Lead, Corporate Events & Internal Communications

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

The Lead, Corporate Events & Internal Communications is responsible for designing and delivering our most significant internal events and communication strategies. You'll move beyond just executing; you'll be shaping the 'why' and 'how' for key employee experiences, making sure they land right and actually make a difference. You're the one who translates big company objectives into engaging moments and clear messages that resonate with everyone, from the newest joiner to the CEO. This role sits right at the heart of our employee experience, working closely with HR, Marketing, and senior leadership to ensure our internal narrative is consistent, compelling, and genuinely felt. You'll own the end-to-end strategy for major programmes, from initial concept to post-event analysis, and you'll lead a small but mighty team to bring it all to life. When you nail this role, our employees feel informed, connected, and truly part of something bigger. Our events become talked-about experiences, and our communications cut through the noise. If it goes sideways, though, you risk disengagement, confusion, and a workforce that feels out of touch. The challenge? Balancing ambitious visions with real-world budgets and tight deadlines, all while managing a dozen different opinions on what 'good' looks like. The reward? Seeing your work directly impact employee morale, retention, and ultimately, the company's success. It's pretty powerful, honestly.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Manager, Corporate Events & Internal Communications
• Direct reports: Typically 3-8 direct reports, including Events & Comms Specialists and Coordinators.
• Matrix relationships: Staff Events & Comms Manager, Principal Internal Communications Specialist, Events Programme Lead, Senior Manager, Employee Engagement,

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• HR Business Partners and Senior HR Leadership
• Marketing and Brand Teams (for consistent messaging)
• Senior Leadership (VPs, Directors, C-Suite for approvals and content)
• IT and Facilities Teams (for event logistics and tech support)
• Legal and Compliance (for comms approvals and event contracts)

External:

• Strategic Event Production Agencies
• Key Venue Partners and Suppliers (e.g., catering, AV)
• Internal Communications Platform Vendors (e.g., Poppulo, Simpplr)
• Freelance Designers and Content Creators

