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    Senior Project Manager: Conferences + Strategic Events

    Remuneration:negotiable depending on experience 
    Location:Johannesburg
    Remote work:Some remote work allowed
    Job level:Senior
    Own transport required:Yes
    Travel requirement:Occasional
    Type:Permanent
    Company:idna

    Job description

    Do you thrive in fast-paced environments, love a good checklist, and get a buzz from seeing a perfectly-executed event come to life?

    We’re looking for a high-energy, sharp-thinking Senior Project Manager to lead the delivery of complex, high-impact conferences and strategic events — particularly in the association, public sector, and education space.

    This is a senior delivery role for someone who’s operationally solid, confident in their decisions, and takes initiative like their life depends on it. You won’t just manage a timeline — you’ll drive it. You’ll lead everything from logistics and budgets to speaker comms and on-site delivery. 

    If you’re a calm operator with a strong sense of urgency, who doesn’t need to be chased, this is for you.


    Strategy, planning and project management

    • Create and manage comprehensive project plans and timelines for each event, ensuring all workstreams are tracked and on time (via ClickUp)

    • Take briefs and translate strategic vision into detailed execution plans

    • Track dependencies, update stakeholders, manage risks and flag bottlenecks early

    • Run regular status meetings with internal team and external stakeholders

    • Manage post-event close-out, learnings, and debriefs


    Programme curation and speaker management

    • Work with committees or internal teams to curate the programme structure and content

    • Research and recommend speakers; brief and manage speaker invites and comms

    • Gather bios, photos, and session details; manage speaker prep, slides, and on-site needs

    • Draft and manage session run-of-show and speaker call sheets


    Marketing and delegate acquisition

    • Develop event marketing strategy in collaboration with our creative lead

    • Brief and manage timelines for all creative marketing assets: banners, social media posts, mailers, registration page content, etc.

    • Write or edit content for newsletters, speaker spotlights, and delegate campaigns

    • Track marketing performance and drive ticket/registration targets

    • Coordinate with registration platform and monitor sign-up metrics


    Sponsorship and exhibition management

    • Develop or support sponsorship strategy and benefits with our sponsorship lead

    • Manage sponsor relationships and ensure all deliverables and benefits are fulfilled

    • Work with creative to develop sponsorship decks and proposals

    • Oversee exhibitor sales, onboarding, contracts, and support

    • Coordinate all exhibitor and sponsor logistics, floorplans, and signage


    Operations and logistics

    • Source and manage venues, caterers, AV suppliers, and décor partners

    • Handle all JOC applications, permits, safety documentation, and compliance

    • Oversee technical and production delivery including show calling, venue layout, signage, staffing, transport, and accommodation

    • Own on-site delivery from setup through live event to breakdown

    • Manage daily production schedules and ensure nothing is missed


    Supplier and budget management

    • Source, negotiate with, and manage suppliers and partners

    • Build and maintain detailed budgets for each project in collaboration with our finance & ops lead

    • Track expenses, raise POs, review invoices, and ensure profitability targets are met

    • Proactively reforecast where needed and manage within financial constraints


    Creative concept and experience execution

    • Contribute to creative brainstorming and event conceptualisation

    • Ensure creative elements (branding, gifting, staging, activations, touchpoints) are briefed and delivered on time

    • Work with our internal creative lead to ensure outputs are on-brand and impactful

    • Ensure the attendee experience reflects the overall vision and theme


    Team collaboration

    • Work closely with our CEO (client-facing lead) to ensure the strategic vision is realised

    • Collaborate with our head of creative & workflow to manage internal timelines and deliverables

    • Direct PMs or freelancers assigned to support your project where relevant

    • Support a collaborative, proactive, get-things-done culture inside the team


     You’ll LOVE this role if you are:

    • The one people trust to make sure it actually gets done

    • Energised by complexity — not overwhelmed by it

    • Bored by basic events and want your work to have meaning

    • Obsessed with detail but still fast on your feet



    Requirements

    Project management mastery
    • Able to manage multiple moving parts across marketing, programme, logistics, and finance

    • Experienced with project management tools (ideally ClickUp or similar)

    • Builds and maintains realistic but ambitious timelines — and keeps people accountable


    Strong operational expertise
    • Confident managing JOC processes, permits, risk and safety compliance

    • Familiar with supplier procurement, contracts, AV briefs, floorplans, and production schedules

    • Comfortable leading venue walk-throughs, load-in/load-out, and live event troubleshooting


    Financial acumen
    • Builds and manages detailed event budgets

    • Tracks expenses, raises POs, manages payments with finance

    • Ensures profitability and avoids scope creep


    Programme and content sensitivity
    • Comfortable curating or shaping event programmes

    • Can communicate professionally with senior speakers, thought leaders, and committees

    • Understands how content, programme flow, and format shape experience


    Marketing and delegate strategy awareness
    • Understands basic event marketing flows (awareness > conversion > retention)

    • Works with creative team to execute marketing timelines and campaign needs

    • Has worked with delegate registration systems or can learn quickly


    Sponsor and exhibitor management
    • Has supported or led sponsor benefit delivery

    • Comfortable managing floorplans, packages, and deliverables

    • Confident engaging with corporate sponsors and exhibitors


    Excellent communication
    • Clear, professional, and adaptable across written and verbal comms

    • Can liaise confidently with venues, suppliers, committees, speakers, and sponsors

    • Able to write clear briefs, reports, and updates


    Leadership and accountability
    • Self-directed, proactive, and solutions-oriented

    • Calm under pressure, unflustered by last-minute changes

    • Leads internal contributors and freelancers with focus and clarity


    High EQ and stakeholder maturity
    • Understands the dynamics of associations, academia, and public-private environments

    • Able to hold space in politically sensitive or layered stakeholder settings

    • Balances assertiveness with diplomacy


    Energy and drive
    • High-output, high-energy mindset — takes ownership, doesn’t wait to be asked

    • Thrives on structure and momentum

    • Sees the big picture but doesn’t drop the details



    Company Description

    idna is a strategic event and experience agency that works on events that shift industries, spark conversations, and build better futures — particularly in education, health, sustainability, and leadership.
    We design and deliver complex conferences and events with associations, foundations, and impact-focused corporates.

    Posted on 13 May 11:49, Closing date 12 Jul

    Apply by email

    bigideas@idna.co.za

    Or apply with your Biz CV

    Create your CV once, and thereafter you can apply to this ad and future job ads easily.
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