Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director, Events and Sponsorships is a hands-on, strategic leader responsible for curating and executing the Vector Institute’s robust portfolio of marquee conferences, specialized workshops, and VIP engagements that drive Ontario’s AI ecosystem forward. Reporting to the VP, Marketing & Communications, this player-coach leads a dedicated team to deliver over 100 events annually, including Vector’s flagship Remarkable conference, while ensuring all programming strictly aligns with Vector’s research mandate and provincial funding obligations. By marrying world-class event production with rigorous sponsor fulfillment and data-driven reporting, the Director transforms events from standard gatherings into critical delivery mechanisms for AI adoption, commercialization, and talent development.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As program lead or in collaboration with programming committees, researchers, faculty, industry practitioners, and Vector’s AI Engineering Team, shape themes, secure speakers, and build session programming for Vector’s flagship events, including Remarkable and the AI Summit and Career Fair, ensuring content delivers value to Vector’s community/audiences and is mission-aligned;
Assess, strategize, and evolve Vector’s event and programming operations and content, bringing forward new ideas, formats, and experiences that strengthen audience value, advance Vector’s mandate, and keep the portfolio relevant, and future-focused;
Strategically lead the 6- to 12-month event calendar and oversee end-to-end logistics for 30-40 events per quarter, ranging from intimate VIP stakeholder dinners to massive international conferences. Build and maintain a rich database of speakers and AI subject matter experts;
Ensure the events portfolio meets strict contractual reporting obligations to Vector’s funders, delivering a minimum of 50 community events (under 50 people), 4 marquee events or sponsorships (50+ people), 5 talent/workforce events, 8 AI commercialization sessions, and other event activities annually in alignment from various work stream funding obligations;
Drive event and sponsorship-based activations and on-the-ground ecosystem relationship activities/events to attract and retain enterprise sponsors, students, researchers/faculty, and SMEs (interfacing with the Director of Marketing & Brand on broader strategies);
Working with the Marketing Team oversee Swoogo and Salesforce data capture to ensure event registration and attendance metrics accurately feed into corporate KPI reporting; keep senior management informed through comprehensive post-mortem presentations that tell the story of Vector’s impact on the AI ecosystem through events or sponsorships;
Manage external production companies, AV contractors, and agencies at scale. For marquee events like Remarkable, oversee full technical production, hybrid broadcast integrations, staging, and run-of-show logistics working with a Manager and Event Coordinators;
Manage a substantial events and sponsorship budget, navigating tight fiscal measures, value-for-money principles, and public-sector accountability frameworks required of a partially publicly funded organization;
Manage performance, mentor, and work alongside a Manager and Events Coordinators, providing strategic direction while remaining present on the floor to ensure flawless operational execution; and,
Other related duties as assigned from time to time.

KEY SUCCESS MEASURES

Seamless technical production and delivery of Vector’s marquee events, continuing to elevate the international profile and participant experience of Remarkable (1,500+ participants) and the AI Summit and Career Fair (800+ attendees);
100 per cent compliance with funding obligations, demonstrably meeting or exceeding all mandated annual event minimums for commercialization, talent, and community reach;
Successful management of a significant event budget;
Maintain strong event data hygiene and accurate post-mortem reporting via Swoogo/Salesforce that translates event metrics into the story of Vector’s impact for funders and leadership;
Deliver high satisfaction and retention rates among faculty/researchers, graduate students, and enterprise sponsors driven by exceptional event-based activation, fulfilment, and ecosystem relationship management;
Maintain a proactive, highly curated 6- to 12-month programing calendar that reflects Vector’s strategic mandate in AI research and adoption; and,
Positive feedback from internal work streams (Research, Industry, Broader Public Sector, AI Engineering) regarding collaborative programming efforts and cross-functional event coordination is achieved.

PROFILE OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Bachelor’s degree in Event Management, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field;
8-10+ years of progressive experience in large-scale event production, programming curation, and sponsorship activation, ideally within the B2B technology, research, or broader public-sector-adjacent industries;
Proven track record as a “player-coach,” successfully managing and developing an events team and motivating them while remaining hands-on in the day-to-day execution of a high-volume events portfolio;
Extensive experience managing complex, multi-day conferences (1,000+ attendees), including oversight of production, hybrid broadcasts, staging, and vendor management;
Exceptional programming instincts with the ability to collaborate with highly technical stakeholders to curate compelling, cutting-edge topics and secure subject matter experts;
Deep understanding of public-sector funding environments, including strict fiscal accountability, budget forecasting, and compliance-driven reporting;
Demonstrated proficiency with event technology stacks and CRM systems, specifically Swoogo and Salesforce integrations, to drive accurate data capture and analytics;
Strong vendor negotiation and contract management skills, backed by a robust network of production, AV, and event agency partners;
Outstanding cross-functional collaboration skills, with a clear understanding of how to interface effectively with marketing and communication teams without duplicating strategic mandates; and,
Agility and resilience to navigate a fast-paced environment, balancing the strategic oversight of long-term planning with the operational demands of quarterly event execution.

TOTAL REWARDS: The expected salary for this position will be $100,600 – $125,800 per year, plus benefits if applicable. The final salary offer will reflect the successful candidate’s experience, skills, and qualifications, in alignment with the Vector Institute’s Compensation Policy and may differ from above.

The Vector Institute’s Total Rewards approach extends beyond traditional compensation and benefits. Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive suite of supports that recognize and value employees, including vacation time, floater days, GRRSP, a Health Spending Account, a Summer Hours program, and flexible work arrangements.

POSITION STATUS: This posting is for an existing vacancy.

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Vector may use both internal and external third party AI-based tools to assist in the screening of applications for this posting. Any data collected will be used solely for recruitment purposes and handled in accordance with Vector’s External Privacy Policy and Use of AI-Based Tools in Recruitment and Selection Policy.

INCLUSION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT: Vector believes AI powers possibility by advancing cutting-edge research and translating it into real-world impact through collaboration with research, industry, and government. Vector is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture that reflects its values.
The Vector Institute welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, including those who are Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, racialized persons/visible minorities, women, and people with disabilities.
If you require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment or selection process, please contact [email protected]. The Vector Institute team will be happy to work with you to ensure your experience is as inclusive and accessible as possible.

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY: Check out the Vector Institute’s Careers Page to explore open opportunities at Vector and Follow Vector on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky to stay connected with the latest developments in Ontario’s AI ecosystem and the Vector Institute.

Required languages: English

Education level: Bachelor's Degree

Required skills: Proven track record as a "player-coach," successfully managing and developing an events team and motivating them while remaining hands-on in the day-to-day execution of a high-volume events portfolio; Extensive experience managing complex, multi-day conferences (1,000+ attendees), including oversight of production, hybrid broadcasts, staging, and vendor management; Exceptional programming instincts with the ability to collaborate with highly technical stakeholders to curate compelling, cutting-edge topics and secure subject matter experts; Deep understanding of public-sector funding environments, including strict fiscal accountability, budget forecasting, and compliance-driven reporting; Demonstrated proficiency with event technology stacks and CRM systems, specifically Swoogo and Salesforce integrations, to drive accurate data capture and analytics; Strong vendor negotiation and contract management skills, backed by a robust network of production, AV, and event agency partners; Outstanding cross-functional collaboration skills, with a clear understanding of how to interface effectively with marketing and communication teams without duplicating strategic mandates; and, Agility and resilience to navigate a fast-paced environment, balancing the strategic oversight of long-term planning with the operational demands of quarterly event execution.

Closest intersection: College Street and University Avenue