 Key Responsibilities Team & Operational Leadership Directly manage the LaJoy Creative staff and contract/freelance staff; set performance expectations, coach for growth, and build bench strength as the firm scales. Own the firm's overall event production standards and quality bar across all client engagements, ensuring consistency regardless of which team member is executing. Design and continuously refine internal operating systems (project management, resourcing, vendor management, financial tracking) to support increasing volume and complexity of client work. Lead staffing and resourcing decisions across concurrent client projects, balancing capacity, budget, and team development. Client & Business Leadership Serve as senior client-facing leader on the firm's most strategic or highest-visibility engagements, stepping in for key relationships and high-stakes moments. Partner with the CEO on business development: scoping new opportunities, shaping proposals, setting pricing/budget parameters, and representing the firm in pitch and finalist conversations. Own client retention strategy — identifying expansion opportunities within existing accounts and ensuring service quality drives repeat business and referrals. Represent LaJoy Creative externally at industry functions, partner convenings, and speaking opportunities as an extension of the CEO's visibility strategy. Business Development & Network Partnerships Bring established client and network relationships directly into LaJoy Creative's business pipeline, actively converting existing personal/professional connections into new engagements for the firm. Identify, cultivate, and close new business opportunities by combining strong business acumen with a working knowledge of the events, hospitality, and mission-driven/nonprofit sectors. Serve as a proactive originator of leads — not solely a responder to CEO-sourced opportunities — with accountability for contributing measurably to the firm's new business pipeline. Build and maintain a network of referral partners, industry contacts, and past clients that can be activated for repeat business, introductions, and co-marketing opportunities. Track and report on business development activity and pipeline health as part of regular leadership reporting to the CEO. Financial & Administrative Oversight Own event and departmental budgeting, including forecasting, margin management, and profitability review across the firm's active project portfolio. Oversee vendor strategy at the portfolio level — negotiating master agreements, setting preferred-partner terms, and managing the firm's overall vendor risk and cost position. Prepare contracts, scopes of work, and significant expenditures when delegated by the CEO. Strategic & Organizational Development Serve as a key thought partner to the CEO on organizational growth, capacity planning, and long-term operational strategy. Lead hiring, onboarding, and team-building initiatives for the events and operations function as headcount grows. Identify and champion process, technology, or staffing investments that improve margin, quality, or scalability. Support the firm's brand and thought-leadership positioning (award submissions, case studies, speaking engagements) in partnership with the CEO. 
