Director of Project Management & Overlay
Location: London (with extensive international travel)
Contract: Full-time, permanent
The Role
We are seeking an experienced Director of Event Project Management & Overlay to provide strategic leadership across the planning, delivery, and operational execution of a portfolio of large-scale international sporting events.
This senior role oversees end-to-end event project management and temporary venue overlay, ensuring events are delivered safely, efficiently, on budget, and to the highest global standards. Reporting into senior Event Operations leadership, you will translate overarching event strategy into seamless on-site execution, while driving continuous improvement across the event lifecycle.
You will lead multidisciplinary teams, collaborate closely with host city stakeholders and delivery partners, and play a pivotal role during live event operations.
Key Responsibilities
Event Planning & Delivery
- Lead the coordination of the full event lifecycle, ensuring strong cross-functional integration across planning, build, live event and de-rig phases.
- Establish and embed standardised event frameworks, methodologies, tools, and processes to support consistent delivery across multiple events.
- Chair key event meetings, including planning reviews, race-week coordination, and post-event debriefs.
- Act as senior operational lead during live events when required, providing oversight, escalation management, and crisis leadership via the Event Command Centre.
- Own departmental budgets, maintaining a season-wide view to identify efficiencies, cost control opportunities, and performance improvements.
- Support Event Leads in integrating external stakeholders, local operators, and technical suppliers, promoting long‑term efficiencies and scalable solutions.
- Conduct technical site visits for new and existing venues, contributing to layout design, operational planning, and feasibility assessments.
Project & Programme Management
- Oversee a complex portfolio of interdependent projects across multiple international locations.
- Monitor project roadmaps, milestones, dependencies, and risks, ensuring alignment across events and departments.
- Proactively identify issues, drive corrective actions, and maintain overall programme quality and integrity.
- Ensure timely and accurate project reporting, status updates, and senior‑level insights.
- Organise and support strategic workshops to improve delivery, governance, and planning capabilities.
- Champion continuous improvement in project tools, systems, and processes.
Event Overlay & Operations
- Lead the Event Overlay function, overseeing all temporary infrastructure build and de‑rig operations.
- Ensure all event infrastructure complies with global technical standards, safety regulations, and local permitting requirements across diverse markets.
- Act as the primary liaison between technical, sporting, and operational teams to ensure fully integrated event plans.
- Support infrastructure budgeting and procurement strategies, identifying opportunities for economies of scale and year‑on‑year cost efficiencies.
Leadership & Team Management
- Line manage a London‑based team of 15+ across event project management and venue overlay disciplines.
- Work closely with Host City Directors and senior Project Managers to ensure consistent delivery approaches across all events.
- Facilitate internal workshops and reviews to drive collaboration, efficiency, and best practice.
- Act as a senior operational representative, providing oversight across broader Operations functions when required.
Skills, Experience & Knowledge
Essential
- Proven experience leading complex, large‑scale international events or projects.
- Strong background in event project management, operational delivery, or major programme leadership.
- Demonstrable experience managing multidisciplinary teams and multi‑stakeholder delivery environments.
- Ability to operate strategically while remaining hands‑on and detail‑focused.
- Commercial awareness, with experience managing budgets, reporting, and performance metrics.
- Advanced knowledge of project and programme management methodologies.
- Strong proficiency with digital collaboration tools and programme management software.
- Clear understanding of the dynamics of live sporting or major event environments.
- Degree‑level intellectual capability.
Desirable
- Experience within motorsport or elite sporting events.
- Formal project management qualification (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2).
Personal Attributes
- Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and relationship‑building skills.
- Calm, authoritative leader with strong decision‑making capability under pressure.
- Highly organised, adaptable, and resilient.
- Comfortable working autonomously in fast‑paced, high‑stakes environments.
- Emotionally intelligent with the ability to lead diverse teams across cultures.
- Willingness to travel extensively, including sustained periods and short‑notice deployments.
Travel Requirements
Regular international travel required, typically supporting 6-8 event locations per season, plus additional site visits for future event planning.
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