Please note that this role is titled 'Event Production, Lead' internally.

The Royal Institute of International Affairs is an independent policy institute based in London. Our mission is to help build a sustainably secure, prosperous, and just world through improvement in international relations.

We are seeking an experienced Event Operations professional to lead our production team to cover a maternity leave. This is a busy and central role to the work we do at Chatham House. After all, convening is at the heart of what we do! 

This role sits in a team responsible for both creating the content for events (what questions are we asking and who are we speaking to and with) to putting on our spectacular events, roundtables and conferences. The Senior Manager, Event Operations is central to the successful delivery of a wide range of high-profile events, including commercial conferences, other sponsored events, research-led events and member, donor and broader stakeholder convening. Our events can be hybrid, online only or in-person at Chatham House or offsite, including a number hosted internationally. 

This is a hands-on senior role, reporting to the Head of Events, with multiple direct line management responsibilities and third-party stakeholder management. The ideal candidate brings senior-level events experience and will be instrumental in sustaining the quality, consistency and innovation of our events programme delivery while supporting the continued development of events production staff. It will also support the implementation of a centralised event function (at present, not all events are managed centrally).

We are an equal opportunity employer; we value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics. We encourage applications from all backgrounds. If there is anything we can do to improve your experience or support you, please get in touch at HR@Chathamhouse.org.

Principal Responsibilities

Strategy and Delivery 

• Lead the design, operational planning and execution of all external events,      ensuring financial efficiency, consistency and quality.
• Partner with content leads, the corporate fundraising team, Membership team, Donor Relations and Research staff to shape event delivery, which is innovative, impactful, and aligned with our mission.
• Champion best-in-class production across multiple formats (in-person, hybrid, online), ensuring accessibility, consistency, and engagement. Continuing improvement and development of current ways of working.
• Monitor industry trends and contribute insights that help maintain Chatham House’s reputation for excellence in event delivery.
• Oversee end-to-end delivery of key events including commercial conferences, sponsored partner engagements, and flagship events such as the Chatham House Prize and London Conference.
• Facilitate clear communication among all event partners (catering, AV, research, and fundraising teams) before, during and post events.
• Ensure the function maintains high standards of documentation, including production schedules, run-of-show materials, and speaker briefs.
• Manage supplier relationships, negotiate contracts, and ensure high-quality delivery within set timelines and budgets.
• Support in budget planning and management for assigned events, ensuring efficient use of resources and timely credit control.
• Ensure Health and Safety is core to all event planning, collaborating closely with the facilities team.
• Actively contribute to the delivery of the Chatham House EDI strategy.

People

• Work with the Head of Events to measure event impact.
• Actively contribute to team priorities, supporting the Head of Events as part of the broader Events senior team.
• Develop other event production staff.
• Provide effective day-to-day leadership and support to a team of event professionals (with direct line management responsibilities).
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture focused on continuous improvement and professional growth.

Personal Specification

Essential:

• Significant experience in live event production and operations. You will ideally have 5+ years in senior events roles, as this role will lead and oversee the delivery of a wide range of high-profile events, including commercial conferences, other sponsored events, research-led events and member, donor and broader stakeholder convening
• Demonstrable experience in health and safety compliance across all event operations.
• Experience in developing evaluation frameworks to measure event success and guide strategic planning for future productions."
• Experience maintaining consistent event management processes within a CRM platform to optimize data management, reporting, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Passion for what we do and good general knowledge of global affairs and international relations.
• Proven line management experience and supporting professional development.
• In-depth understanding and skilled in multi-format event delivery (in-person, online, hybrid).
• Excellent budget management, supplier coordination, and logistics skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Confident and talented self-starter who can hit the ground running.

Desirable:

• Experience delivering international or cross-cultural events.
• Familiarity with CRM systems, event platforms and digital production tools.
• Awareness of accessibility and sustainability best practices in event delivery.
• Recognised health and safety qualification e.g. IOSH Managing Safety or NEBOSH General Certificate.
• First aid at work certificate.

Benefits 

Benefits include approximately 37 days annual leave (including public holidays and Chatham House closure days), pension salary exchange, employee assistance programme, parental leave, flexible working and other benefits designed to suit your lifestyle. All of this, in a professional, engaging and intellectually stimulating environment.

Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 per year (Dependant on experience).

Contract: Full-time, 15-month fixed-term contract.

Location: St James's Square, London. This is a hybrid role based in our London office. The successful candidate will be expected to work onsite at least 3 days per week, with flexibility to increase this during key event periods.

Application deadline: We are actively recruiting for this time-sensitive position and will review applications as they are received. The posting will be removed once the role has been filled.

Please avoid using AI for your application. We want to hear from you! We can tell the difference between a genuine answer and an AI-generated one. Using AI will run the risk of your application being disqualified.