Director, Experiential Programming

Description

About NYRR

New York Road Runners (NYRR) was founded in 1958 when a small group of passionate runners vowed to bring running to the people and has grown from a local running club into the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s vision is to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running.

NYRR’s year-round offerings of races, community events, programs, and training resources provide hundreds of thousands of people with the motivation, know-how, and opportunities to start running and keep running for life. NYRR’s premier event, the famed TCS New York City Marathon, attracts the world’s top professional runners and committed amateurs alike, while also raising millions of dollars annually for charity and driving economic impact for New York City.NYRR is equally committed to the runners of tomorrow, passionately providing youth fitness programs that educate and inspire children in underserved communities in New York City, nationwide, and around the world.

Headquartered in New York City, NYRR is a 501(c)(3) organization.To learn more, please visit www.nyrr.org.

At New York Road Runners, we are committed to building an inclusive, diverse workplace by finding the best candidate for the job. We understand that skills come from a variety of different backgrounds. Checking off every single requirement on our job description is not necessary to apply. If you think you are a good fit and have a passion for the work we do, please submit your application. We are eager to learn about your experience and skills! You may be the right candidate for this or other open positions.

New York Road Runners is an Equal Opportunity Employer

About the Department

New York Road Runner’s Marketing and Communications department is charged with managing the organization’s creative services, editorial, advertising, PR, pro athlete, broadcast and video, and digital operations. The team’s efforts build upon NYRR’s recent brand initiative and Run for Life platform as the organization seeks to tell the bigger NYRR story of huge positive impact; our ongoing focus on broadening our engagement with runners of all types; our efforts to strengthen our alignment with, and support of, our corporate partners; and our opportunity to unlock the power of our community in supporting our youth-and cause-related efforts.

About the Position

The Director, Experiential Programming is responsible for NYRR’s year-round experiential programming strategy and audience engagement initiatives across NYRR’s physical and digital environments. This role oversees the planning, development, and execution of programming and experiences that support NYRR’s broader content, marketing, community engagement, and organizational objectives.

This position works cross-functionally with internal departments, external partners, sponsors, vendors, talent, and city stakeholders to develop and execute high-quality live experiences that extend NYRR’s storytelling and audience engagement strategy beyond race day.

Events under the purview of this role include all non-race programming at the NYRR RunCenter, activations and stage programming at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo, United Airlines NYC Half Experience, RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party, and other community and partner-facing events.

Job Responsibilities (primary and secondary duties):

• Develop and lead NYRR’s year-round experiential programming strategy aligned with organizational goals, audience engagement priorities, and content initiatives.
• Oversee the planning and execution of all non-race programming at the NYRR RunCenter and experiential activations tied to marquee events including the TCS New York City Marathon, United Airlines NYC Half, and RBC Brooklyn Half.
• Drive audience engagement and community participation through innovative live, hybrid, and experiential programming.
• Serve as the central programming lead across departments, managing scheduling, event prioritization, and stakeholder alignment.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Content, Marketing, Sponsorship, Hospitality, Community Impact, and Development teams to support organizational initiatives and partner objectives.
• Work closely with Content Production and Content Operations teams on event execution, livestream integration, digital experiences, and technical workflows.
• Identify, secure, and manage relationships with featured guests, athletes, panelists, moderators, vendors, and external partners.
• Oversee event planning workflows including run-of-show development, floorplans, staffing coordination, vendor management, timelines, and operational execution.
• Partner with Digital Marketing and Content Operations teams to support digital fan engagement initiatives, digital signage content, mobile app integrations, and hybrid audience experiences.
• Manage experiential programming budgets, monitor financial performance, and identify operational efficiencies and opportunities for growth.
• Establish and maintain quality control standards to ensure consistency and excellence across all audience-facing experiences and activations.
• Manage and develop staff, freelancers, seasonal personnel, and vendors while fostering a collaborative team culture aligned with NYRR’s mission and values.
• Other responsibilities as needed

Job Requirements:

Experience:

• 5+ years of relevant experience in event planning, A/V, livestreaming, or related field required
• Experience in fan engagement or digital content/UX a plus
• Ability to work in high-paced environment
• Self-motivated with strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to meet and perform under tight deadlines, think clearly under pressure, and exercise good judgment
• Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and projects
• Excellent organization and communication skills

Skills and Attributes:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook)
• Adobe Creative Suite (Premiere, After Effects, Illustrator) experience a plus
• Demonstrated decision making and problem-solving skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of the New York City running community and run clubs
• Familiar with NYC communities across all five boroughs
• Ability to work occasional weekends or evenings
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Operate on a hybrid schedule, with two days per week in the NYRR office in NYC
• Ability to speak another language strongly preferred

Other Requirements:

• All staff are required to work the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, and the TCS NYC Marathon.
• Work evening/weekend event as required
• Operate on a hybrid schedule, working in office a minimum of 2 days per week

Salary: 100K

New York Road Runners is an Equal Opportunity Employer