ABOUT THE ROLE
Zenith Racing Series is seeking an Event Manager to plan, coordinate, and execute the operational and hospitality elements of our race weekends.
This is a hands-on role for someone who is highly organized, adaptable, and comfortable taking ownership of event details from initial planning through on-site execution and post-event review. Working closely with the Series Manager, the Event Manager will coordinate staff, vendors, hospitality programs, event assets, signage, awards, and other operational functions to ensure each event is properly resourced and executed in accordance with Zenith Racing Series standards and our commitment to putting competitors first.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience planning, coordinating, or executing events, hospitality programs, operations, or similarly complex projects.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, vendors, personnel, and operational details simultaneously.
- Experience developing and maintaining event plans, timelines, checklists, inventories, or other organizational systems.
- Ability to coordinate temporary staff, vendors, and other stakeholders in both planning and live-event environments.
- Experience identifying operational issues and implementing practical solutions in real time.
- Ability and willingness to travel to all Zenith Racing Series race events and work extended or nontraditional hours during event weekends.
- Comfortable working in a hands-on role that includes both planning responsibilities and physical on-site event execution.
- Ability to lift and carry at least 30 pounds as needed for event setup, inventory management, loading and unloading, and other on-site operational responsibilities.
SKILLS & QUALITIES
- Highly organized. Able to keep numerous moving pieces, deadlines, supplies, vendors, and assignments organized across multiple events.
- Detail-oriented. Notices missing, incorrect, or incomplete items before they become event-day problems.
- Proactive. Anticipates needs, identifies potential issues early, and takes action without waiting for problems to escalate.
- Takes initiative. Identifies what needs to be done and moves work forward independently, seeking direction when necessary while taking ownership of next steps and follow-through.
- Adaptable under pressure. Able to adjust quickly when weather, schedules, staffing, vendors, or other event conditions change.
- Resourceful and solutions-oriented. Comfortable troubleshooting unexpected challenges and determining practical next steps.
- Accountable. Takes ownership of assigned programs and follows responsibilities through completion.
- A strong communicator. Able to clearly coordinate expectations, assignments, schedules, and information with staff, vendors, and other stakeholders.
- Service-minded. Understands that event operations and hospitality should support a positive experience for competitors, drivers, crew members, guests, and staff.
- Improvement-focused. Looks beyond simply completing an event and identifies ways to make future events more consistent, efficient, scalable, and effective.
- Comfortable being hands-on. Willing to assist directly with setup, inventory, stocking, loading, event spaces, hospitality programs, and other operational needs when necessary.
- Creative. Brings fresh ideas and thoughtful solutions to the design and continuous improvement of the paddock’s off-track experiences, hospitality programs, and overall event environment.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Event Planning & Coordination
- Develop and maintain event-specific operational plans, timelines, checklists, documents, and assignments.
- Coordinate with the Series Manager, staff, vendors, and other stakeholders to execute operational and hospitality programs and experiences.
- Confirm that required supplies, equipment, signage, awards, materials, and operational assets are available for each event.
Race-Weekend Execution
- Oversee the implementation of approved event plans and ensure assigned activities are executed according to established timelines and standards.
- Manage the setup, supply, operation, maintenance, and restoration of assigned event spaces and programs.
- Coordinate event activities in real time and address unexpected operational, staffing, vendor, or scheduling issues.
- Adjust plans in response to weather, track conditions, schedule changes, and other event-day developments.
Hospitality Programming
- Plan, coordinate, and continuously improve hospitality services and experiences for competitors, guests, crew members, drivers, staff, and other designated attendees.
- Coordinate initiatives including VIP experiences, merchandise sales, food and beverage activations, coffee vendors, staff hospitality, and other designated hospitality programs.
- Coordinate staff meals for race weekends and other designated events, including determining meal needs, communicating schedules and headcounts, coordinating with caterers or food vendors, and ensuring meals are available at the appropriate times and locations.
