Senior Manager, Conferences and Events, Bloomberg Center for Cities

About the role

The Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University serves a global community committed to improving public management, leadership, and governance. The Center’s cross-Harvard collaboration unites expertise focused on cities across disciplines and schools to produce research, train leaders, and develop resources for global use.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, design, and execution of center events and convenings, managing logistics, operations, staffing, timelines, and resource allocation across in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats.
• Lead the end-to-end planning and development of event concepts and experiences in partnership with faculty, scholars, and speakers, translating academic content into engaging and accessible programming for diverse audiences.
• Lead budget and financial oversight of $1.4M center event budget including allocation of budget to events, convenings, reconciling expense and responsible for financial planning of for event calendar.
• Lead communication and coordination with HKS partners, including catering, facilities, IT/media services, and security, while overseeing vendor relationships and ensuring seamless event execution.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve event planning systems, operational processes, timelines, and project management tools to support a robust and growing events portfolio.
• Lead planning and coordination meetings with faculty, speakers, city leaders, university partners, and external stakeholders, serving as a key point of contact throughout the event lifecycle.
• Provide leadership and oversight for event budgets, financial tracking, staffing plans, vendor contracts, and allocation of external resources to ensure responsible fiscal stewardship and operational efficiency.
• Partner closely with the Center’s Communications team to develop event branding, promotional materials, audience engagement strategies, and post-event communications.
• Manage collaboration with external production teams and technical vendors to support high-quality live-streamed, recorded, and hybrid event experiences.
• Anticipate, troubleshoot, and resolve operational and technical challenges during event planning and execution, exercising sound judgment under pressure.
• Lead the development and finalization of presentations, briefing materials, run-of-show documents, speaker materials, and related event content in collaboration with faculty and speakers.
• Manage post-event follow-up activities, including stakeholder communications, data collection, reporting, reconciliation, and coordination with Communications to distribute event recordings and related materials.
• Evaluate event outcomes and audience engagement metrics, using data and feedback to recommend improvements and enhancements to future programming.
• Operate independently in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating exceptional attention to detail, initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities with limited oversight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• 6 years of relevant professional experience with progressive responsibility in event-production
• Must be able to work evenings and weekends as needed

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated excellence in translating academic content into compelling educational sessions, events, and convenings for diverse audiences
• Pioneered track record of leading and executing complex, high-profile events and convenings involving multiple stakeholders
• Experience working in cities, local government, or adjacent community organizations with a strong understanding of urban challenges is highly preferred
• Extensive knowledge of events operations and process design
• Ability to drive towards big picture goals while maintaining extraordinary attention to detail
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives from concept through execution
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and coordinate effectively across internal teams, faculty, and external partners
• A strong work ethic and resolute integrity
• Excellent interpersonal skills that resonate with diverse stakeholders
• Strong relationship-management skills and the ability to build credibility with faculty, senior leaders, and external stakeholders
• Ability to maintain effectiveness under scrutiny and pressure, and willingness to do what it takes to get work done
• Skill in written communications, content development