Virtual Event Manager Jobs in Portland, OR (NOW HIRING)

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Senior Manager, Global Meetings, Events & Brand Experiences is responsible for leading the strategy, operations, and performance of Columbia Sportswear Company's corporate events function, ensuring the successful delivery of meetings, events, activations, and experiences that support business objectives, strengthen brand engagement, and elevate stakeholder experiences.

This role leads a high-performing team and a complex ecosystem of agencies, production partners, suppliers, technology providers, venues, and hospitality partners to deliver world-class events. As a trusted advisor to senior leaders, the Senior Manager, Global Meetings, Events & Activations brings clarity to ambiguity, navigates complex challenges, removes barriers to execution, and drives alignment across diverse stakeholders.

The ideal candidate combines exceptional leadership and emotional intelligence with deep expertise in event operations, vendor management, event technology, production, budgeting, contracting, and experience design. This leader is highly adaptable, influential, solutions-oriented, and able to coach teams, business partners, and executives to achieve successful outcomes in fast-paced and evolving environments.

HOW YOU'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing Events team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.

• Coach and mentor team members while influencing stakeholders and senior leaders to drive alignment, informed decision-making, and successful business outcomes.

• Build organizational capability, define clear priorities, and create an environment that enables teams to perform at their highest level.

• Leads large, cross-functional initiatives involving significant budgets, business impact, and organizational complexity.

• Influences decisions and outcomes across Marketing, Sales, Product, Procurement, Finance, Legal, HR, Communications, and external partners.

Event Strategy & Experience Delivery

• Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of the company's portfolio of corporate meetings, sales meetings, executive events, customer experiences, internal events, and experiential activations.

• Ensure operational excellence across all phases of event delivery, from concept development through post-event evaluation.

• Lead through ambiguity, proactively identifying risks, solving complex challenges, and removing barriers that impact execution.

Vendor & Partner Ecosystem Management

• Oversee a diverse network of 25+ vendors including but not limited to event agencies, production companies, AV providers, fabricators, design agencies, labor partners, shipping companies, venues, transportation providers, and event technology vendors.

• In partnership with Procurement, establish strategic partnerships, negotiate contracts, define performance expectations, and ensure consistent service delivery, accountability, scalability, and cost efficiency across the event ecosystem.

Financial Management & Contract Strategy

• Lead event budget planning, forecasting, financial reporting, and investment management.

• Ensure responsible stewardship of event investments while balancing business objectives, attendee experience, and financial performance.

• Oversee negotiation and management of complex hotel, venue, production, agency, and supplier contracts while mitigating risk and maximizing value.

Event Technology & Innovation

• Lead the selection, implementation, and optimization of event technologies, including registration, attendee management, floor planning, event applications, reporting, virtual event platforms, and engagement tools.

• Serve as a subject matter expert in platforms such as Cvent, Social Tables, and related event management technologies.

Content, Communications & Stakeholder Management

• Partner with executive leaders and business stakeholders to develop event objectives, content strategies, attendee journeys, and program experiences.

• Ensure clear and effective communication throughout the event lifecycle, from planning through execution and reporting.

• Influence and align stakeholders across varying priorities while maintaining focus on business objectives and attendee experience

Events Center of Excellence (COE)

• Lead the enterprise Events Center of Excellence (COE), establishing governance, standards, tools, best practices, and capabilities that support consistent and scalable event execution across the organization.

• Provide expertise and consultation to business partners, ensuring alignment with company standards and event strategy.

YOU HAVE

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Hospitality, Event Management, or a related field.

• CMP, PMP, or related professional certification preferred.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in corporate event management, experiential marketing, hospitality, event operations, or related disciplines.

• 5+ years of people leadership experience managing teams, large-scale programs, budgets, and external partners.

• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale corporate, executive, customer-facing, virtual, and hybrid events.

• Experience managing agencies, production vendors, AV providers, hotels, venues, labor partners, and event technology suppliers.

• Event strategy, operations, production, hospitality, experiential marketing, and attendee experience design.

• Budget management, forecasting, procurement, contract negotiation, and financial stewardship.

• Event technology platforms, registration systems, virtual event solutions, and attendee engagement tools.

• Vendor management, operational governance, and organizational capability development.

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25-30% annually.

• Flexibility to support events during evenings, weekends, early mornings, and other nontraditional business hours.

• Ability to work in event environments requiring extended standing, walking, lifting, and onsite operational support.

#Onsite

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This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company.

Columbia Sportswear Company is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. Columbia Sportswear is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please notify your recruiter.At Columbia Sportswear Company, we're proud to offer regular full-time employees a benefits package that includes a variety of services and products to help make your life and work more rewarding. Our benefit programs contribute to overall employee well-being by aligning those programs with the fundamental elements of well-being: physical, social/emotional, financial, career and community. Benefits that can protect your family's financial future and help you save money through our 401k plan plus a generous company match. Columbia offers medical, dental, vision, life Insurance, disability, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, and an assortment of voluntary benefit offerings (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and legal services). In addition, Columbia offers EAP + which is free and confidential 24/7/365 counseling services. We have extensive wellness benefits, employee discounts and a generous time off program available.If you need an accommodation/adjustment to successfully complete and submit your application, please reach out to AskHR@columbia.com with the Subject: Applicant Assistance Requested.