Mobile Paddock Hospitality Program
- Operate, evaluate, and continuously improve the Crew Cart Program.
- Develop menus and forecast food, beverage, consumable, serving supply, and equipment quantities.
- Purchase approved supplies and maintain appropriate inventory.
- Recruit, schedule, train, and supervise Crew Cart drivers, runners, and support personnel.
- Oversee loading, stocking, cleaning, maintenance, and operation of the Crew Cart and assist personally when necessary.
Podium Ceremonies, Awards & Celebration Materials
- Develop and maintain operational plans for podium ceremonies and pole award presentations.
- Coordinate and execute podium ceremonies and pole award presentations on-site, ensuring presenters, drivers, staff, awards, staging, celebration materials, and other required elements are in place and the ceremony runs according to schedule.
- Coordinate schedules, staging, signage, awards, celebration materials, staff assignments, vendor responsibilities, and broadcast-related requirements.
- Maintain inventories of awards, trophies, champagne or other celebration materials, and related supplies.
Signage & Event Communications
- Identify signage needs for event operations.
- Coordinate signage creation, ordering, production, transport, placement, removal, and storage.
- Prepare signage maps and placement plans.
- Ensure signage is accurate, appropriately branded, legible, and consistent with the event vision.
- Review signage following each event and recommend revisions or additional materials.
Hauler, Inventory & Asset Management
- Maintain accurate inventories of equipment, supplies, signage, hospitality materials, awards, and consumable items.
- Organize and load the event hauler before each race weekend.
- Oversee unloading, organization, use, repacking, and secure return of event materials.
- Conduct post-event inventory and identify missing, damaged, depleted, obsolete, or replacement items.
- Maintain organized office, warehouse, storage, and hauler areas using appropriate labeling, storage, inventory, and asset-tracking systems.
- Coordinate approved repairs, replacements, purchases, or disposal of event assets.
Staffing & Personnel Management
- Determine staffing needs for operational and hospitality event functions.
- Recruit, interview, select, schedule, train, brief, and supervise temporary event and hospitality personnel.
- Provide staff with clear responsibilities, reporting structures, credentials, equipment, supplies, schedules, and service expectations.
- Address attendance, conduct, and performance issues and remove, replace, or reassign personnel when necessary.
- Evaluate staffing levels and performance after each event and recommend adjustments.
Post-Event Review & Continuous Improvement
- Complete post-event reviews documenting what worked, what did not, supply needs, staffing concerns, vendor concerns, and recommended improvements.
- Update plans, checklists, timelines, inventories, procedures, and standard operating materials based on lessons learned.
- Develop repeatable processes, templates, and systems that improve consistency, scalability, cost efficiency, and event execution.
- Support future-season planning and prepare recommendations regarding event priorities, assets, staffing, vendors, signage, hospitality, and process improvements.
Book Team Travel and Accommodations
- Coordinate with employees and other designated team members to book flights, hotels, and other required accommodations for race weekends, events, and business travel.
- Communicate travel deadlines, options, itineraries, and booking details to travelers and ensure arrangements are completed in a timely manner.
- Operate within established travel budgets and guidelines when selecting and booking flights and accommodations.
- Coordinate with hotels, airlines, and other travel providers as needed to resolve reservation issues and support team travel logistics.
ROLE SCOPE
The Event Manager coordinates with personnel responsible for competition and other specialist functions when event activities require coordination. The role does not manage or make substantive decisions regarding race control, sporting or technical matters, timing and scoring, competition scheduling, driver discipline, medical or emergency response, final legal or budget approvals, competitor registration or credentialing, driver communications, social media or content, photography or videography, broadcast production, or track security operations.
Pay: $65,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
Application Question(s):
- What makes you want to apply for this position?
- Are you able to travel out of state roughly 10 times per year (a week at a time) for the position?
- Briefly describe your experience planning and executing events or other projects.
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Plainfield, IN 46168
