Senior Lead Event Operations Manager

Event Operations and Project Manager

Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by connecting people, data and applications quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Together, we are building a culture and company from the people up committed to teamwork, trust and transparency. People power progress. We're looking for top-tier talent and offer the flexibility you need to thrive and deliver lasting impact. Join us as we digitally connect the world and shape the future.

The Role

We are seeking a highly organized and strategic Event Operations and Project Manager to join our Events team. This role is ideal for a seasoned professional who thrives in fast-paced environments and can seamlessly manage logistics, timelines, and cross-functional coordination for high-impact events. This role will report directly to the Director of Events and serve as a key operational lead across our external event portfolio. The ideal candidate will bring a blend of tactical execution and strategic foresight, ensuring every event is delivered with precision, creativity, and measurable impact.

Location and Schedule

Work Location : This is a Work from Home position. Schedule : This role requires flexibility to accommodate event timelines, including evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays. Standard business hours apply for planning and administrative tasks, but on-site presence during events is mandatory. Travel : Travel may be required for off-site events and vendor meetings.

The Main Responsibilities

Drive end-to-end operations for event managers to execute Tier 1 and Tier 2 external events, ensuring alignment with business objectives and delivering exceptional attendee experiences. Oversee all major event timelines, including planning sessions, content reviews, vendor deliverables, and executive briefings. Maintain visibility and accountability across workstreams. Manage strategic vendor relationshipsfrom sourcing through executioncovering AV, registration platforms, venues, agencies, security, brand, and catering. Support Director of Events on RFPs and supporting documentation with procurement. Forecast and manage event budgets, including sponsorship allocations and contingency planning. Deliver detailed spend analysis, variance reporting, and ROI insights to leadership. Establish scalable processes for managing event content, including speaker materials, session assets, and attendee communications. Ensure consistency with brand and PMO standards. Coordinate marketing, communications, sales, and executive stakeholders to drive seamless execution and unified messaging across all event touchpoints. Develop and maintain comprehensive project documentationworkback plans, risk logs, status reports, and post-event debriefsto enable proactive issue resolution and continuous improvement. Support onboarding of new vendors, agencies, and team members. Facilitate team meetings, ensuring clear action items and accountability. Model high standards of ownership, judgment, and professionalism. Provide program-level visibility and actionable insights to leadership, enabling informed decision-making and resource prioritization.

What We Look For in a Candidate

8+ years of experience managing large-scale events and cross-functional projects in fast-paced environments. Proven ability to operate as a senior project manager, not just a coordinatordriving clarity and outcomes even when details are fuzzy. Experience managing complex event calendars and coordinating multiple stakeholders across time zones. Demonstrated success in vendor management, including contract negotiation and on-site execution. Strong financial acumen with experience in budget forecasting, tracking, and reporting. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with experience briefing and aligning executives. Experience with project management tools (Asana, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, etc.) to drive visibility and accountability. Bonus : PMP, CMP, or other project / event leadership certifications.

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors. Location Based Pay Ranges $103,711 - $138,281 in these states : AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY $108,896 - $145,195 in these states : CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI $114,082 - $152,109 in these states : AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing.