Events Project Manager

Manager, Event Program Management

Are you ready for a change? At GS1 US, employees at every level play a vital role and provide a meaningful voice on issues that affect consumers across the country. We are a small company with a world-class culture, and we make a huge impact on the way the world does business.

What is in it for you

At GS1 US, employees at every level play a vital role in advancing the adoption of GS1 Standards and making an impact on the way the world does business.

As the Manager, Event Program Management, you will play an important role in how our Enterprise Events team plans, coordinates, and delivers complex event programs, including GS1 Connect, our flagship annual conference.

You will work closely with event strategists, marketers, internal business partners, and external agencies to translate event strategies into actionable plans, strengthen cross-functional collaboration, and establish processes that help our team operate more effectively.

This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys connecting the dots, solving complex problems, and building better ways of working.

We are currently recruiting for this position, which offers $85,000 - $115,000. This position qualifies for participation in our annual employee bonus program.

Who you are

You are an experienced project or program management professional who thrives in complex, collaborative environments. You bring structure to ambiguity, anticipate challenges, and help teams move from planning to execution with clarity and accountability.

You understand that successful program management is about more than tracking tasks and deadlines. It's about connecting priorities, people, decisions, and dependencies to achieve shared outcomes.

You are comfortable working across functions, building trusted relationships, and influencing progress without direct authority. You know when to facilitate a solution independently and when to elevate a decision or risk.

You are naturally curious, resourceful, and improvement-oriented. You look for opportunities to simplify processes, make information more accessible, and help teams work more effectively.

You balance strategic context with attention to detail, understanding how day-to-day activities contribute to broader organizational objectives.

You are confident using project management systems and technology to improve visibility, communication, and accountability.

You hold a bachelor's degree or possess equivalent professional experience, along with approximately 3-5 years of experience in project management, program management, event management, marketing operations, or a related discipline.

What you will do

The Manager, Event Program Management is responsible for leading the integrated planning, coordination, and program management processes that support GS1 US's enterprise event portfolio, including GS1 Connect, the organization's flagship annual conference.

This newly established position complements the team's existing event management expertise by providing dedicated program management leadership across interconnected workstreams, including event strategy, attendee experience, marketing, audience acquisition, content, sponsorship, technology, operations, and external agency partnerships.

The role translates established event strategies and objectives into coordinated plans, manages milestones and dependencies, identifies risks, and facilitates cross-functional accountability to support successful delivery.

In addition, this position contributes to the ongoing development of consistent program management practices, reporting frameworks, and collaboration processes that improve visibility and effectiveness across Enterprise Events.

The ideal candidate combines strong project management expertise, sound business judgment, collaborative leadership, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Integrated Event Program Management

• Develop and maintain comprehensive, integrated project plans for GS1 Connect and other priority enterprise event portfolio initiatives.
• Translate event strategies, objectives, and deliverables into actionable workstreams, milestones, timelines, and dependencies.
• Coordinate interconnected activities across event strategy, marketing, audience acquisition, programming, sponsorship, technology, operations, and external partners.
• Establish clear ownership, deliverables, and accountability for cross-functional workstreams.
• Partner with Enterprise Events team members responsible for event strategy and operational delivery to integrate functional plans into cohesive program timelines, clarify dependencies, and ensure alignment without duplicating event management responsibilities.
• Proactively monitor program progress, identify critical dependencies, and recommend adjustments to maintain alignment with objectives and deadlines.
• Support effective management of program scope, priorities, timelines, and resources.
• Facilitate integrated planning and readiness reviews to ensure workstreams are aligned and prepared for key milestones.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Accountability

• Serve as a central program management partner to Enterprise Events, internal business stakeholders, and external agencies.
• Establish consistent processes for communicating program status, risks, dependencies, and decisions.
• Facilitate cross-functional planning discussions, ensuring clear outcomes, action ownership, and follow-through.
• Identify and address gaps in coordination, accountability, and information sharing.
• Build alignment among stakeholders with competing priorities and recommend practical solutions when challenges arise.
• Escalate risks, unresolved dependencies, and decisions requiring leadership involvement.
• Support transparent and timely communication of program priorities and progress to appropriate stakeholders.

Program Governance, Reporting & Risk Management

• Develop and maintain program management tools and reporting practices that provide clear visibility into project health, milestones, dependencies, and risks.
• Establish and maintain risk, action, issue, and decision tracking processes.
• Monitor progress against established program milestones and identify potential impacts to scope, timelines, resources, or deliverables.
• Prepare concise program status updates, dashboards, and recommendations for Enterprise Events leadership and key stakeholders.
• Support governance processes by documenting decisions, monitoring follow-through, and identifying issues requiring escalation.
• Partner with event leads and business owners to assess competing priorities and recommend appropriate adjustments.
• Support visibility into program budgets, commitments, and resource requirements in partnership with accountable budget owners.

Process Improvement & Portfolio Enablement

• Evaluate existing program management practices and lead the implementation of approved improvements to planning frameworks, project management tools, reporting processes, and cross-functional collaboration practices.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate redundant trackers, simplify workflows, and improve access to reliable program information.
• Support the development and adoption of standardized program management approaches across the Enterprise Events portfolio.
• Partner with Enterprise Events leadership to establish practical approaches for resource planning, capacity visibility, and prioritization.
• Document program management practices, lessons learned, and process improvements to support knowledge sharing and continuity.
• Promote consistent use of established tools, standards, and best practices among internal and external partners.
• Leverage technology and data to improve program visibility, planning efficiency, and informed decision-making.

External Partner & Program Delivery Coordination

• Coordinate integrated project planning and milestone management with external event management, production, creative, and other agency partners.
• Establish clear communication channels, deliverables, and dependencies between internal teams and external partners.
• Monitor partner deliverables against agreed-upon schedules and identify risks requiring attention.
• Support event readiness planning and cross-functional coordination leading up to major events.
• Participate in onsite program coordination and issue resolution as needed to support successful event delivery.
• Facilitate post-event reviews to capture lessons learned, identify process improvements, and inform future planning cycles.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Approximately 3-5 years of experience in project management, program management, event management, marketing operations, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects or programs involving multiple stakeholders, workstreams, and competing priorities.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies, planning processes, risk management, and dependency tracking.
• Experience developing integrated project plans, status reporting, and tools that support cross-functional accountability.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and drive progress without direct reporting authority.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and experience using project management or collaborative work management platforms.
• Ability to independently prioritize work, anticipate challenges, and recommend practical solutions in a dynamic environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting conferences, large-scale events, experiential marketing programs, or other complex, deadline-driven initiatives.
• Experience working with external agencies, vendors, or cross-functional project teams.
• Familiarity with project management