Lead, Events ZSP (UAEN)

Job Description To lead the planning, delivery and continuous enhancement of the Zayed Sustainability Prize's events portfolio, ensuring the successful execution of high-profile local, regional and international events that strengthen the Prize's global reputation, stakeholder engagement and strategic objectives. The role is responsible for the end-to-end planning and execution of the Prize's events, overseeing event agencies and suppliers, coordinating cross-functional teams, and ensuring all events are delivered in line with the Prize's brand standards, budget, quality expectations and operational requirements. Key Accountabilities : • Lead the planning, coordination and implementation of the Zayed Sustainability Prize's annual events calendar, ensuring alignment with the Prize's strategic priorities and stakeholder engagement objectives. • Identify and evaluate key local, regional and international events that strengthen the visibility, positioning and global reach of the Prize. • Lead the planning and coordination of the Prize's participation in strategic global events throughout the year, ensuring successful execution and stakeholder engagement. • Develop and maintain detailed project plans for all Prize-led events, ensuring delivery against agreed objectives, timelines and quality standards. • Identify, manage and coordinate external agencies, suppliers and service providers required for successful event delivery, in accordance with procurement requirements. • Coordinate procurement and requisition processes related to event delivery, ensuring timely engagement of vendors and compliance with internal procedures. • Monitor event budgets, timelines and deliverables, proactively identifying risks and implementing corrective actions where required. • Lead post-event evaluations and reporting, capturing lessons learned, measuring event success against defined objectives and recommending improvements for future events. • Lead the end-to-end planning and delivery of the Zayed Sustainability Prize's flagship events, including the annual Awards Ceremony and associated events and activities during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW). • Lead the delivery of the Prize's events and activations locally, regionally and internationally, working closely with internal teams and external partners to ensure successful execution. • Develop and manage detailed event plans, schedules and operational timelines, ensuring all logistical requirements are delivered in accordance with agreed standards, budgets and timelines. • Coordinate all event logistics, including venue selection, branding, production, technical requirements, delegate management, protocol, hospitality, transportation and event collateral, ensuring a seamless participant experience. • Develop creative briefs and event concepts in collaboration with the Brand and Communications teams, coordinating with agencies to ensure alignment with the Prize's objectives, brand standards and stakeholder engagement goals. • Coordinate procurement and vendor onboarding processes required for event delivery, ensuring compliance with internal procurement procedures. • Manage external event agencies, production companies, suppliers and service providers to ensure all deliverables are completed to the required quality, budget and timeline. • Oversee on-site event delivery, proactively resolving operational issues and ensuring the successful execution of all event activities. • Ensure all event deliverables meet the Prize's quality, brand and operational standards while continuously identifying opportunities to enhance the participant and stakeholder experience. • Develop and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support the successful planning and delivery of the Prize's events and marketing activations. • Manage day-to-day relationships with event agencies, production companies, suppliers and service providers, ensuring services are delivered in accordance with agreed scope, quality standards, budgets and timelines. • Collaborate closely with internal teams, including Brand, Communications, Research, Outreach and Operations, to ensure effective coordination and delivery of event requirements. • Provide guidance and coordination to external vendors throughout the event lifecycle, ensuring clear communication, timely issue resolution and successful delivery of agreed outcomes. • Build and maintain a network of relevant industry contacts, venues, suppliers and service providers to support the continuous enhancement of the Prize's events portfolio. Qualifications Preferred Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree in Event Management, Marketing, Communications, Business Administration or a related discipline. Preferred Experience: • At least 5 years of progressive experience in planning, managing and delivering corporate events, conferences, exhibitions or stakeholder engagement initiatives, including experience coordinating high-profile events from concept through execution. • Experience managing external agencies, suppliers and vendors, with responsibility for budgets, timelines and quality standards. • Experience delivering events within international, government, sustainability or corporate environments would be an advantage. Job-Specific Skills: • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships with internal teams, external partners and senior stakeholders. • Strong project and event management skills, with the ability to manage multiple events and competing priorities simultaneously. • Experience managing event agencies, suppliers and service providers to deliver high-quality event experiences. • Strong organisational, planning and coordination skills, with excellent attention to detail. • Ability to proactively identify risks, solve problems and deliver effective solutions in a fast-paced environment. • Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to evaluate event performance and recommend improvements. • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and familiarity with event management and collaboration tools. • Excellent time management skills with the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines. • Fluency in English (written and spoken); Arabic language skills would be an advantage.