Organisational Impact

Scope: This role directly shapes employee engagement, understanding of company strategy, and overall company culture. By orchestrating impactful events and clear communications, you'll help reduce attrition, improve productivity, and foster a sense of belonging. Get it right, and you're building a more cohesive, motivated workforce. Get it wrong, and you risk a disconnected, misinformed employee base.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: Programme Budget Adherence
2. Desc: Keeping major event and comms programmes within the allocated budget, or demonstrating clear, pre-approved reasons for any variance.
3. Target: Within 5% variance for all programmes over £50K.
4. Freq: Per programme, reviewed quarterly.
5. Example: Delivering the annual leadership summit, budgeted at £250K, for £245K (2% under) by negotiating better rates with the AV supplier.
6. Metric: Employee Engagement Score (Programme-Specific)
7. Desc: Measuring the uplift in engagement scores (e.g., eNPS, specific survey questions) directly attributable to your major events or comms campaigns.
8. Target: A minimum 10% increase in relevant engagement metrics post-programme.
9. Freq: Post-programme surveys, bi-annual pulse checks.
10. Example: After the 'Future of Work' internal conference, the 'I feel informed about company strategy' score increased from 6.8 to 7.5 (10.3% uplift) in the follow-up survey.
11. Metric: Internal Communications Reach & Engagement
12. Desc: Tracking the open rates, click-through rates, and overall reach of key internal communications, especially for critical announcements or campaigns.
13. Target: Average open rate of >70% and click-through rate of >25% for critical comms; 95% reach for all-company announcements.
14. Freq: Weekly for ongoing comms, per campaign for major announcements.
15. Example: The Q2 company update email achieved an 82% open rate and 31% click-through, significantly above the previous quarter's average.
16. Metric: Team Project Delivery & Quality
17. Desc: The ability of your direct reports to deliver their assigned projects on time, within budget, and to the expected quality standards.
18. Target: 90% of team projects delivered on schedule with <5% error rate (e.g., typos, broken links, incorrect data).
19. Freq: Monthly project reviews, quarterly 1:1s.
20. Example: Your team successfully launched three major internal campaigns in Q3, all on time, with only one minor correction needed across all content.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Strategic Influence & Thought Leadership
2. Desc: Being seen as the go-to expert for internal events and communications strategy, with your input actively sought by senior leadership and other departments.
3. Evidence: You're invited to early-stage strategic planning meetings for HR and Marketing initiatives. Senior leaders ask for your perspective on how to best communicate difficult messages. Other departments proactively ask for your team's support and guidance on their internal comms plans.
4. Metric: Stakeholder Satisfaction & Partnership
5. Desc: Building strong, trusting relationships with key internal partners (HR, Marketing, senior leaders) who see you as a collaborative, problem-solving partner, not just an order-taker.
6. Evidence: Regular positive feedback from HRBPs and Marketing leads. You're able to challenge stakeholder requests constructively and offer better alternatives. Projects run smoothly with minimal friction, and partners feel heard and supported throughout the process.
7. Metric: Team Development & Mentorship
8. Desc: Effectively leading, coaching, and developing your direct reports, helping them grow their skills and advance their careers within the team.
9. Evidence: Your team members feel supported and challenged. You have clear development plans for each report. At least one junior team member is ready for promotion within 18-24 months due to your guidance. You're regularly conducting constructive feedback sessions and helping unstick problems.
10. Metric: Innovation in Employee Experience
11. Desc: Introducing new, creative approaches to internal events and communications that genuinely improve the employee experience and achieve better outcomes.
12. Evidence: You're piloting new virtual event formats, experimenting with interactive comms tools, or proposing novel ways to gather employee feedback. These innovations lead to measurable improvements in engagement or understanding, even if they don't always work perfectly the first time.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Calm Under Pressure (Graceful Crisis Manager)
• Manifestation: When the Wi-Fi drops 10 minutes before the CEO's global town hall, or the catering order for 500 people goes missing, you don't lose your head. You're the person who calmly assesses the situation, quickly talks to the AV team, then updates the stage manager, and already has a backup plan brewing. Your heart rate stays steady while everyone else is panicking. You're the eye of the storm, really.
• Benefit: Live events, especially big corporate ones, are exercises in controlled chaos. Things *will* go wrong. This trait isn't just nice to have; it prevents a minor hiccup from spiralling into a full-blown disaster, maintaining confidence from both attendees and, crucially, leadership. You're the one who keeps the show running, no matter what.
• Trait: Process-Minded (Master of Checklists)
• Manifestation: You live by your project plan, honestly. You've probably got checklists for your checklists. You create incredibly detailed work-back schedules for every programme and you never, ever assume a task is complete without double-checking it yourself or having a team member verify. You're the person who remembers the obscure legal disclaimer that needs to go on slide 17.
• Benefit: At this level, you're orchestrating complex programmes with hundreds of moving parts and multiple vendors. A single missed detail—like forgetting to order vegetarian meals for a VIP table, or not confirming the transport for a key speaker—can derail an entire event or undermine a critical communication. This trait ensures nothing falls through the cracks, even when you're juggling a dozen different things.
• Trait: Reliable (The Deliverer)
• Manifestation: If you say the all-company newsletter will go out at 9 AM Tuesday, it goes out at 8:59 AM, every single time. If you promise to get a quote from a vendor by end of day, it's in your manager's inbox by 4 PM. You own your deadlines without needing reminders, and your team knows they can count on you to follow through. You're the person who always delivers, no excuses.
• Benefit: Our entire function is built on trust. Senior leaders need to know that critical communications and flagship events will be executed flawlessly and on time. Your team needs to trust you'll have their backs and provide clear direction. Reliability is the absolute foundation of your credibility, both upwards and downwards. Without it, everything else crumbles, frankly.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Empathetic
• Desc: You can truly put yourself in the shoes of an employee, whether they're a new hire or a long-standing executive, to craft messages that genuinely resonate and design events that feel inclusive and relevant to them, not just to leadership.
• Trait: Resourceful
• Desc: When the budget gets unexpectedly cut by 20%, you're not just cutting features. You're finding a creative way to deliver 90% of the original impact, perhaps by renegotiating with vendors or finding clever workarounds. You're a master of making the most out of what you've got.
• Trait: Articulate
• Desc: You can clearly explain a complex event concept or a nuanced communication strategy to a busy executive in a two-minute elevator ride. You also provide clear, concise, and unambiguous direction to your team and external vendors, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
• Trait: Politically Astute
• Desc: You understand the unwritten rules of the organisation and can navigate conflicting stakeholder demands with diplomacy and tact. You know who needs to be informed, who needs to approve, and how to get buy-in without stepping on toes or causing unnecessary drama.

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Seeing Your Vision Come to Life
2. Daily: You love taking a vague idea from a senior leader—'we need a better way to connect our global teams'—and turning it into a fully realised, impactful event or communication programme. The satisfaction comes from seeing your strategic design unfold, from the first planning meeting to the final 'thank you' email.
3. Motivator: Developing and Growing Your Team
4. Daily: A big part of your day will involve coaching your direct reports, helping them unstick problems, providing constructive feedback, and celebrating their wins. You get a real buzz from seeing them grow in confidence and take on bigger challenges, knowing you've played a part in their development.
5. Motivator: Solving Complex Organisational Challenges
6. Daily: You're not just executing; you're figuring out how to use events and communications to tackle real business problems, like improving employee retention, driving adoption of a new strategy, or fostering a more inclusive culture. You enjoy the puzzle of figuring out the 'best' way to achieve these outcomes.

