Senior Manager, Events & Experiences - The Policy Circle - Virtual

About The Policy Circle

The Policy Circle informs, equips, and connects women to be more impactful citizens and influential local leaders. We believe some of the most important decisions affecting our families and communities are made at the state and local level – and that more capable women should have the information, relationships, and confidence to help shape those decisions.

Through Policy Circles, civic leadership programs, coaching, policy education, and experiences that bring women together, we help women move from learning and conversation to meaningful civic leadership.

We are an ambitious, entrepreneurial organization entering an important period of growth. We work quickly, care deeply about the quality of what we put into the world, and expect every member of our team to understand not only what they are doing, but why it matters.

The Role

Events are central to how The Policy Circle brings its mission to life. They range from our biennial national Summit and intimate gatherings with major supporters to regional policy conversations, Civic Coaching programs, Circle events, partner gatherings, and other experiences designed to deepen relationships and engagement. Our events vary widely in size and format and include both virtual and in-person experiences. We are looking for someone who sees an event as much more than a venue, catering, name tags, and a run of show.

The Senior Manager, Events & Experiences will report to the COO and own events from purpose and concept through content, experience, execution, and follow-up. This person will think about the audience, speakers, message, pacing, transitions, environment, and details, and make sure all of those pieces work together to advance The Policy Circle’s mission.

This is a role for someone ready to take the next step in their career: an experienced events professional who has mastered execution and is ready to own the bigger picture.

This is a full-time position that can be based virtually anywhere in the United States.

What You’ll Own

Create events with a clear purpose and throughline.

Start with the question: What are we trying to accomplish, and what should people think, feel, understand, or do when they leave? Build the experience around that answer.

Own the full event lifecycle.

Develop timelines, budgets, venues, vendors, travel, registration, production, food and beverage, materials, staffing, guest communications, and all of the details required for excellent execution.

Help shape content and programming.

Collaborate with leadership, the programs team, and key stakeholders, including volunteer advisory groups, to shape event content and programming, identify speakers and thought leaders, structure sessions, and ensure a cohesive and engaging event experience.

Prepare speakers and leaders to be successful.

Manage speaker outreach and preparation, develop briefing materials and talking points, lead prep calls, anticipate questions, and make sure everyone understands their role and how it fits into the larger experience.

Manage up with confidence and judgment.

Work effectively with the CEO, Leadership Team, Board Chair, and Board members. Know what requires leadership input, bring forward decisions at the right time, and confidently move forward on the many things that do not. This person should be comfortable saying, “Here is what I recommend and why,” rather than simply asking leadership what to do next.

Anticipate challenges and solve problems proactively.

Identify gaps early. Challenge assumptions. Think three steps ahead. Surface potential problems while there is still time to solve them.

Connect teams across The Policy Circle.

Events touch nearly every part of our organization – Programs, Development, Partnerships, Communications, Policy, and Operations. This person will serve as the connective tissue, ensuring everyone understands the goal, their responsibilities, and the decisions that need to be made.

Create repeatable systems without making us bureaucratic.

Build strong planning tools, timelines, templates, briefing processes, and post-event practices that allow us to execute consistently while remaining nimble.

What We’re Looking for

You are an experienced events professional who is ready for greater ownership. You have managed complex events and understand the operational details, but you are equally interested and skilled in leading the content, people, and purpose behind them.

You are:

● A self-starter. You can take an idea, create a plan, and move it forward without waiting for step-by-step direction.

● An exceptional project manager. Details don’t fall through the cracks, and deadlines aren’t surprises.

● A strategic thinker. You understand that every agenda choice, speaker, room setup, communication, and transition contributes to the larger goal.

● Confident managing senior leaders. You can work effectively with executives, Board members, donors, speakers, and other high-level stakeholders.

● A strong communicator. You are concise, clear, prepared, and comfortable asking hard questions when something isn’t adding up.

● Calm under pressure. Events change. Speakers cancel. Flights are delayed. You solve the problem and keep moving.

● Highly discerning. You know which decisions you own, which require collaboration, and which need to be elevated.

● Mission-minded. You want your work to matter, and you are energized by helping women become informed, engaged, and influential leaders in their communities.

Qualifications & Experience

● 5–8+ years of progressive experience in event management, conferences, experiential programming, development events, or a related field

● Demonstrated experience planning and executing in-person and virtual events of varying sizes and complexity, from small, high-touch gatherings to large conferences or summits of up to 500 attendees

● Experience managing the full event lifecycle, including concept development, programming, speaker coordination, logistics, budgets, vendor relationships, and on-site execution

● Strong program development instincts, with the ability to connect event objectives to content, speakers, audiences, and experiences that create a cohesive and meaningful program

● Comfortable working directly with executives, board members, donors, elected officials, policy leaders, and other high-level stakeholders

● Highly organized and detail-oriented, with exceptional project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities, coordinate complex timelines, and keep projects moving forward

● Technologically savvy, with strong proficiency in event management platforms, project management software, and collaborative tools. Embraces AI and emerging technologies to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and find smarter ways to work

● A proactive, resourceful problem-solver who can manage competing priorities, anticipate needs, and adapt quickly when plans change

● Experience in a nonprofit, membership organization, public policy organization, association, political or civic organization, or similarly fast-moving environment is preferred

● Willingness and ability to travel up to 40% is required for events, planning meetings, and other organizational activities

● US candidate only

Success Looks Like

The person who succeeds in this role will make events better and make the organization better at events. Leadership will trust you to take an idea and run with it. Teams will know what is expected of them and when. Speakers will arrive prepared. Guests will experience events that feel thoughtful and seamless. Details will be handled without leadership having to chase them.

And most importantly, every event, whether 20 women around a table or hundreds at our national Summit, will feel unmistakably connected to why The Policy Circle exists.

Working at The Policy Circle

Compensation will be commensurate with experience. Generous benefits package including but not limited to: Medical, vision, and dental coverage starting on the first day of employment; Matching 401k – after 90 days of employment; Life insurance; Paid parental leave; 10 company holidays and 26 PTO days; Half-day Fridays; and cell phone reimbursement. This role requires significant travel.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:

• Resume

• Cover letter detailing your interest in the position and The Policy Circle’s mission and your salary requirements.

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/.

Questions can be directed to Savannah Murphy, Project Manager, who is managing the search process: savannah@talentmarket.org.

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market, the liberty movement’s talent agency, is a nonprofit that connects liberty-minded professionals with free-market nonprofit jobs at no cost to candidates or organizations. We work with 501(c)(3) organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation. Visit Talent Market to explore open roles, join our talent network, or work with us on your next hire.