Head of Events

About the role

As Head of Events (Global) at Cognition, you will build and lead the internal events function that brings our team together across every office and time zone, from company-wide offsites and all hands to launch celebrations and team gatherings. Your events will strengthen our culture, connect a fast-growing global team, and make every person at Cognition feel part of one company. You will sit within Employee Experience and own Cognition's event experience end to end, from strategy and concept through onsite execution, ensuring every event reflects the quality bar we hold for everything we build. This is a builder role. You'll set the vision, run flawless events with your own two hands, and create the playbooks, partners, and team that let us scale without losing the magic.

Responsibilities

• Define and own Cognition's global events strategy and annual calendar, including company offsites, all-hands, holiday and milestone celebrations, and all office(s) programming
• Lead flagship company events end to end, from venue sourcing, travel, and programming to production, run-of-show, and onsite execution
• Deliver a consistent, high-quality event experience across every Cognition office and region while adapting to local culture and needs
• Build self-serve toolkits, budgets, and guidelines that let managers run great team offsites and socials
• Own the global events budget, vendor negotiations, and contracts, tracking spend against plan
• Partner with People, Workplace, Finance, Legal, Security, and leadership on programming, content, and overall decision-making
• Craft communications before and after each event, including "Know Before You Go" guides and attendee follow-ups
• Measure attendance, engagement, and employee feedback to continually refine and improve every program
• Lead a team of producers and coordinators as the function grows
• Be present at major events in person to lead execution directly

Requirements

• Comfort working 5 days a week in the office
• 8+ years of experience in events, including 3+ years leading internal or corporate events at a global, high-growth tech company or a premium experiential agency
• Proven ability to run end-to-end events including strategy, planning, logistics, vendor management, run-of-show creation, and onsite execution under pressure
• Experience producing events ranging from 10 to 1,000+ attendees, including multi-day international offsites
• Track record owning large budgets and managing vendors across multiple regions
• Experience partnering with executives and senior leadership on company-wide moments
• Serious organizational rigor, sharp attention to details, and a high personal bar for quality and taste
• Willingness to travel up to 40%, including internationally

Qualifications

• Have impeccable taste and can spot the difference between a good event and one people talk about for years
• Have a sharp eye for the details that make people feel something: the venue, the lighting, the playlist, the welcome note
• Have built an events function from scratch at a high-growth startup
• Love creating moments that make the whole company feel like one team
• Thrive when traveling, hosting, problem-solving, and adapting in real time
• Are highly organized and operationally minded while still creative
• Bring a strong network of venues, DMCs, and production partners across North America, Europe, and APAC
• Think like an owner of the employee experience and culture, not just an executor of logistics