Potential Demotivators

Honestly, this isn't a role for someone who needs every piece of their work to be perfectly polished and deployed exactly as planned. You'll run into 'last-minute executive whims' where weeks of planning get thrown out the window. You'll be asked to create 'world-class, unforgettable experiences' with budgets that feel like they barely cover coffee and pastries. Expect to chase a dozen different stakeholders for sign-off on a single email, only to have the most senior person rewrite it at the 11th hour, often making it worse. You'll also face the constant pressure to prove the ROI of events and comms designed to improve culture and morale, which, let's be real, is notoriously difficult to quantify. If you need a quiet, predictable environment where every 'i' is dotted and 't' is crossed without interruption, you'll probably struggle here.

Common Frustrations

1. The CEO decides 24 hours before the all-hands that they want to completely change their presentation, rendering weeks of planning and rehearsal obsolete.
2. Being asked to create a 'world-class, unforgettable experience' with a budget that barely covers coffee and pastries.
3. Chasing a dozen different stakeholders for sign-off on a single email, only to have the most senior person rewrite it at the 11th hour.
4. The immense pressure to prove the ROI of events and comms designed to improve culture and morale, which are notoriously difficult to quantify.
5. Fighting the perception that your job is just about booking rooms and ordering food, rather than a strategic function that drives employee engagement and alignment.
6. Pouring your heart and soul into an event or communication, only to be met with low registration, high no-show rates, or an unread email.
7. Having to re-explain critical details to venue or production partners who seem to have forgotten everything discussed in the previous six meetings.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. A quiet, predictable 9-to-5 schedule; event days can be long and intense.
2. Complete autonomy without any need for stakeholder alignment or approvals.
3. A role where you can avoid budget negotiations and vendor management.
4. A purely creative role without the need for meticulous planning and execution details.
5. The luxury of working on only one project at a time; you'll be juggling multiple programmes.

ADHD Positives

1. The fast-paced nature of events, with multiple tasks and shifting priorities, can be genuinely stimulating and engaging, preventing boredom.
2. Hyperfocus can be a superpower when you're deep in 'Run of Show' development or troubleshooting a complex event issue.
3. The need for quick, on-the-spot problem-solving during live events often suits an agile, creative mind.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. Maintaining focus on detailed, repetitive tasks (like budget reconciliation) can be tough; we can support with tools and dedicated blocks of time.
2. Organisation for multiple, overlapping programmes requires robust systems; we use Asana for shared project plans and offer coaching on personal organisation methods.
3. Sensory overload during large events can be draining; we encourage taking breaks in quiet spaces and planning for downtime post-event.

Dyslexia Positives

1. Often brings strong visual and spatial reasoning skills, which are brilliant for event layout, stage design, and understanding complex logistical flows.
2. Excellent at 'big picture' thinking and connecting disparate ideas, which is invaluable for strategic comms planning and creative event concepts.
3. Often develops strong verbal communication skills, perfect for presenting to leadership and giving clear instructions to teams and vendors.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. Proofreading detailed comms or complex event contracts can be challenging; we use advanced grammar/spell-check tools and encourage peer review for all critical documents.
2. Processing large amounts of text quickly might be difficult; we aim for concise communication and provide information in varied formats (visuals, audio summaries).
3. Note-taking during fast-paced meetings can be tricky; we use collaborative digital whiteboards (Miro) and provide meeting recordings/transcripts where possible.

Autism Positives

1. A strong preference for logic and systems can make you exceptional at 'Run of Show' development and ensuring meticulous execution of event plans.
2. A deep commitment to accuracy and detail is crucial for managing complex budgets and vendor contracts, catching errors others might miss.
3. Often brings a unique perspective to problem-solving, identifying solutions that neurotypical individuals might overlook, especially in technical event setups.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. Unexpected changes or last-minute shifts (common in events) can be unsettling; we strive for clear communication of changes as early as possible and provide detailed contingency plans.
2. Navigating complex social dynamics and 'unwritten rules' can be exhausting; we foster a direct, transparent communication culture and offer a clear decision-making matrix.
3. Sensory environment of large events (noise, lights, crowds) can be overwhelming; we can discuss strategies like designated quiet spaces, noise-cancelling headphones, and planned breaks.

