Associate Director, Site Operations

Associate Director, Site Operations

The Associate Director, Site Operations is a full-time exempt position with Kilowatt Events, Inc. This role is responsible for directly managing and advising a team of Operations Managers, as well as leading the operational advance and execution of assigned complex live events, with an emphasis on event infrastructure, construction, and site mapping. It requires exceptional communication skills, strong live-event operational expertise, and a deep understanding of the unique challenges of nontraditional venues, temporary event sites, outdoor environments, and large public-facing events.

This position reports to the Director, Events and is responsible for taking the lead on strategic decision-making to create exceptional events and environments for our staff, clients, vendors, and Kilowatt.

Preference given to candidates located in San Diego. If the selected candidate is located in San Diego county, that employee is expected to work in office a minimum of 2 days per week as allowed by travel schedules. If the selected candidate is located outside of San Diego county, they must have a minimum of 8 days in-office working sessions per year (costs covered by Kilowatt) and agree to remote-office environment guidelines.

Health benefits will be provided after 60 days.

Work on High-Profile Events:
From fan festivals and corporate activations to large-scale entertainment productions, you'll take the lead in delivering memorable, headline-worthy events.

Make a Real Impact:
As a key decision-maker, you'll directly shape event success and collaborate with top-tier clients, sponsors, and venues.

Travel and Flexibility:
Combine your love for creativity and logistics while traveling to exciting event locations.

Building and Leading a Team:
Work with a growing company to lead and build a department of talented professionals. Help influence decision making that molds the company and team's future.

Team Leadership & Oversight

• Lead, mentor, and support the Operations Team, ensuring alignment across all projects.
• Provide regular touchpoints, clear communication, and accountability to maintain efficiency and consistency in event execution.
• Provide strategic guidance on event operations, advising teams on best practices and troubleshooting challenges. Step in on high-priority or at-risk projects as needed to ensure smooth execution.
• Collaborate with Director, Events on full-time employee event assignments.

Pre-planning and Post-event Reconciliation

• Oversee the full scope of production for assigned events including sourcing suppliers, populating orders, and managing onsite execution. Suppliers include, but not limited to, scaffolding, tenting, power, heavy equipment, internet, staging, carpentry, fence, and utilities.
• Ensure events comply with all legal, permitting, and regulatory requirements (i.e. city ordinances, safety codes, union rules).
• Serve as primary point of contact and coordinate communications, in a timely, positive, and efficient manner for client team, production and operations vendors, sponsor operations, event staff, venues, and key event stakeholders.
• Create event staffing plans for the advance and onsite execution.
• Work closely with all event stakeholders to garner a holistic understanding of goals to ensure success.
• Create and track event budgets, manage billbacks, reconcile invoices, and ensure overall alignment throughout planning and execution with projected costs.

Event Layout & Design

• Create event layouts and floor plans, utilizing software such as CAD or Vector Works. Prior experience with Vector Works is a requirement.
• Collaborate with the design and production teams to ensure event spaces are optimized for attendee flow, accessibility, and safety.
• Create plans for access point for vehicles, staff, and fans that contemplates the needs of the events and the requirements for security, accessibility and emergency support

Process Optimization & Systems Implementation

• Regularly identify inefficiencies and collaborate with the Director, Events to implement systems to streamline event operations.
• Ensure platforms, tools, and workflows are optimized to support the…