Experiential Operations Manager

**The priority location for this role is Stamford, CT but the location of this position can be flexible for an Octagon office location with priority given to qualified candidates who will work East Coast working hours and open to hybrid work (3 days a week in the office) in one of our office locations - - Stamford, CT, New York, NY, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL or Atlanta, GA. Qualified remote candidates may also be considered.

We are a group of specialists who are creators: Content creators, event producers, and digital marketers. We are constantly striving to create programming that goes above and beyond our client’s expectations and helps us shine in our industry.  Once the strategy is set, bringing the plan to market takes an organized, passionate, skilled team of experiential professionals.  This Operations Manager will provide resourcing, trafficking, process, and operational support to the Experiences team for an Experiences team that runs thousands of events over the course of a year for dozens of Fortune 500 clients.

Although there are some project management skills that would be of value for this role, this role is unique in that the right person will become embedded within the Experiences Team, ensuring that all of the processes and operational procedures are in place to allow the Experiences Team to run more efficiently. Collaboration with other departments will be part of the role, but, again, rather than integrating several teams, this role will focus on the efficient running of one team.

THE WORK YOU’LL DO

Operations Management:

• Receive all new work internal project requests
• Consult with the supervisor on all team members to be involved
• Assign work to proper resources
• Set up briefing meetings
• Liaise with client service and creative teams as work necessitates collaboration
• Create project timelines/distribute to account & project teams
• Plan and prioritize all deliverables and resources working across multiple projects
• Update status tracker with projects being managed
• Utilize tools (like Smartsheet) to manage projects
• Monitor the progress of projects so they stay on task
• Ensure all assets are received on time and organized in the document repository
• Participate in both project management and client team meetings
• Distribute meeting notes
• Pick up team tasks that need doing
• Manage capacity trackers or organizational charts with input from the supervisor
• Update and manage Experiences KPI tracker and Event Calendar

Financials:

• Manage project financial process
  1. Support the drafting of Request for Proposal responses
  2. Gather estimates from vendors where applicable
  3. Vendor invoice processing where applicable
  4. New vendor forms/creation
  5. Billing/invoicing support where applicable

THE BIGGER TEAM YOU’LL JOIN

Recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work in Sports”, Octagon is the global sports, entertainment, and experiential marketing arm of the Interpublic Group.

We take pride in being Playmakers – finding insightful, bold ways to create play in our work, our lives, and in the world. We believe in the power of play to create big ideas and unlock potential for our clients and talent.

We can put ourselves in the shoes of fans because we ARE fans – of sports, entertainment, and culture at large. This expertise allows us to continually evolve the fan experience across sports and entertainment alongside some of the biggest brands and talent in the world.

The world needs play more than ever. Are you a Playmaker?

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• You have some experience in working at a marketing or consulting agency or marketing department
• 6-7 years of professional experience, minimum of 4 years of experience in Operations, Project Management, or closely related job
• You are an initiative-taker and like being in control
• You are scary detail-oriented
• You are easy-going, polite, and likable, but will not be confused with someone who can be pushed around
• You hold others accountable for their responsibilities
• If something does not sound right, you speak up
• You like creating systems and processes and may even consider ‘Organization’ your middle name
• You are solution-oriented – a problem-solver
• You are collaborative in nature with a “no job is too small” attitude to assist with overall duties and additional programs as needed
• You have the ability to motivate team members to complete the work necessary to meet critical client demands/deadlines
• You have experience in defining scope for new projects and features, communicating requirements and dependencies, and proactively identifying project roadblocks.
• You understand how to handle revenue, staffing and other resource management.
• You know how to develop and run a budget
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (in particular PowerPoint, Word, Excel)

The base range for this position is $70,000 - 85,000. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure, and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications 

Octagon’s comprehensive benefits packages include:

• Unlimited PTO policy – we understand you need time for play!
• Competitive medical/dental/vision insurance plans with FSA/HSA and Dependent Care FSA options. Pet Insurance for those who need it too!
• Generous Family and Parental Leave Policy (12 weeks) with eligibility extended to all parents regardless of gender or primary/secondary caregiver status 
• Access to our parent company (IPG) Savings plan (401K program) with company match as well as an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Pretax Transportation/Commuter Benefits and Parent Travel Program
• Dedicated Mental Health resources including Headspace membership, Employee Assistance Program (CCA) and more
• Discount portal for everyday goods and services
• Employee Resource Groups and Inclusive Diversity Programming and initiatives
• Personal Development programs 

Octagon is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law