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: Lead, Corporate Events & Internal Communications (L4)
2. Responsibilities: Define the end-to-end strategy and objectives for major internal events and communication programmes, ensuring they directly support our business goals and employee engagement targets. This isn't just about 'doing' events; it's about figuring out 'why' we're doing them and what success looks like.
3. Architect and own the 'Run of Show' (ROS) for our most complex, multi-day, or hybrid events. This means scripting every minute, coordinating AV, speakers, content, and logistics to the nth degree, making sure it all flows seamlessly—and having backup plans for when it inevitably doesn't.
4. Lead and mentor a small team of Events & Comms Specialists and Coordinators. You'll be their go-to for problem-solving, career guidance, and making sure they're delivering high-quality work. Think of yourself as their coach, helping them grow and shine.
5. Accountable for managing programme budgets ranging from £50K to £500K. This means negotiating contracts with venues and production agencies, tracking spend meticulously, and making smart decisions to maximise impact without breaking the bank. You'll need to justify every major expense.
6. Design and implement comprehensive internal communication plans for significant company announcements, organisational changes, or strategic initiatives. You'll map out the 'Comms Cascade,' craft key messages, and ensure everyone from the C-suite to new hires gets the right information at the right time.
7. Build and maintain strategic relationships with key internal stakeholders (e.g., HR, Marketing, senior leadership) and external vendors. You'll influence their thinking, manage their expectations, and get them on board with your vision, even when there are conflicting priorities.
8. Conduct in-depth 'Post-Mortem Analysis' after every major programme. This isn't just a quick chat; it's a structured deep-dive into what worked, what didn't, and what we'll do differently next time, all backed by data and clear, actionable recommendations.
9. Supervision: You'll have monthly strategic alignment meetings with your Manager, but for the most part, you're autonomous on execution. You're expected to define your own approach and bring solutions, not just problems. Your team reports directly to you, and you'll be responsible for their day-to-day guidance and development.
10. Decision: You have full decision-making authority within your programme domain, including budget allocation up to £250K (with Manager approval for anything above). You'll make hiring recommendations for your team and have significant input on vendor selection. Strategic changes that impact other departments or require significant deviation from company policy will need Manager or Director approval.
11. Success: Success at this level means your major events and comms programmes are not just delivered, but they genuinely move the needle on employee engagement, understanding, or cultural objectives. Your team is thriving and growing under your leadership, and you're seen as a trusted, strategic partner across the organisation. You're consistently delivering within budget and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Programme Strategy & Objectives
• Entry: Supports by gathering data and drafting initial ideas under guidance.
• Mid: Proposes programme objectives and outlines potential strategies for review.
• Senior: Defines the overall strategy, objectives, and key performance indicators (KPIs) for major programmes, with Manager alignment.
• Type: Budget Allocation (Programme Level)
• Entry: Tracks expenses against a provided budget template.
• Mid: Manages specific budget line items within a project, escalating any potential overruns.
• Senior: Allocates programme budgets up to £250K (with Manager approval for larger sums), negotiates vendor contracts, and makes trade-off decisions to stay within financial limits.
• Type: Vendor Selection & Management
• Entry: Researches potential vendors and collects quotes based on specific criteria.
• Mid: Manages relationships with existing vendors for smaller projects, ensuring deliverables are met.
• Senior: Evaluates, selects, and negotiates contracts with strategic event production agencies and key suppliers (up to £100K without additional sign-off), holding them accountable for performance.
• Type: Internal Communications Messaging
• Entry: Drafts content following established messaging guidelines and templates.
• Mid: Develops messaging for specific channels or campaigns, seeking review from senior team members.
• Senior: Defines key messaging and narrative for critical company-wide communications, ensuring alignment with leadership and brand guidelines, and managing the approval process.
• Type: Team Management & Development
• Entry: N/A (no direct reports).
• Mid: Provides informal guidance to junior colleagues.
• Senior: Makes hiring recommendations, conducts performance reviews, sets development goals, and provides ongoing coaching and mentorship for 3-8 direct reports.

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

Beyond the technical stuff, there are some core skills that are just essential for making things happen here. We're talking about how you think, how you talk to people, and how you get things done, especially when the going gets tough.

