Vice President, Operations

Description

THE OPPORTUNITY

EES Agency is seeking a Vice President of Operations to define how a world-class event agency runs at scale. Reporting directly to the CEO, this role is the connective tissue between bold creative ambition and disciplined, scalable delivery across live, virtual, and hybrid experiences globally.

The VP of Operations owns the agency's business operations and logistics infrastructure end-to-end - building the systems, teams, and vendor relationships that let EES deliver flawlessly as it grows. The role also champions AI adoption across operational teams, helping the agency work smarter and stay ahead of what's possible in experiential. This is a senior leadership position with agency-wide operational authority and direct partnership with the CEO.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operational Leadership + Excellence

• Own end-to-end operational execution for all live, virtual, and hybrid events globally
• Establish and uphold delivery standards, quality control frameworks, and client satisfaction benchmarks
• Develop repeatable-yet-flexible operational playbooks that protect creative integrity without creating chaos
• Oversee logistics timelines, staffing, and on-site operational execution at the highest level

Logistics + Vendor Ecosystem

• Own end-to-end leadership of the logistics team, including FTE and Contractor/Project Staff, across all event formats
• Oversee all event logistics, transportation, and venue coordination
• Build and steward a high-performance global vendor, supplier, and venue partner network
• Negotiate complex contracts balancing cost efficiency, quality, reliability, and long-term relationship value
• Ensure robust contingency planning, risk management protocols, and issue escalation frameworks are embedded across the organization

AI Adoption + Operational Innovation

AI strategy for the agency lives with the Innovation function and the AI Task Force - the VP of Operations is not the de facto AI leader. What's required instead is fluency: understanding AI well enough to push the operations organization to use it, and leading the charge on applying it to solve real problems and modernize systems.

• Implement AI-driven workflow automation to reduce manual overhead, increase throughput, and free creative teams to focus on high-value work
• Leverage machine learning and predictive analytics to improve budget forecasting, resource allocation, and event performance modeling
• Champion the use of AI-powered project management, scheduling optimization, and real-time operations dashboards
• Partner with the Innovation function and AI Task Force to pilot and scale tools that enhance - not replace - human expertise
• Drive AI adoption within the operations org and identify where existing systems and workflows should be revamped

Scalability + Global Expansion

• Design the operational infrastructure to support expansion into new markets and regions
• Standardize tools, systems, and workflows globally - while preserving regional flexibility where it matters
• Lead operational readiness for new location launches from inception through stabilization

Financial + Performance Management

• Own all operational budgets, margin targets, and cost controls across the events portfolio
• Partner with Finance on forecasting, pricing models, and per-event profitability analysis
• Define and track KPIs for delivery performance, resource utilization, operational efficiency, and AI ROI
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement through post-event retrospectives, data analysis, and structured learning loops
• Own vendor management and contract management end-to-end, with both clients and vendors

Executive + Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as a core member of the Management Team, contributing to agency strategy, culture, and long-term direction
• Champion Events as a Business Strategy (EBS), ensuring operational decisions are made through the lens of driving measurable client business outcomes - not just flawless delivery
• Use EBS thinking to identify and convert project-based clients into retained, recurring house accounts, partnering with the Client Relationships team on the transition
• Partner closely with the Relationships team to ensure client commitments are operationally deliverable and profitably scoped
• Collaborate with Marketing + Creative to align visionary concepts with operational and logistical feasibility
• Partner with the Creative Director on production planning to ensure logistics, budget, and timelines support the creative vision
• Act as the agency's internal voice of execution and operational intelligence in all strategic decision-making forums
• Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing operations organization

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Flawless Event Delivery - Consistent on-time, on-budget execution across all formats and regions

Client Impact - High client satisfaction scores, repeat business, and reference-ability

Client Retention & Growth - Growth in recurring revenue, retention, and expanded scope across existing client accounts

House Account Conversion - Measurable growth in clients converted from project-based work to retained, recurring house accounts

Margin Performance - Year-over-year operational margin improvement

AI Leadership - Measurable productivity gains and cost savings from AI tooling adoption

Global Growth - New location launches delivered on schedule and at full operational maturity

Team Strength - Retention, engagement, and promotion velocity within the operations org

Candidate should be located in either the Greater Nashville or Miami markets

Requirements

• Experience: 10+ years of senior operations leadership in events, experiential marketing, live entertainment, or production - with demonstrated P&L ownership
• AI Fluency: Working knowledge of AI tools and genuine enthusiasm for applying them operationally; comfortable pushing a team to adopt new tools quickly, without needing to own company-wide AI strategy
• Scale: Proven track record building and scaling operations across multiple geographies, teams, and event types
• Network: Established relationships with top-tier vendors, logistics partners, and venue operators globally
• Leadership: A calm, decisive leader who commands trust under pressure - and inspires operational teams to do their best work
• Mindset: A systems thinker who sees complexity as a design problem - and builds elegant, human-centered solutions
• Communication: Exceptional communicator who translates operational realities into language that resonates with creative, commercial, and executive audiences