresses real-time challenges, and ensures compliance with budgets and timelines to enhance participant engagement and satisfaction.

Expense Reporting Management: Tracks and documents the operational and other related costs by recording and classifying expenses to monitor and control costs, assess budget adherence, and evaluate the efficiency of resource utilization within the organization.

Interpersonal Savvy: Relates well to all kinds of people inside and outside of the organization. Builds appropriate rapport, constructive and effective relationships. Uses diplomacy and tact and diffuses high-tension situations comfortably.

Technical & Digital Acumen: Leverages knowledge and approaches of digital products and technologies to solve problems, complete tasks and accomplish goals. Demonstrates effective adaptability to new and emerging technologies.
Vendor Management: Manages third partner vendors/outsourcing relationships, search agencies, and departmental budgets to deliver business objectives. Ability to negotiate vendor contracts, communicate internal stakeholder needs to the vendor, and evaluate potential vendors as needed.

#LI-Hybrid, #LI-Onsite

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We believe in fairness and transparency. It's why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you're living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable, click here to learn more.

Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now!

Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer who welcomes and encourages diversity in the workforce. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.