• Category: Communication & Influence
• Skills: Executive Communication: You can distill complex event plans or comms strategies into clear, concise updates for senior leaders, anticipating their questions and speaking their language.
• Negotiation: You're adept at negotiating favourable terms with vendors, balancing cost, quality, and risk to get the best outcome for the company.
• Stakeholder Management: You know how to identify who needs to be informed, consulted, or involved, and you can manage conflicting priorities and expectations with diplomacy and a bit of charm.
• Presentation Skills: You can confidently present event proposals, post-mortem analyses, and comms strategies to various audiences, from your team to the C-suite, making it engaging and persuasive.
• Category: Problem-Solving & Strategic Thinking
• Skills: Strategic Planning: You're not just executing; you're thinking several steps ahead, connecting your programmes to broader business objectives and anticipating future needs or challenges.
• Crisis Management: When things go wrong (and they will), you can quickly assess the situation, make calm, rational decisions under pressure, and implement effective solutions.
• Critical Thinking: You can analyse data (event feedback, comms metrics) to identify root causes, draw meaningful conclusions, and make informed recommendations for improvement.
• Resourcefulness: When faced with constraints (budget, time, personnel), you're creative in finding alternative solutions and making the most of what's available.
• Category: Leadership & Team Development
• Skills: Mentorship & Coaching: You're genuinely invested in helping your team members grow, providing clear feedback, guidance, and opportunities for development.
• Delegation: You know how to effectively assign tasks, provide clear instructions, and empower your team to take ownership, without micromanaging.
• Conflict Resolution: You can mediate disagreements within your team or with stakeholders, fostering a collaborative and respectful environment.
• Performance Management: You can set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, conduct performance reviews, and address performance issues constructively.
• Category: Organisation & Execution
• Skills: Programme Management: You can plan, execute, and close out multiple complex events and comms programmes simultaneously, keeping everything on track and on budget.
• Attention to Detail: You have an eagle eye for detail, catching errors in communications, spotting logistical flaws in event plans, and ensuring everything is meticulously accurate.
• Time Management: You're a master of prioritisation, managing your own workload and that of your team to meet tight deadlines and adapt to shifting priorities.
• Risk Management: You can identify potential risks for events and communications, develop contingency plans, and proactively mitigate issues before they become problems.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

Alright, let's get into the nitty-gritty of what you'll actually be doing. This isn't just about soft skills; you need to know your stuff when it comes to event planning, internal comms, and the tools we use to make it all happen. You're expected to be an expert here.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: Run of Show (ROS) Development
• Desc: The ability to script an event minute-by-minute, from main stage keynotes to AV cues, lighting changes, speaker transitions, and even backstage movements. This is the event's core operating document, and you'll be the architect of it for complex programmes.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Stakeholder Matrix & Comms Planning
• Desc: Systematically identifying all internal stakeholders (from the CEO to IT support), mapping their influence and interest, and creating a tailored communication plan to keep them informed, manage their expectations, and secure their buy-in for major initiatives.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Post-Mortem Analysis
• Desc: A structured, data-driven process for debriefing after a significant event or campaign. This goes beyond simple feedback to actionable insights backed by quantitative data (surveys, attendance, budget variance) and qualitative observations, leading to concrete improvements.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Employee Journey Mapping
• Desc: Visualising the end-to-end experience of an employee during a key moment (e.g., onboarding, annual summit, organisational change) to identify pain points, communication gaps, and opportunities for better engagement and support.
• Level: Intermediate
• Skill: Change Management Communications
• Desc: Applying recognised frameworks (e.g., Kotter's 8-Step Model, ADKAR) to structure communications that guide employees through significant organisational shifts, reducing resistance, building understanding, and fostering buy-in.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Budget Scoping & Vendor Negotiation
• Desc: The skill of building a detailed, line-item event budget from scratch, forecasting costs accurately, and then expertly negotiating contracts with a range of vendors (venues, AV, catering, agencies) to maximise value, mitigate risk, and ensure compliance.
• Level: Expert

