Project Director
2 days ago
Manchester
PLANIT LIVE PROJECT DIRECTOR – JOB DESCRIPTION Manchester (Hybrid) £55k + Performance Bonus ABOUT PLANIT LIVE At Planit Live, we don’t just deliver events. We design live experiences that properly connect businesses to people - through strategy, creativity, production excellence and audience-first thinking. As we grow, we’re building a delivery function that’s scalable, structured and commercially strong - without losing the energy and care that defines us. POSITION OVERVIEW We’re looking for a Project Director to sit at the centre of that engine. This is senior leadership across multiple accounts - nationally and internationally. You’ll own: • Commercial performance, • Multi-project delivery excellence, • Senior client relationships, • Team leadership and resource planning, • Process compliance and operational standards, • Account growth and long-term partnership development, • You’re the bridge between strategy and execution., • Between creative ambition and operational control., • Between growth and governance. THE ROLE Strategic & Operational Leadership Working alongside the Founder and senior leadership team, you’ll shape how our delivery function evolves as we scale. You’ll: • Align project delivery with wider business growth strategy, • Contribute to agency positioning, service innovation and structure, • Build best-in-class project management standards and compliance processes, • Champion operational excellence across meetings, events and live experiences, • Ensure client SOPs, SLAs and internal frameworks are upheld, • Support recruitment, succession planning and capability building We don’t want you just running projects, we want you to strengthen the infrastructure behind them. Commercial & Financial Ownership You’ll hold financial accountability across your portfolio of projects and accounts. Including: • Ownership of GP, margin control and forecasting, • Budget creation, revision and reconciliation (including multi-currency where required), • Oversight of invoicing, • Conducting regular financial “health checks” across live projects, • Identifying cost efficiencies and value engineering opportunities, • Supporting pipeline visibility and account growth strategy, • Leading pricing strategy and proposal budgets Multi-Project & Production Leadership You’ll oversee multiple live, hybrid and production-led projects simultaneously. You’ll ensure: • Structured documentation (budgets, workflows, production schedules), • Clear resource planning and workload allocation, • Cross-department collaboration (creative, production, account management), • Seamless supplier coordination, • Strong governance across health & safety, privacy and security protocols, • Sustainable delivery practices embedded in planning You will often act as Project Lead on high-profile programmes and major accounts. Senior Client Partnership & Growth You’ll hold senior-level client relationships and guide programmes strategically - not just operationally. This includes: • Leading briefings and planning meetings (F2F and virtual), • Presenting proposals and pitch responses, • Proactively identifying new opportunities and organic growth, • Supporting business development through insight-led recommendations, • Managing complex commercial or stakeholder conversations, • Ensuring clients feel fully informed and confidently supported at every stage Clients should feel like we’re already three steps ahead. Team Leadership & Capability Building You’ll line manage Event Managers, Senior Events Managers and Juniors building a culture of accountability, structure and high performance. You’ll: • Organise and prioritise team resource to meet deadlines, • Conduct regular 1:1s and performance reviews, • Mentor emerging leaders, • Support recruitment and onboarding, • Champion training, tools and best practice, • Protect team wellbeing while maintaining delivery excellence We build people up we do not burn them out. WHO YOU ARE You’ll likely bring: • 6–10+ years in live events, meetings, expos or creative production, • Experience delivering complex corporate events in UK and global destinations, • Strong financial management experience (six-figure+ budgets), • Confidence managing multi-currency budgets and reconciliation, • Proven leadership of project delivery teams, • Event agency experience (is a must), • Strong working knowledge of event management and project management tools, • Advanced Microsoft 365 skills (including Excel and complex budget management), • Experience collaborating with creative and production departments, • Comfort presenting at senior stakeholder / board level, • Flexibility to travel nationally and internationally Highly advantageous: • Experience within healthcare/pharma or regulated sectors, • Immersive or high-production environments, • Experience building or refining agency processes, • Knowledge of inclusive audience design, • Commitment to environmentally sustainable delivery You are: • Commercially sharp, • Organised to a fault, • Calm under pressure, • Solutions-first, • A strategic thinker who can zoom in and zoom out, • Clear, confident and credible, • An owner - not a passenger THE PLANIT WAY We are: • Solutions First – We find the way., • Audience Obsessed – Experience before ego., • Commercially Smart – Growth with control., • Relationship Builders – Clients, suppliers and each other., • Transparent – In budgets and conversations., • Inclusive by Design – Always., • Sustainability Aware – Better events, responsibly delivered. WHAT YOU’LL GET • Real influence over business direction, • The opportunity to help shape a scaling agency, • Hybrid flexibility, • National and international travel opportunities, • Performance bonus linked to commercial success, • Clear progression toward wider leadership, • A supportive, ambitious team that genuinely backs each other We understand the realities of live events fast pace, travel, peak delivery periods and we actively promote flexibility, recognition and wellbeing in return for commitment and excellence. INCLUSIVE HIRING AT PLANIT LIVE We’re committed to creating an environment where everyone feels seen, heard and valued. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, just let us know - we’ve got you.