Director, Event Planning & Project Management

Director, Event Planning & Project Management

The Director, Event Planning & Project Management serves as the operational leader and process architect for the MLS/SUM event portfolio. This role is responsible for overseeing a team of Event Managers who directly lead tentpole and large-scale events, while establishing the strategic frameworks, governance models, and project management infrastructure that ensure consistent, scalable, and high-performing execution across the department.

This individual will not serve as the day-to-day producer of events such as MLS All-Star or MLS Cup, but rather as the senior leader overseeing the managers responsible for those events — providing direction, accountability, integration, and executive-level oversight.

The Director will also lead cross-functional enterprise initiatives that extend beyond individual events, ensuring alignment across departments including Commercial, Marketing, Communications, Competition, Finance, Legal, and Operations. This role requires a disciplined project management mindset, strong leadership presence, and the ability to build repeatable systems that elevate performance year over year.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, manage, and develop a team of Event Managers who oversee MLS All-Star, MLS Cup, and other major properties.
• Establish clear performance expectations, accountability structures and templates, and development plans for direct reports.
• Serve as escalation point and strategic advisor to managers throughout planning and execution cycles.
• Foster a culture of ownership, operational discipline, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive succession planning and capability building within the Events team.

Portfolio Oversight & Governance

• Provide executive-level oversight across the MLS/SUM event portfolio, ensuring alignment with league priorities, commercial objectives, and brand standards.
• Oversee strategic planning milestones for tentpole events, ensuring managers maintain clear workback schedules, stakeholder alignment, and budget discipline.
• Review and guide event strategy, production plans, staffing models, and execution frameworks without directly owning day-to-day production.
• Identify portfolio-level risks, resource gaps, and interdependencies across events.
• Standardize planning cadences and reporting structures across all major properties.

Project Management Infrastructure & Process Building

• Design and implement scalable project management frameworks across the department, including:
• Master planning timelines
• Stakeholder matrices
• RACI models
• Budget tracking tools
• Risk mitigation protocols
• Post-event reporting templates
• Establish governance structures for cross-functional initiatives, ensuring clarity of ownership, deliverables, and decision-making pathways.
• Lead enterprise-wide planning processes for large-scale initiatives that intersect multiple departments.
• Build documentation standards and institutional knowledge systems to improve efficiency and year-over-year performance.
• Drive continuous improvement by evaluating post-event insights and operational data to refine processes.

Cross-Functional Enterprise Leadership

• Lead complex cross-functional initiatives beyond event execution, ensuring alignment, accountability, and milestone delivery.
• Ensure commercial partner activations and league initiatives are operationally integrated across all major events.

Financial & Operational Oversight

• Oversee portfolio-level budget strategy, including forecasting, financial tracking, reconciliation, and cost-efficiency planning.
• Review and approve major vendor engagements, contracts, and agency scopes of work.
• Ensure financial accountability across managed events.
• Drive operational consistency in vendor selection, contracting processes, and payment workflows.

Onsite Executive Leadership

• Provide onsite oversight at marquee events, serving as strategic lead and escalation point for critical operational decisions.
• Support Event Managers in maintaining cross-functional alignment during live event execution.

Additional Responsibilities

• Lead special enterprise initiatives as assigned by the Vice President, Events.
• Contribute to long-term departmental strategy and organizational design.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required
• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in large-scale event planning, operations, or live production
• Minimum 5+ years managing full-time employees, including managers or senior-level staff
• Demonstrated experience leading leaders and overseeing complex, cross-functional initiatives
• Proven track record building operational systems, governance models, or scalable planning processes

Required Skills

• Strong leadership presence with proven ability to manage and develop leaders
• Advanced project management expertise with demonstrated success building scalable systems
• Experience overseeing large-scale, high-visibility event portfolios
• Exceptional organizational and operational planning skills
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing multimillion-dollar budgets
• Ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels
• Excellent executive communication and presentation skills
• Proven ability to drive cross-functional alignment in complex organizational environments
• Strong decision-making capabilities in high-pressure, high-visibility settings
• Willingness to travel extensively (6–10 days for marquee events) and work long hours, including weekends, during events and peak periods.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Desired Skills

• Experience overseeing globally recognized tentpole events
• Experience building or scaling event operations within a growing organization
• Knowledge of Soccer or sports

Total Rewards

Major League Soccer offers a competitive starting base salary of $115,000 – 140,000, based on individual qualifications, market financials, and operational business needs. We are committed to providing a Total Rewards package that attracts, supports, engages, and retains talent. Our benefits package includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, a $500 wellness reimbursement, and generous Holiday and PTO schedule to promote work-life balance. We also prioritize career and professional development, offering on-the-job training, feedback, and ongoing educational opportunities.

Major League Soccer believes in the value of in-person collaboration to support teamwork, creativity, and connection. Employees in this role are expected to work a four (4) day in-office schedule, with the flexibility to work remotely one (1) day each week, based on business and department needs.

Major League Soccer is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Major League Soccer is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process, as well as during employment. Applicants who require an accommodation may contact Human Resources to request assistance.

Join our team and help support the growth and success of Major League Soccer.