Digital Tools

• Tool: Cvent/Bizzabo (Event Management Platform)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Designing complex registration paths, building custom event websites, managing speaker and sponsor portals, integrating with CRM systems, and pulling advanced analytics reports for major programmes.
• Tool: Poppulo/Simpplr (Internal Comms Platform)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Designing and A/B testing sophisticated email campaigns, dynamically segmenting audiences for targeted messaging, analysing detailed engagement analytics (open/click-through rates), and setting up automated comms workflows.
• Tool: Asana/Monday.com (Project Management)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Building and managing complex project plans for multiple programmes, creating automations and rules for efficient workflows, managing team capacity and task assignments, and reporting on project velocity and roadblocks to your manager.
• Tool: Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Photoshop)
• Level: Intermediate
• Usage: Overseeing the creation of bespoke event branding elements, designing multi-page event guides or internal reports, and editing photos for high-impact communications. You'll likely delegate much of the execution but need to understand the capabilities.
• Tool: Zoom Events/ON24 (Virtual/Hybrid Events)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Configuring complex multi-track virtual events, managing interactive elements like breakout rooms and advanced polling, troubleshooting live AV issues, and overseeing the editing and distribution of event recordings.
• Tool: Excel (Advanced)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Building detailed budget models, performing complex attendee data segmentation, creating pivot tables for financial analysis, and using advanced functions (e.g., VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH) for reporting and reconciliation.
• Tool: Tableau (Data Visualisation)
• Level: Intermediate
• Usage: Interpreting and presenting data from pre-built dashboards to track employee engagement metrics, event ROI, and comms effectiveness. You might build simpler dashboards yourself, but mostly you'll be a power-user of existing ones.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: Event Production & Logistics
• Desc: A deep understanding of the practicalities of putting on events, from venue selection and AV requirements to catering, staging, and health & safety regulations. You know the 'BEO' inside out and understand 'drayage' costs.
• Area: Internal Communications Best Practices
• Desc: Knowledge of effective strategies for communicating with diverse internal audiences, including channel selection, message framing, timing, and audience segmentation to maximise impact and minimise noise.
• Area: Employee Engagement Theory
• Desc: An understanding of what drives employee engagement, how to measure it, and how events and communications can positively influence factors like morale, productivity, and retention.
• Area: Vendor Management & Contract Law Basics
• Desc: Familiarity with standard contract terms, negotiation tactics, and best practices for managing vendor relationships to ensure deliverables are met and risks are mitigated.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
• Usage: Ensuring all event registration data, attendee lists, and internal communication distribution lists are collected, stored, and used in full compliance with GDPR. You'll be responsible for advising your team on best practices.
• Reg: Health & Safety at Work Act (UK)
• Usage: Understanding your responsibilities for ensuring the safety of attendees, staff, and vendors at all events. This includes risk assessments, emergency planning, and ensuring venue compliance.
• Reg: Company Brand & Communications Guidelines
• Usage: Ensuring all internal communications and event branding strictly adhere to company brand guidelines, tone of voice, and legal disclaimers. You'll be the guardian of our internal narrative.

Essential Prerequisites

• Proven experience leading complex event programmes from concept to completion, managing budgets of at least £100K.
• Demonstrable experience in developing and executing comprehensive internal communication strategies for large organisations.
• Experience managing and mentoring junior team members, with a track record of their development.
• Advanced proficiency in at least one major event management platform (e.g., Cvent, Bizzabo) and one internal communications platform (e.g., Poppulo, Simpplr).
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies and tools (e.g., Asana, Monday.com).
• A portfolio or examples of successful event programmes and communication campaigns you've led.

