Events Director (Nonprofit, Co-working Space)

The Events Director leads the planning, production, and strategy for all events associated with LACI—including third-party rentals, campus events, and programmatic events. This role is responsible for creating an outstanding event experience for stakeholders, partners, and the broader LACI and La Kretz Innovation Campus (LKIC) community, while also managing operational logistics, space use, and event revenue opportunities.

Reporting to the VP, Marketing & Communications, the Events Director manages and mentors the Marketing & Events Coordinator, ensuring the team delivers high-quality events that reflect the values and advance the mission of LACI and LKIC. This position leads strategy and operations for LACI’s third-party space rental program and collaborates cross-functionally with the Campus Management team and the Development team, among others. The position also leads events strategy for the BATWorks program in New York City in collaboration with the SVP of BATWorks

What You’ll Do:

• Strategic Oversight & Planning: Lead the strategic planning, scheduling, and execution of all events hosted by LACI, including events at the La Kretz Innovation Campus (LKIC) campus, including third-party rentals, campus engagement events, off campus programmatic events, events at BATWorks, and LACI’s participation in key external events. Develop and manage the annual campus events calendar for the LKIC campus, LACI programmatic events, and the BATWorks program, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and stakeholder needs. Develop the strategy for event partnerships with key organizations in collaboration with program teams (pillars) and oversee the execution of those partnerships.
• Systems & Administration: Own software oversight related to events, including Splash/Cvent event registration software, Asana, Mailchimp and other software programs used in audience curation or project management. Establish scalable systems for event intake, coordination, execution, and post-event reporting.
• Team Leadership & Management: Provide leadership, clear guidance on tasks, professional development, and day-to-day support. Set team goals for event delivery with cross-departmental delivery group, assign roles, and ensure consistent performance across all aspects of event planning and delivery. Ensure message alignment with event content (especially programmatic events), social media, website and newsletters, working with the VP of Marketing & Communications and the Director of Communications and Public Affairs to ensure all events are telling the comprehensive LACI story, regardless of venue.
• Third-Party Rentals: Oversee LACI’s event space rental program - at LKIC, BATWorks and South LA venues- including marketing, client intake, contracts, pricing, and usage policies. Ensure that third-party events align with LACI’s mission, community standards, and operational capacity, in collaboration with the Facilities Director and the Campus Management team. Collaborate with the Finance & Operations team and the Campus Management team to ensure proper documentation, invoicing, and compliance.
• Programmatic Events: Work with program teams (pillars) and the Development team to design and produce mission-aligned events such as summits, pitch showcases, thought leadership events, and partner engagements. Design and oversee campus community events at LKIC that meet the goals of campus experience, as defined by and in collaboration with the Director of Facilities and the Campus Management team. Work with program teams (pillars) to develop key strategic event partners from LACI’s ecosystem and leverage partners to curate audiences and increase revenue and reach of events. Develop event partnerships across the ecosystem to support audience curation strategy.
• Operations, Budgeting & Evaluation: Develop and manage the events and rentals budget, tracking expenditures and optimizing resources. Set and deliver revenue targets for event space rentals at the LKIC, BATWorks and South LA spaces. Build and refine SOPs for event execution, communications, registration, and reporting across all events and venues. Develop and monitor event KPIs (e.g., attendance, satisfaction, revenue, operational impact) and use insights to improve event design, audience curation, processes and outcomes.

Requirements:

Basically, we want to know you can get the job done. This means you have:

• Bachelor’s degree in event management, hospitality, communications, business, or a related field—or equivalent experience.
• 7–10 years of experience leading event strategy and execution, preferably in a nonprofit, campus, or innovation-focused environment. Experience managing third-party rentals, venue sales, or campus event programs.
• Proven leadership and staff management experience, with a collaborative and supportive approach.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to juggle multiple priorities.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and work in agile environments to achieve project goals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; confidence in managing high-profile stakeholders and partners.
• Familiarity with project management and event software, CRM tools, and budget management systems.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed for event coverage.
• Passion for sustainability, clean technology, and social impact, with a desire to contribute to positive change in the world.

Work Requirements

• This role operates in a hybrid capacity and must work onsite from Downtown LA office at least 3-5 days/week depending on scheduled events or meetings on Campus
• Some travel required