Executive Director, Nationals Events

The Executive Director of Nationals Park Events is responsible for the success of the Nationals Park Events department. This includes developing new ventures to utilize Nationals Park as a destination for non-baseball special events in Washington, DC, and leading a team of event professionals who market and sell non-gameday corporate events and lead production of self-produced events at Nationals Park. The Executive Director will identify and negotiate deals with promoters of large-scale events, market and sell corporate events to be held at the ballpark, develop and market Nationals-branded events, and identify and develop new revenue streams for the organization. This role will build a long-term, sustainable, scalable operating model for Nationals Park Events and requires strong leadership, industry knowledge, and the ability to create clear strategies and plans. This position will own the bottom-line P&L for the non-game events business and be held accountable for the growth and profitability of the business.

The Nationals are a military-friendly organization actively recruiting veterans and spouses.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of 5 people marketing and selling 100-200+ non-game day events at the ballpark for meetings, receptions, and other functions.
• Develop and maintain key internal working with relationship with CRO, SVP Ballpark Ops, CLO, Chief of Staff, and other internal stakeholders to maximize communication and deliver results.
• Develop and implement a marketing and sales strategy to attract events and other revenue generating activities to the ballpark, including market research, marketing content, proposals, and presentations for corporate Washington, DC and convention event planners.
• Identify and develop new and non-traditional and large scale opportunities for use of space at Nationals Park, including new revenue streams through third-party partnerships and vertical integrations within the Nationals’ non-game day events business.
• Build relationships with national tour promoters and booking agents to identify acts capable of hosting profitable concerts and events at Nationals Park, and negotiate deals to maximize profitability.
• Evaluate, assess and negotiate contracts with key vendors and suppliers; implement deal structures best suited to business needs.
• Manage start to finish negotiation of non-game day event contracts to maximize revenues.
• Act as the primary point of contact for house accounts, maintaining strong relationships with clients to ensure events are successful, return on an annual basis, and increase in profitability.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with the local events industry, including convention and visitors’ bureau, destination management companies, other venues, and vendors, and attend industry events and conferences to source business.
• Oversee the booking of post-game concerts and work with appropriate departments to manage the on-sales, marketing, communications, and contract administration for concerts and other large-scale events
• Work closely with the Corporate Partnerships, Ticketing, F&B partners, and Suites teams to identify cross-selling opportunities.
• Develop and manage the department’s annual expense budget, contribute to the development of capital expenditure proposals.
• Establish and track key metrics and forecast annual department performance.
• Other duties as assigned.

Compensation:

The projected annual salary range for this position is $160,000 - $175,000 per year. This position is also eligible for commissions based on the Nationals Park Events incentive program. Actual pay is based on several factors, including but not limited to the applicant’s: qualifications, skills, expertise, education/training, certifications, and other organization requirements. Starting salaries for new employees are frequently not at the top of the applicable salary range.

Benefits:

The Nationals offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package presently including:

• Paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays throughout the year and a holiday break in December
• Medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• 401(k) and pension plan
• Access to complimentary tickets to Nationals home games
• Employee discounts
• Free onsite fitness center

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The Nationals are dedicated to offering equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

• • Deep experience managing and supervising a variety of sales and operations staff.
• • Gameday: Job requires employee to function in a high activity and heavily crowded outdoor professional sports venue. May work at heights. Employees will be exposed to inclement weather of varying degrees. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand for long periods of time, walk long distances, and climb up/down stairs. The employee is required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or sit and must lift and/or move up to 45 pounds.
• • Office: Working conditions are normal for an office environment. Position will require weekend and/or evening work.
• • Experience in developing presentations and presenting.
• • Excellent communication, persuasion, and negotiating skills.
• • Excellent project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills with meticulous attention to detail within the context of the larger strategic goals.
• • The ability to take initiative and manage multiple complex priorities within demanding timeframes.
• • Respectful and outstanding leadership skills with the ability to articulate a vision and strategy in a way inspiring and motivating a team and focusing their energy on achieving and exceeding business goals.
• • Must possess a strong marketing and customer service understanding and orientation.
• • Experience in developing P&L and pro-forma projections for complex business relationships.
• • Demonstrated ability to conduct market research, prepare financial projections, and start to finish negotiation of revenue driving opportunities.
• • A proven track record of successful performance in meeting targets and objectives
• • Creative mindset with an ability to identify ways to leverage existing assets for new business.
• 12 year(s): • Minimum of 12 years of related business management experience.
• • Must successfully clear a background check.
• • Must have U.S. work authorization.
• • Uphold Core Values: Innovation, Integrity, and Teamwork. These core values set the tone in everything we do, help us succeed on and off the field, make a difference in the community and provide the best guest experience in sports. It is important that the person in the position commits themselves to these core values so that we can constantly move forward in the same direction – Together.

• Bachelors or better in Hospitality and Resort Management or related field

• Masters or better in Business Administration

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.