Career Pathway Context

To thrive as a Lead, you'll need to have already mastered the fundamentals of event execution and communications delivery. This role isn't about learning the basics; it's about taking that solid foundation and stepping up to design, strategise, and lead, while also developing others. You're moving from 'doing' to 'orchestrating' and 'influencing'.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: AI-Powered Content & Personalisation
• Why: Competitors are already using AI to draft event invites in minutes and personalise comms at scale. If you're not leveraging these tools, you'll be spending hours on tasks that could take moments, and your messages won't hit as hard. This isn't future-gazing; it's happening now.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Prompt Engineering for Comms', 'description': 'Learning how to craft effective prompts for generative AI (like ChatGPT or Claude) to produce high-quality first drafts of emails, intranet posts, and event descriptions that align with our brand voice.'}, {'concept_name': 'AI for Audience Segmentation', 'description': 'Using AI tools to analyse employee data (anonymised, of course) and identify nuanced segments for more targeted and relevant communications and event experiences.'}, {'concept_name': 'AI for Event Content Generation', 'description': 'Exploring how AI can assist in generating ideas for event themes, session topics, speaker bios, and even interactive elements, speeding up the creative process.'}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical AI Use in HR/Comms', 'description': 'Understanding the ethical implications and biases of AI in internal communications and employee engagement, ensuring fair and transparent use of these powerful tools.'}]
• Prepare: This week: Experiment with ChatGPT or Claude to draft 3-5 different internal emails or event descriptions based on a brief you'd normally write yourself.
• This month: Explore an AI-powered sentiment analysis tool (e.g., MonkeyLearn, IBM Watson) and try feeding it some past event feedback to see what insights it generates.
• Month 2: Research a tool that offers AI-driven personalisation for internal comms platforms and present a brief proposal on how we could pilot it for a specific campaign.
• Month 3: Lead a short internal workshop for your team on 'AI for Comms: Quick Wins & Best Practices', sharing your learnings and encouraging experimentation.
• QuickWin: Start using AI to summarise long documents or meeting notes, draft social media posts for internal events, or brainstorm creative ideas for event themes. These are low-risk ways to get familiar with the tech.
• Skill: Immersive Event Technologies (AR/VR/Metaverse)
• Why: As hybrid work becomes the norm, traditional virtual events can feel flat. Immersive technologies offer new ways to create truly engaging, memorable experiences for remote employees, fostering connection and collaboration that goes beyond a 2D screen. We need to understand how to use these effectively.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Understanding VR/AR Platforms', 'description': 'Familiarity with platforms like Spatial, Engage, or even custom metaverse environments for hosting virtual gatherings, workshops, or onboarding experiences.'}, {'concept_name': 'Designing Immersive Experiences', 'description': 'Learning the principles of creating engaging, interactive content and activities within a 3D virtual space, considering user experience and technical limitations.'}, {'concept_name': 'Hybrid Event Integration', 'description': 'Strategies for seamlessly blending physical and virtual attendees within an immersive environment, ensuring both groups feel equally involved and connected.'}, {'concept_name': 'Measuring Engagement in Immersive Worlds', 'description': 'Developing new metrics and methods to track participation, interaction, and sentiment within AR/VR events, moving beyond simple attendance figures.'}]
• Prepare: This week: Watch a few YouTube videos or demos of corporate events held in VR/AR platforms to get a feel for what's possible.
• This month: Download a free VR/AR app (like Spatial) and explore a few public spaces to understand the user experience firsthand.
• Month 2: Research a couple of vendors specialising in corporate metaverse events and schedule a demo to understand their capabilities and costs.
• Month 3: Propose a small, low-risk pilot project (e.g., a virtual team social or a small workshop) using an immersive technology, outlining the potential benefits and challenges.
• QuickWin: Start by exploring how AR filters can enhance social media engagement for your physical events, or use 360-degree video to give remote employees a 'tour' of an event space.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Advanced Analytics & Storytelling (Tableau/Power BI)
• Why: Simply reporting numbers isn't enough anymore. Leaders want to understand the 'story' behind the data—why engagement is up, what impact an event had on retention, or how comms influenced a specific behaviour. You'll need to move beyond basic dashboards to build compelling narratives.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Data Blending & Transformation', 'description': 'Combining data from multiple sources (e.g., event platform, comms platform, HRIS) to create a holistic view of employee engagement and programme impact.'}, {'concept_name': 'Advanced Visualisation Techniques', 'description': 'Learning to create more sophisticated and insightful charts, graphs, and interactive dashboards that highlight key trends and actionable insights, not just raw data.'}, {'concept_name': 'Statistical Significance for A/B Testing', 'description': 'Understanding how to correctly interpret A/B test results for internal communications to ensure changes are genuinely effective, not just random fluctuations.'}, {'concept_name': 'Impact Measurement Frameworks', 'description': 'Developing and applying frameworks to link event and comms activities directly to business outcomes, moving beyond satisfaction scores to tangible ROI.'}]
• Prepare: This week: Take an online course on advanced Tableau or Power BI dashboard design, focusing on storytelling with data.
• This month: Work with our Data Analytics team to understand how they blend data and what tools they use for more complex analyses.
• Month 2: Redesign one of your existing post-event reports into a more visually compelling and insight-driven dashboard using Tableau.
• Month 3: Present your new dashboard to your Manager, focusing on the 'story' the data tells and the actionable recommendations.
• QuickWin: Start adding a 'Key Insights' section to all your reports, explicitly stating what the data means and what we should do next, rather than just presenting the numbers.
• Skill: Platform Integration & Automation (API Basics)
• Why: Manual data transfer between our event platform, comms platform, and HR systems is a time sink and prone to errors. Understanding how APIs work will allow you to advocate for and even help design automated workflows, making your team far more efficient and accurate.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Understanding APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)', 'description': "Learning what APIs are, how they allow different software systems to 'talk' to each other, and the basic concepts of requests and responses."}, {'concept_name': 'Workflow Automation Tools', 'description': 'Familiarity with tools like Zapier or Microsoft Power Automate to create simple automated connections between platforms without needing to write code.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Synchronisation Strategies', 'description': 'Developing strategies for keeping attendee data, distribution lists, and employee information consistent and up-to-date across all relevant systems.'}, {'concept_name': 'Troubleshooting Integration Issues', 'description': "Basic understanding of how to identify and diagnose common problems when systems aren't communicating correctly, saving time for the IT team."}]
• Prepare: This week: Read an introductory guide to APIs for non-developers (there are plenty online!) to grasp the core concepts.
• This month: Identify one manual data transfer process in your team that could be automated and research if Zapier or Power Automate could handle it.
• Month 2: Work with IT or a vendor to set up a simple automated workflow, e.g., new event registrations automatically adding to a specific comms list.
• Month 3: Document the time savings and error reduction from your automation and share it with your team and manager.
• QuickWin: Explore the native integration options within Cvent or Poppulo to see what existing automated connections you can switch on today, like syncing event registrations directly to a CRM.

