Senior Events Specialist

Senior Events Specialist

We're looking for a Senior Events Specialist to join our Global Events team. This is an exciting opportunity for a highly organized, creative, and execution-focused event professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment.

You'll support the planning and delivery of Palo Alto Networks' global event portfolio, including proprietary events, executive programs, and premier industry conferences, ensuring exceptional attendee experiences from planning through onsite execution.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative, resourceful, and results-driven event professional who thrives in a fast-paced, global environment. You are a proactive self-starter with a high level of integrity, intellectual curiosity, and flexibility, combining strong attention to detail with a passion for experiential marketing.

This position reports directly to the Head of Global Events.

Your Impact - Key Responsibilities

• Support the planning and execution of Palo Alto Networks' global event portfolio, including flagship proprietary conferences, executive programs, and premier third-party industry events.
• Own key event workstreams from planning through onsite execution, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and with exceptional attention to detail.
• Execute operational components of assigned events, including venue logistics, production, registration, food and beverage, audiovisual, signage, branding, transportation, giveaways, staffing, speaker support, and onsite operations.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, workback schedules, timelines, and operational documentation to ensure seamless execution across multiple concurrent programs.
• Coordinate cross-functional deliverables with Marketing, Sales, Product Marketing, Customer Success, Creative, Finance, Legal, Procurement, Security, and external partners to keep projects moving forward.
• Build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders, agency partners, venues, and suppliers while serving as a reliable operational partner throughout the event lifecycle.
• Manage purchase orders, expense tracking, invoice reconciliation, and vendor payments.
• Partner with event leaders and creative teams to develop engaging attendee experiences, branded activations, and customer touchpoints that elevate the Palo Alto Networks brand.
• Support speaker operations by coordinating communications, logistics, rehearsals, presentation assets, and onsite readiness for internal and external speakers.
• Prepare event documentation, including planning decks, run-of-show documents, staffing guides, operational playbooks, executive briefs, and post-event recap reports.
• Monitor project health by tracking milestones, deliverables, risks, and dependencies, proactively escalating issues and recommending solutions to ensure successful execution.
• Leverage AI-powered tools and emerging technologies to improve planning efficiency, streamline communications, and enhance team productivity.
• Travel approximately 30%, including domestic and international travel, to support planning activities and onsite event execution.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience supporting corporate, experiential, or B2B marketing events, including conferences, trade shows, or executive programs.
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Hospitality, Business, or a related field.
• Strong project management, organizational, and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across cross-functional teams.
• Experience working with event agencies, venues, production partners, and vendors.
• Familiarity with event budgets, purchase orders, and expense tracking.
• Creative, resourceful, collaborative, and passionate about delivering exceptional event experiences.
• Experience with project management tools (e.g., Asana) and event technology platforms is preferred.
• Ability to work onsite at our Santa Clara headquarters.

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/com-missioned roles) is expected to be the annual range listed below. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

$90,000.00 - $145,000.00/yr

Our Commitment

We're trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity's status quo. It's simple: we can't accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io.

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.