Event Director, LIONS Riyadh

Job description

Define the overall event strategy, business plan, budget and long‑term growth roadmap. Own revenue, expenditure and operating profit performance. Oversee development of the event proposition, content programme, audience strategy and end‑to‑end experience. Align Sales, Partnerships, Content, Marketing, Operations, Creative, Finance and Project Management teams. Build a high‑performing collaborative culture with coaching and performance management. Manage senior relationships with government, strategic partners, global brands and agencies. Own the master event plan, monitor critical milestones, resources and ensure seamless delivery. Establish effective governance, risk management and act as senior escalation point. Keep abreast of global and regional creative, advertising, marketing, media and technology trends. Champion LIONS Riyadh’s position in the global creative ecosystem and drive international participation. Conduct post‑event reviews and translate insights into continuous improvement and future growth plans.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Events, Communications or related field
• Significant senior leadership experience in major events, media, creative industries, entertainment or culture
• Proven experience leading large‑scale, complex, multi‑functional events with full commercial and operational accountability
• Experience launching, scaling or repositioning a major brand, event or platform
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and senior functional heads
• Strong business acumen with reporting, budgeting and forecasting
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation and relationship‑management skills
• Deep understanding of global creative, advertising, marketing and media industries
• Strong creative judgement to translate market intelligence into differentiated festival experiences
• Knowledge of the Saudi and GCC markets with an international outlook
• Experience working with global brands, intellectual property owners or international strategic partners
• Strong stakeholder‑management skills across government, private sector and international partners.

Skills