Senior Director of Events

About us (and you)

At State Policy Network, we're building an America where personal freedom, innovation, and opportunity empower everyone to thrive. We’re a national nonprofit—but more than that, we’re the connector and champion behind a growing movement of state-based think tanks and partners working toward a freer society. 

That’s where you come in. In this role, you won’t just be a spectator—you’ll be in the thick of it, working alongside bold leaders to ignite durable, state-level freedom movements. Together, we’ll help high-performing, independent think tanks make a real impact—one state at a time. 

How you'll make an impact:

SPN is seeking a Senior Director of Events who will thrive at the intersection of big-picture strategy, content programming, and hands-on execution. We’re looking for someone who sees events not just as gatherings, but as one of SPN's most powerful tools for advancing our mission and network-wide impact.

The ideal candidate has experience leading complex events and knows how to turn a vision into a detailed, well-run production. They are equally strong on content collaboration, helping partner with leadership to shape event agendas and curate speakers and formats. This person is a natural systems thinker who loves finding the right technology and process to eliminate manual busywork, tighten timelines, and make it possible to scale events—all without losing the warmth and hospitality that make SPN gatherings feel different from a typical conference.

The role requires someone dedicated to building strong relationships with colleagues, vendors, sponsors, and speakers, and who can coach and develop an events team while still rolling up their sleeves. The ideal candidate will be able to balance strategic planning with on-the-ground execution, translate ambitious goals into clear timelines and budgets, and represent the SPN brand with consistency and polish at every touchpoint.

The Senior Director of Events will report to the Executive Vice President and will lead SPN’s four-person events team.

This role includes a competitive salary of $120,000–$155,000, commensurate with experience, plus benefits. Most of SPN's staff work virtually, and this position may be based in a virtual office anywhere in the United States, with regular travel to SPN events.

Your Day-to-Day:

• Oversee overall strategy, planning, and execution for SPN's events, including our 1,500+ person Annual Meeting. Serve as a thought partner to staff, ensuring each event advances SPN's mission and strategic objectives.
• Drive content planning and programming for SPN’s events, collaborating with members of SPN’s leadership team and other key stakeholders to build agendas and curate speakers and session formats. Partner closely with the communications, programs, and development teams to build content that reflects SPN’s strategic priorities.
• Design systems and processes that allow SPN to scale our event portfolio without sacrificing the warm, personal experience attendees expect from SPN. Evaluate, implement, and champion solutions that streamline logistics, reduce manual work, and allow the team to scale events.
• Build and maintain strong, ongoing relationships with vendors, sponsors, and partners to unlock new opportunities and improve execution.
• Hire, mentor, and coach members of the events team, setting individual expectations and providing ongoing feedback.
• Oversee event sponsorship strategy and execution, in partnership with SPN's sponsorship contractor and development team, to meet ambitious revenue goals.
• Ensure brand consistency across speakers, content, and event logistics, coordinating with SPN's communications team to prepare presenters and maintain a polished attendee experience.
• Build feedback loops after each event to capture lessons learned on both content and logistics, and continuously refine SPN's event playbook.
• Develop and track event budgets, identifying opportunities to continue executing high-quality events in a cost-effective manner within a constantly changing hospitality environment.

TLDR? We're looking for…

• 7+ years of experience in event strategy, event management, or a related field, including experience leading large-scale, high-profile events (500+ attendees).
• Demonstrated experience designing event content – agendas, session formats, and speaker lineups – for a substantive, policy- or issue-driven audience.
• A track record of using technology and process design to make events more efficient and scalable—not just running events, but improving how they get run.
• Proven people-management experience, with the ability to build, mentor, and grow a high-performing events team.
• Strong budget management and vendor negotiation skills.
• Exceptional project management skills and comfort holding multiple complex timelines at once.
• A genuine passion for hospitality and creating memorable, personal experiences. This role is equal parts operator and host.
• Experience designing and executing successful donor cultivation events is ideal.
• Familiarity with the state-based think tank movement or nonprofit/association event work is a plus.
• Willingness to travel regularly for site visits and on-site event execution (roughly 20% travel).

Are YOU a good fit?

• Are you Mission-Bound? Everything we do at SPN is in service to building durable freedom movements in every state. We pursue excellence in our work and set aside our pride and differences to commit ourselves to this end.
• Are you Candid and Humble? We give and receive honest and respectful feedback with the assumption of positive intent. We deal with problems and conflict directly with the individuals involved. We are open to challenges, eager to learn, and willing to acknowledge mistakes to improve.
• Are you Entrepreneurial? We seek opportunities, embrace innovation, and take prudent risk with a bias toward action. We test, fail small, and scale our successes. We're resilient but also nimble, looking for the potential in every challenge.
• Are you Relational? Trust and respect are built over time through competence, reliability, and integrity. We establish credibility through meaningful relationships, demonstrating value before expecting influence or partnership.

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Sound like you? 

Qualified candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing your interest in the position, SPN’s mission, compensation requirements, and travel availability. 

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.