Events Manager

Schools North East is approaching its 20th year as the region’s dedicated, independent voice for schools. Over that time, we have grown into a highly successful, dynamic, and influential charity, representing over 1,150 member schools in the North East and 400 specialist schools nationally. Our reputation as the Voice of North East Schools is firmly established – trusted by our members, respected by policymakers, and recognised nationally.

We are now entering the next phase of our journey and are recruiting a highly motivated Events Manager to join our small but very successful team. This is a diverse and challenging role which offers tremendous opportunity to shape and implement programmes that make a real difference in schools. It requires someone with strong business acumen who is a target-oriented and driven individual, focused on achieving challenging targets. You must have significant experience in managing a large and successful events programme consisting of a diverse range of physical and virtual events, ranging in size from 20 to 700 attendees. In the academic year 2024/25, we supported over 3000 school leaders from the North East and beyond through our events programme.

You will be joining a small, committed and high-performing team, where people take ownership, work at pace, and care deeply about the difference we make. In return, this role offers a genuine opportunity to shape a key part of the organisation and to play a central role in its future direction. If you combine strong delivery with curiosity, initiative and the confidence to develop new approaches, we would be delighted to hear from you.

The Events Manager will work closely with the Directors and Senior Leaders to drive the organisation’s strategic development, financial resilience, and stakeholder relationships. As a key member of the leadership team, you will design and deliver a comprehensive annual events programme that aligns with the charity’s strategic plan and provides tangible support to schools across the North East and beyond. You will play a proactive role in shaping company strategy, contributing to the growth and sustainability of all programmes and activities.

Your primary focus will be the execution of a successful events programme and a robust income strategy for Schools North East. This involves exploring innovative ways to support the organisation’s core projects and representing the charity externally to expand our network of speakers, delegates and commercial sponsors. Working alongside other teams, you will also help grow membership programmes, ensuring the long-term sustainability of both the charity and its trading arm. Success in this role requires the ability to maintain excellent relationships with existing and potential supporters while driving high levels of engagement across the events portfolio. You will be a confident and highly organised networker, tasked with increasing school participation by actively promoting Schools North East and developing deep links with regional stakeholders.

You will provide Directors with the essential information and capacity needed to focus on overarching strategic priorities, ensuring the events programme remains mission-aligned. By managing the Deputy Events Manager and Event Coordinators, you will ensure the team is equipped to handle the increased scale and complexity resulting from the organisation’s recent growth, delivering high-quality outcomes across all activities.

This is a key role in the organisation, working with a team of similarly motivated and like-minded people with a strong desire to succeed, make a difference and to support education in our region. In your role, you will support and be supported by the wider Schools North East team, which includes a dedicated Events team, Finance & Admin team, Marketing & Communications team, and Policy team.

Key tasks will include, but are not limited to:

• Strategy and Development: Contribute ideas, information and high-level speakers to produce a ‘must attend’ events programme that meets strategic goals. Represent the charity externally to conduct strategic conversations with members, steering groups and commercial organisations, securing sponsorship and long-term support for the charity’s sustainability. Oversee the marketing strategy for all events to ensure maximum engagement and brand visibility. Grow the events programme through online and face-to-face delivery.
• Financial Management: Provide Directors with the necessary data to formulate the annual budget and produce timely cash flow projections. Take full responsibility for project budgets, and support the Business Manager to prepare detailed profit and loss reports for review by the Directors. Manage supplier and venue relationships, ensuring all contracts and services are delivered efficiently and cost-effectively.
• Team Leadership: Line manage the Deputy Events Manager, Events Coordinator(s) and any temporary support staff or interns. Work as an integral member of a small, senior team, undertaking flexible tasks as required to deliver the overarching aims of Schools North East.
• Event Delivery and Operations: Manage the full lifecycle of the events programme, from initial proposal and on-site inspection to final execution. Ensure all projects are delivered on time and within budget, maintaining clear timelines and priorities across the team. Oversee all operational and administrative functions to ensure excellent customer service and high-quality delivery across every event.

Person Specification

• Essential:
• Strategic & Operational Balance: Highly organised with an eye for detail and the capacity to pivot between high-level strategy and hands-on operational tasks; organised with an eye for detail.
• Collaborative Leadership: A proactive can-do attitude; able to work independently or as a team lead to achieve shared organisational goals.
• Results Driven: Highly motivated and target orientated, with a genuine passion for making a difference in North East education.
• Innovative Problem Solving: Creative thinker able to articulate new ideas and solve complex, unexpected issues on the spot under pressure.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Excellent communication skills (verbal/written) with a natural ability to build relationships with a diverse range of people.
• Senior Event Management: 5+ years’ experience delivering complex, large-scale event programmes from initial concept to final execution.
• Income & Growth: Proven track record in event income generation, including sponsorship, exhibitor sales, and executing effective marketing strategies.
• Sector Knowledge: Understanding of the education system, current policy issues and political developments affecting schools, or the willingness to learn.
• Technical Skills: Proficient in virtual event platforms (e.g., Zoom), CRM systems and G Suite, and event-specific platforms and AV.
• Desirable: Experience in the education, charity, or membership sector.