Senior Manager, Event Operations & Sourcing

About The Institutes

Located in beautiful Malvern, Pennsylvania, The Institutes® are a not-for-profit comprised of diverse affiliates that educate, elevate, and connect people in the essential disciplines of risk management and insurance. Through products and services offered by our nearly 20 affiliated business units, people and organizations are empowered to help those in need with a focus on understanding, predicting, and preventing losses to create a more resilient world.

Additionally, we understand the importance of work-life balance—in 2026 Philly.com named us a Top Workplace for the eleventh year and USA Today named us a USA Top Workplace for the fourth year. We provide excellent benefits and a friendly, team-focused work environment to drive employee engagement.

Senior Manager, Event Operations and Sourcing

The Senior Event Operations and Sourcing Manager is responsible for the strategic and operational execution of high-value, high-exposure events. This role leads all aspects of event operations and sourcing, including RFP development, contract negotiation, vendor management, travel programs, budget governance, and risk management. The role partners closely with internal stakeholders and external vendors to ensure events are delivered efficiently, compliantly, and within budget while maintaining exceptional quality and attendee experience.

What You’ll Do:

Event Operations, RFPs, and Contracting

1. Lead and oversee the RFP and sourcing process for all event-related services, including venue selection, lodging, and key vendors, to ensure cost efficiency and alignment with event objectives.
2. Negotiate, review, and manage contracts with hotels, venues, and vendors, ensuring favorable terms and mitigation of legal and financial risk.
3. Conduct site visits to evaluate potential venues for meetings and conferences.
4. Develop and refine detailed event specification documents, including room configurations, food and beverage, audiovisual, signage, staffing, and ancillary services.

Vendor Management and Sourcing Strategy

1. Establish and maintain effective relationships with external partners, including production, registration, audiovisual, transportation, and other event service providers.
2. Research and evaluate internal and external outsourcing opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness.
3. Oversee vendor performance pre-, during, and post-event to ensure service level expectations are met.

Travel, Commissions, and Hotel Programs

1. Manage the organization’s American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) program and the American Express Intelligent Online Marketplace (NEO) booking tool.
2. Oversee all hotel room blocks for meetings and events, including pickup monitoring and reconciliation.
3. Manage airline and hotel points and commissions, both pre- and post-contract, ensuring value optimization and accurate tracking.

Budget Governance and Financial Oversight

1. Develop departmental budgets and provide regular forecasting, including quarterly updates.
2. Track and manage income and expenses across all meetings and events, ensuring strict adherence to approved budgets.
3. Reconcile itemized budgets and manage audit processes related to event finances.

Risk Management and Event Insurance

1. Assess and manage operational, contractual, and financial risks associated with meetings and events.
2. Ensure appropriate event insurance coverage is in place and compliant with organizational and contractual requirements.
3. Review contracts and supporting documentation to identify and mitigate exposure to legal, financial, and reputational risk.

What We’re Looking For:

1. Undergraduate degree in event management or a related field, or equivalent demonstrated experience.
2. 10–15 years of event management or planning experience (association or not-for-profit preferred), including high-value, high-visibility events.
3. Demonstrated expertise in creating and managing detailed budgets, reviewing contracts for risk, and maintaining strong relationships with executives, volunteers, and members.
4. Experience with itemized budgeting, reconciliation, and audits.
5. Expert-level hotel and venue contract negotiation experience with a strong understanding of terms and conditions.
6. Demonstrated vendor management experience, including production and registration vendors.
7. CMP or similar professional certification preferred.

Key Competencies

1. Strategic mindset with the ability to translate organizational goals into effective event operations.
2. Deep technical knowledge of event management, sourcing, and industry best practices.
3. Experience with webinars.
4. Proven expertise in contract negotiation and risk mitigation.
5. Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent events.
6. Financial acumen, including budget development, forecasting, and expense control.
7. Excellent communication skills and attention to detail; self-motivated with the ability to meet tight deadlines.

The Best Part? The Benefits!

To enforce the importance of work-life balance, employees enjoy excellent benefits, including:

• 401(k) plan with company contribution up to 16%
• Generous time off package that includes paid vacation, personal, sick, and holidays
• Paid maternity and parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement
• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage
• On our Malvern campus: Free lunch every day when working on campus, onsite fitness center, and a beautiful 1.25-mile walking path!