Education Requirements

• Level: Minimum
• Req: A Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Event Management, or a related field.
• Alts: We're open to candidates with equivalent practical experience (typically 10+ years in a relevant role) who can demonstrate the strategic and leadership capabilities required for this level, even without a degree.
• Level: Preferred
• Req: A Master's degree in a relevant field (e.g., MBA, MSc in Communications) or a professional qualification in Project Management (e.g., PRINCE2, PMP).
• Alts: Significant experience leading large-scale programmes and managing teams can often be more valuable than a specific advanced degree.

Experience Requirements

You'll need at least 8-12 years of progressive experience in corporate events, internal communications, or a closely related field within a medium to large-sized organisation. This should include a proven track record of leading complex programmes, managing significant budgets (typically £50K+ per programme), and directly managing or mentoring a team of at least 2-3 individuals. We're looking for someone who has genuinely 'been there, done that' when it comes to orchestrating major internal moments and crafting impactful internal narratives.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
• Prod: Events Industry Council
• Usage: Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of event management best practices, from planning and logistics to risk management and budgeting.
• Cert: PRINCE2 Practitioner / PMP (Project Management Professional)
• Prod: AXELOS / Project Management Institute
• Usage: Shows a structured approach to managing complex projects and programmes, which is crucial for orchestrating multi-faceted events and comms campaigns.
• Cert: Internal Communications Certificate
• Prod: Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC) / PRCA
• Usage: Validates expertise in developing and executing effective internal communication strategies, understanding audience engagement, and measuring impact.

Recommended Activities

• Regularly attending industry conferences and workshops (e.g., IoIC Live, Event Tech Live, Corporate Comms Awards) to stay current on trends and network with peers.
• Subscribing to leading industry publications and newsletters (e.g., PR Week, Campaign, Event Magazine) to keep abreast of best practices and emerging technologies.
• Participating in online courses or webinars focused on advanced project management, data analytics for comms, or specific event technology platforms.
• Seeking out mentorship opportunities from senior leaders within our organisation or external industry experts.
• Actively contributing to internal knowledge sharing sessions, presenting on lessons learned from your programmes.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: Senior Events & Comms Specialist (L3) within Zavmo
• Time: 3-5 years as a Senior Specialist
• Path: Events/Comms Manager from a Smaller Organisation
• Time: 5-8 years of experience, including 2-3 years at a managerial level
• Path: Senior Account Manager/Programme Lead from an Agency
• Time: 8-12 years in an agency setting, with significant client-facing experience

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: Manager, Corporate Events & Internal Communications (L5)
• Time: 3-5 years in the Lead role

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: Director, Employee Experience & Events (L6)
• Time: 5-8 years from Lead role
• Title: VP, Global Communications & Employee Engagement (L7)
• Time: 8-12+ years from Lead role
• Title: Principal/Staff Events Architect (IC Path)
• Time: 5-8 years from Lead role

How Zavmo Delivers This Role's Development

DISCOVER Phase: Skills Gap Analysis

Zavmo maps your current competencies against all requirements in this job description through conversational assessment. We evaluate your foundation skills (communication, strategic thinking), functional skills (CRM expertise, negotiation), and readiness for career progression.

Output: Personalised skills gap heat map showing strengths and priorities, estimated time to competency, neurodiversity accommodations.

DISCUSS Phase: Personalised Learning Pathway

Based on your DISCOVER results, Zavmo creates a personalised learning plan prioritised by impact: foundation skills first, then functional skills. We adapt to your learning style, pace, and neurodiversity needs (ADHD, dyslexia, autism).

Output: Week-by-week schedule, each module linked to specific job responsibilities, checkpoints and milestones.

DELIVER Phase: Conversational Learning

Learn through conversation, not boring modules. Zavmo uses 10 conversation types (Socratic dialogue, role-play, coaching, case studies) to build competence. Practice difficult QBR presentations, negotiate tough renewals, and handle churn conversations in a safe AI environment before facing real clients.

Example: "For 'Stakeholder Mapping', Zavmo will guide you through analysing a complex enterprise account, identifying key decision-makers, and building an engagement strategy."

DEMONSTRATE Phase: Competency Assessment

Zavmo automatically builds your evidence portfolio as you learn. Every conversation, practice scenario, and application example is captured and mapped to NOS performance criteria. When ready, your portfolio supports OFQUAL qualification claims and demonstrates competence to employers.

Output: Competency matrix, evidence portfolio (downloadable), qualification readiness, career progression score.