Remote Event Planner Jobs in Ames, IA (NOW HIRING)

Position Overview

Autodesk is seeking a Senior Manager, Event Operations to lead the operational planning and execution of One Team Conference (OTC) - our annual go-to-market kick-off that unites global Sales, Customer Success, partners, and leadership around our growth strategy.

As the operational lead for OTC, you will connect business stakeholders, executive leadership, cross-functional teams, and agency partners to deliver a high-impact, business-critical experience. You will own the integrated operational delivery of the program - creating clarity from ambiguity, anticipating needs, driving decisions, resolving issues at the appropriate level, and bringing clear recommendations when escalation is required.

We are looking for a seasoned operator with deep experience producing large-scale enterprise conferences, sales kick-offs, or similarly complex global events. The ideal candidate combines operational rigor with strong judgment, financial acumen, executive presence, and emotional intelligence. They are decisive yet humble, structured yet adaptable, and know how to keep complex teams moving toward a shared outcome.

Senior Manager, Event Operations - One Team Conference (OTC)

Location:Remote (USA or Canada)

Reports to:Director, Event Operations, Brand Events & Experiences

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end operational delivery of OTC, from early planning through on-site execution and post-event reconciliation, including venue and space planning, housing, registration, transportation, F&B, staffing, production operations, attendee services, and operational readiness

• Lead the integrated program plan and operating rhythm, owning the master timeline, critical path, dependencies, milestones, decision tracking, risk management, and cross-functional readiness while proactively removing roadblocks and driving work forward

• Serve as the connective tissue across the organization, partnering with Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, Brand, Content, Experience Design, Event Technology, Communications, Finance, Procurement, Legal, IT, Travel, Security, executive offices, and agency partners to establish clear ownership and accountability

• Translate business and experience objectives into executable operational plans, partnering closely with GTM leadership and E&E teams to balance ambition, attendee experience, cost, risk, and feasibility

• Lead agency and vendor partners, establishing clear scopes, deliverables, timelines, accountability, and performance expectations while ensuring partners operate as an integrated extension of the Autodesk team

• Own the OTC budget and financial management, including forecasting, spend tracking, reconciliation, change management, and identification of efficiencies and cost optimization opportunities while protecting critical business and attendee experience requirements

• Lead operational risk and readiness, anticipating dependencies and potential points of failure, developing contingency plans, and partnering with Security, Legal, Travel, IT, and other stakeholders on safety, compliance, accessibility, business continuity, and duty of care

• Exercise strong judgment and decision-making, resolving issues at the appropriate level and escalating when necessary with clear context, options, trade-offs, and a recommended path forward

• Provide clear, concise executive communications, distilling complexity into the decisions, risks, and information that matter most and adapting communication style across executives, stakeholders, teams, and partners

• Lead and develop the extended OTC operations team, creating clarity of ownership, empowering others to lead, holding teams accountable, and fostering a culture of trust, collaboration, and shared success

• Drive continuous improvement, establishing repeatable processes and documentation, leading post-event reviews, and partnering with the Director of Event Operations to evolve broader E&E operational standards and best practices

• Lead on-site operations with calm authority, managing multiple teams, partners, executives, and real-time decisions while maintaining perspective and protecting the attendee experience

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in enterprise event operations, experiential marketing, event production, or complex program delivery, ideally within a global technology company or agency environment

• Proven experience leading large-scale enterprise conferences, sales kick-offs, or internal events for thousands of attendees

• Demonstrated experience owning end-to-end operational delivery across complex, multi-stream programs

• Experience managing large, complex budgets, including forecasting, reconciliation, and cost optimization

• Experience leading agency and vendor partners against scope, budget, timeline, and performance expectations

• Strong program management expertise and demonstrated ability to drive outcomes across highly matrixed, cross-functional organizations

• Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to synthesize complexity and influence senior leaders

• Experience leading teams and developing talent

• Willingness to travel for site visits, planning meetings, and on-site execution

The Ideal Candidate

• You take ownership and come with solutions. You anticipate what's coming, create clarity from ambiguity, exercise sound judgment, and bring options and recommendations - not simply problems to escalate

• You know how to navigate people as well as process. You read the room, build trust quickly, understand organizational dynamics, and lead with emotional intelligence

• You are a calm force under pressure. You adapt quickly, make decisions with incomplete information, and help others perform at their best

• You care about the how as much as the what. You develop people, create accountability without unnecessary friction, and hold high standards without ego - equally comfortable setting direction and rolling up your sleeves

• You are curious and always looking for a better way. You challenge the status quo when it makes the work, experience, process, or team stronger - and believe exceptional work and having fun along the way can coexist

About Autodesk

Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software - from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made.

We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk - it's at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world.

When you're an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!

Benefits

From health and financial benefits to time away and everyday wellness, we give Autodeskers the best, so they can do their best work. Learn more about our benefits in the U.S. by visiting https://benefits.autodesk.com/

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Autodesk, we're building a diverse workplace and an inclusive culture to give more people the chance to imagine, design, and make a better world. Autodesk is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. We also consider for employment all qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

Belonging

We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/global-belonging

In-Person Onboarding and Identity Verification

This role may require in-person onboarding and/or in-person ID verification.

Are you an existing contractor or consultant with Autodesk?

Please search for open jobs and apply internally (not on this external site).