Job Description POLITICO’s Events team in Europe is looking for an experienced and creative Production Director to help drive our growing POLITICO Live business and build out a world-class production function.
Based in Brussels or London, the Production Director will support and help drive the delivery of POLITICO’s high-profile events and experiences across key European markets, while taking ownership of diverse production portfolios that support POLITICO Live’s ambitions to grow and expand into new markets.
The role will provide strategic, creative and operational direction and across the portfolio, overseeing planning, budgets, resources, suppliers, agencies, venues, technical partners and onsite delivery across our key European markets.
The Production Director will help shape and elevate POLITICO’s live experiences across a diverse portfolio of events spanning Brussels, Paris, London, Spain, and key European and global initiatives.
The ideal candidate is a resourceful and solutions-oriented production leader who combines creative ambition with strong operational and financial judgment, can translate ambitious ideas into exceptional and scalable live experiences, and thrives in a fast-paced environment.
With a passion for news and media, strong communication and stakeholder-management skills, and a proven track record of leading teams and delivering high-caliber events at every scale, they will help set production standards, drive new formats and technologies, and strengthen POLITICO Live’s production capabilities as the business expands into new markets.
What You’ll Do
- Lead the creative and operational production of high-caliber POLITICO Live events, taking ownership from initial concept through onsite execution to ensure each experience reflects and enhances POLITICO’s brand and editorial ambitions.
- Translate event objectives into compelling production concepts that engage influential audiences, VIPs and strategic stakeholders, while effectively bringing partner and client stories to life.
- Develop and lead smart, scalable and repeatable event production and planning processes that can be tailored to meet organizational and business goals, working closely with POLITICO Live leadership and Production Managers to drive consistent implementation across various portfolios
- Manage and oversee logistics for POLITICO Live events, including, but not limited to, venue selection, audio-visual deliverables, creative and set design, budgeting, promotional activities, event load in and out, attendee flow and other onsite operational needs
- Direct and call shows, working closely with AV teams to coordinate and deliver high-quality audio-visual content and seamless live event production.
- Support and collaborate closely across internal departments at POLITICO including editorial, sales, marketing, design, and also external stakeholders such as clients, speakers, and vendors to plan and produce live and occasionally virtual events for the organization
- Establish and collaborate with key stakeholders to understand strategies and execute ideas that come to life at POLITICO Live’s events; build timelines, manage agendas, communicate updates, maintain budgets, and lead planning calls to ensure key stakeholders are aligned on event timelines and goals
- Drive exceptional project management standards for events, including the ownership of timelines and templates, creating and advancing best practices and communicating effectively across internal and external stakeholders
- Maintain a strong understanding of industry trends and developments; recommend enhancements to improve the totality of the experience and production; support Live team leadership to drive forward new initiatives and mandates with the team
What You’ll Need
- 8+ years of experience in high-scale event planning and production through a business lens, ideally for a news or political organization or other media and/or branded content-creation industries; experience managing teams or projects
- 4+ years of experience show-calling, stage managing, building technical Run of Shows and working directly onsite with A/V vendors
- English a must and French, Dutch, German, Spanish a strong plus
- Interest in political and policy developments, particularly within the EU context, is desirable.
- Excellent organizational skills, project management, and consistent attention to detail
- Outstanding interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; ability to work in a dynamic and collaborative environment while adapting to shifting priorities and marketing multiple events
- Demonstrated problem solving skills and the ability to work well under pressure
- Experience using Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Ability to travel if required
We value our people
Our Benefits Package Is Built For You, And Includes
- Our teams benefit from country-specific, competitive compensation and benefits packages—including pension, healthcare, training opportunities and more.
- With a multinational team, strong ties to EU institutions, and flexible work options including working from abroad, we offer our employees an environment that supports both professional and personal development.
About Us
POLITICO illuminates the forces shaping global power. Since 2007, we have delivered intelligence that anticipates tomorrow's headlines, not reports on yesterday's news. As politics has increasingly become the defining force of our era, our work has never been more vital.
Cabinet secretaries and Ministers start their mornings with our analysis. CEOs shape strategy around our reporting. Advocacy leaders rely on our insights to move policy. We deliver the straightforward facts and clear-eyed analysis they need to navigate the most complex political landscape of our lifetimes.
Our 1,100+ publishing professionals across the world's key democratic capitals- Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Sacramento, and New York—form the world's premier politics and policy newsroom. We tell the story of how power really works by explaining who wields it and how they plan to exercise it, connecting dots others miss and delivering scoops from sources others don't even know exist.
Innovation has always been a core tenet of our story. At launch, we bet that depth would trump scale, that talent would trump traffic, and that politics would become central to modern life. In 2011, we made another bet and launched POLITICO Pro to help decision-makers understand the business of government, transforming both how they shape government action and the business of journalism itself.
These bets have made POLITICO the most successful digital news startup of its generation and the indispensable resource for leaders who shape the future. Today, we are a rarity in media: a growing, profitable, and sustainable news organization.
POLITICO is a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE, a family-owned transatlantic media company headquartered in Berlin and New York. Axel Springer is dedicated to shaping the future of journalism in the free world, believing that a free and informed society is essential to democracy. The company’s guiding principles - first articulated as The Essentials by founder Axel Springer in the aftermath of World War II - remain a cornerstone of the company’s foundation today. Learn more about Axel Springer.
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Production Director employer: POLITICO Europe
POLITICO Europe is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of Greater London where creativity and innovation thrive. With competitive compensation, comprehensive healthcare benefits, and flexible working options, employees are empowered to grow and excel in their careers while contributing to impactful journalism. Join us to be part of a collaborative culture that values editorial excellence and fosters professional development.
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