Director, Conferences and Events (Chicago)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 5, 2025
SALARY: $100,000 - $115,000
START DATE: September 29, 2025
LOCATION: Remote (U.S. only), Washington, DC, or Chicago preferred. Travel is required approximately once a month.
FAQs

ABOUT LEADING EDGE

Leading Edge strengthens the Jewish nonprofit field to help it better serve both the Jewish community and the broader world. We envision a thriving Jewish communal ecosystem where talented and engaged people are empowered to drive meaningful change. By mobilizing Jewish nonprofits to become organizations where great people deliver great impact, Leading Edge helps build a more vibrant, effective, and inspiring Jewish sector.

WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS

Our conferences, retreats and gatherings are powerful, mission-critical moments that bring together hundreds of professionals across the Jewish nonprofit sector to connect, reflect, and grow. From small intimate meetings of 20 to large-scale convenings of 1,500 participants, these experiences are core to how Leading Edge builds community and moves the field forward.

Leading Edge is seeking its first ever Director, Conferences & Events to lead all aspects of our gatherings, from strategic logistic design to flawless execution. This person will be an exceptional project manager, a creative event planner, and a deeply collaborative colleaguesomeone who is energized by both the big picture and the smallest details. Jewish literacy (calendar awareness, kashrut considerations, etc.) is essential, as is a proactive communication style and the ability to manage multiple priorities with grace.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Event Strategy & Execution roughly 50%

• Lead the planning and implementation of all Leading Edge events, including our flagship biennial conference, cohort program convenings, funder gatherings and all-staff retreats.

• Creatively ideate and strategize the look and feel of Leading Edge events. Ensure all aspects of the attendee experience align with organizational values around inclusion, accessibility, and cultural relevance.

• Manage all event logistics end-to-end, including venue sourcing and contracting, production timelines, catering, technology, transportation, registration, inbox maintenance and accommodations.

• This may sometimes be a solo endeavor and other times owning the logistics role on a larger project team.

• Hire, onboard, and supervise an Events Manager (or equivalent) as the events portfolio grows.

• Maintain fidelity to Jewish practices such as kosher food, Shabbat timing, and holiday scheduling.

• Assist with logistical support for board meetings.

Project Management roughly 25%

• Develop and maintain project plans for all events, managing cross-functional teams and external vendors including: any relevant committees, training and deploying staff on the ground, registration systems, post event analysis. Note: an external events company will be engaged for the biennial conference to support planning and production.

• Set clear milestones, budgets, and responsibilities to ensure events are delivered on time and within budget.

• Manage multiple events simultaneously at various stages of planning and execution.

Communication & Collaboration roughly 25%

• Serve as the central point of contact for all event logistics communication internally and externally.

• Regularly update team members, partners, and vendors on progress and expectations.

• Collaborate with team leads to integrate programmatic goals into event experiences.

QUALIFICATIONS

You are:

• Detail-obsessed. You love your project management software and a good spreadsheet and live by your checklist.

• Strategic and grounded. You can zoom out to see the big picture and zoom in to catch the typos.

• Thinker and Doer. You are proactive and can anticipate the needs of the team and participants and hold them at once. And you jump in to execute. No task is too small.

• Calm under pressure. You thrive when things get busy and stay solution-oriented when curveballs come.

• Deeply collaborative. You believe great events happen when many people are pulling together.

• Jewishly literate. You have a working knowledge of the Jewish calendar, traditions, and norms relevant to gatherings.

You have:

• 7+ years of professional experience in event planning or program management.

• Demonstrated success managing both large-scale conferences (1,500+ attendees) and intimate gatherings.

• Strong vendor management and contract negotiation experience.

• Experience with registration platforms and AV logistics.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• High proficiency with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Asana, Google Suite, Slack).

• A passion for creating inclusive, meaningful in-person and virtual experiences.

COMMITMENT, COMPENSATION, & BENEFITS

This is a full-time exempt position, with a salary between $100,000 to $115,000, commensurate with experience. Leading Edge provides a best-in-class benefits package, including:

• 100% coverage for employees and 50% coverage for spouses and dependents for medical, dental, and vision

• Retirement matching, wellness benefits, ample flex time, and a three-month paid parental leave

• Generous professional development stipend

HOW TO APPLY
Our application process includes two required steps:
1. Submit your application on our website (~20 mins)
2. Complete a one-way video interview (~40 mins) via Spark Hire