Senior Manager Experience Designer

Title: Senior Manager Experience Designer

Requisition ID: 212947

Join a purpose driven winning team, committed to results, in an inclusive and high-performing culture.

The Role

The Senior Manager, Designer contributes to the overall success of the Lighthouse Events team (internal agency), ensuring specific team and individual goals are established in support of the bank’s business strategies and objectives. Ensures all activities conducted are in compliance with governing regulations, internal policies, and procedures. Under the direction of the Director, Agency and Event Management, the incumbent will be responsible for consulting with the Business Line and Corporate Functions partners to build the event design, including the creation of the vision, flow and assets required to transform creative ideas into tangible experiences. The role also leads a team to ensure the event is brought to life with flawless execution, on time and on budget.

These events are highly visible and involve clients, business partners as well as senior-level executives. The Individual must have innovative and sophisticated event design and vision, the ability to manage senior stakeholders, and represent the organization with professionalism, courtesy, and integrity, while operating within the Bank’s regulatory and risk framework. The role demands an unparalleled passion for creativity, an eye for aesthetics, and an ability to envision and implement cutting-edge event experiences that leave a lasting impact on attendees and shape industry trends.

Is this the right role for you? In this role, you will:

Push the boundaries of traditional event design:

1. Responsible for leading the exploration, ideation, and articulation of a strong and compelling design vision for events that sets the standard for creativity, aesthetics, and overall experience, with a focus on the quality of the user experience and relevant solutions.
2. Leads the identification and introduction of innovative and cutting-edge ideas that captivate and stay at the forefront of industry trends, design innovations, and emerging technologies relevant to event experience, incorporating them into the conceptualization and execution of events.
3. Seamlessly integrate Business Line and Bank brand and event themes into the experience, presenting a cohesive and compelling narrative that aligns with event and business goals.
4. Creates clear and inspiring creative direction and leadership to the team, ensuring alignment with the design vision and maintaining a consistent level of excellence through to the execution of the vision and experience.
5. Drives innovative collaboration with vendors in various fields as required, such as lighting designers, artists, architects, and technologists, to enhance the overall event design and experience.
6. Utilizes the power of visual storytelling to convey the event's narrative and engage attendees on an emotional level.
7. Leads creative development through Inspiration Boards, Attendee journey mapping, persona agenda design, and mood boards.
8. Champions sustainable design practices, incorporating eco-friendly materials and methods to minimize the environmental impact of events.
9. Keen focus on measurable goals and objectives.

Identify business goals and develop the attendee journey/ experience map across events:

1. Key Lighthouse Events contact for senior internal client relationships, understanding business objectives, audience, and desired tone of event to develop superior experiences that deliver on strategy.
2. Delivers compelling design presentations to SVP+ stakeholders, showcasing the vision, rationale, and benefits of the proposed event experience design.
3. Effectively and proactively guides client conversations with clearly communicated recommendations and rationale, instilling confidence in event design.
4. Effectively manages stakeholder budget conversations and event budget proposals, reporting budget status to event owners, and clearly communicating impacts to budgets and potential trade-offs required for material changes to event.
5. Provides guidance and advice as needed on proper event logistics and details, based on objectives.
6. Recognizes potential issues and proactively works with the event team, vendors, and clients to solution.
7. Identifies risks to timelines and provides solutions to ensure all deliverables are met while helping to manage client and team expectations with care and consideration.

Accountable for effectively and efficiently managing event team, event budgets and vendor relationships:

1. Oversees a team of 3+ to ensure designs are executed flawlessly, within budget, and deliver against client priorities.
2. Sets priorities for multiple events simultaneously and oversees financials for events.
3. Works with the Manager, Financial and Operations Management (Events) to manage budgets and budget changes, including updating monthly budget forecasts, escalating issues, obtaining written approval for changes to approved budgets, and ensuring event budget reconciliations are completed in a timely manner.
4. Collaborates with the internal stakeholders and vendors to establish processes ensuring that Third-Party Risk Management, Procurement, Vendor Onboarding, and Expense Policy requirements are followed.
5. Leads brainstorm and ideation sessions with team, vendors, and key stakeholders.
6. Partners with internal teams to identify the solutions, products, and technology mix to best suit the attendee journey.
7. Reviews complex venue contracts to ensure event, compliance and regulatory requirements are met.

Other:

1. Champions a customer-focused culture to deepen client relationships and leverage broader Bank relationships, systems, and knowledge.
2. Understands how the Bank’s risk appetite and risk culture should be considered in day-to-day activities and decisions.
3. Champions a high-performance environment and demonstrates a commitment to Scotiabank’s values: accountability, passion, integrity, and respect. Delivers results in accordance with Scotiabank’s behavioral competencies.
4. Creates an inclusive team culture and an environment where team members hear, share, and appreciate diverse perspectives.
5. Directs day-to-day activities in a manner consistent with the Bank’s risk culture and the relevant risk appetite statement and limits. Communicates and models the Bank’s risk culture and risk appetite statement throughout their teams.
6. Creates an environment in which the team pursues effective and efficient operations of his/her respective areas in accordance with Scotiabank’s Values, its Code of Conduct, and the Global Sales Principles, while ensuring the adequacy, adherence to and effectiveness of day-to-day business controls to meet obligations with respect to operational, compliance, AML/ATF/sanctions and conduct risk.
7. Builds a high-performance environment and implements a people strategy that attracts, retains, develops, and motivates their team by fostering an inclusive work environment. Uses a coaching mindset and behaviors; communicating vision/values/business strategy; and managing succession and development planning for the team.

Direct Reports: 3+ Event Managers and Assistant Event Managers

Dimensions

This role will develop programs with budgets of up to $5 million. Depending on the number of events and time of year this role may manage/support/contribute to 6 or more events at any given time. Capacity and scope will be factors that contribute to the workload. This role is accountable for ensuring alignment with third-party risk management, procurement, expense policy, enterprise risk, security, and compliance. This role must act in accordance with the enterprise code of conduct. Performance is based on results and key competencies that dictate how the individual delivers those results. The role works in tandem with the business lines and corporate functions to make decisions regarding the budget, theme, agenda, and location of events.

Do you have the skills that will enable you to succeed in this role? - We'd love to work with you if you have:

1. Degree or Diploma
2. Minimum 5 years of event and marketing experience (experience in Financial Services or Wealth Management Event Marketing is an asset)
3. Minimum 3 years leading program teams in the planning & execution of successful event programs.
4. Minimum 3 years of full cycle industry experience (incentive travel program experience within a 3rd party supplier environment would be a strong asset)
5. Passion for event trends and innovation. Naturally curious and enjoys innovating on a continuum.
6. The ability to think creatively about brand identity and translate into a live event design.
7. Advanced expertise in a broadcast and event environment, producing exceptional experiences for online and in-person corporate audiences.
8. Track record of using a wide range of media, platforms, and venues, regularly working in close collaboration with production, technical and multimedia teams.
9. Ability to create “wow” factor in creating innovative events (virtual / in-person) including incentive international incentive programs.
10. Proven ability to build and maintain trusted relationships across key stakeholders and groups.
11. Strong strategic thinking capability and proven success working in partnership with mid to senior level clients to solve business and communication challenges.
12. Collaborative, inspirational and effective with cross-functional marketing and communications teams.
13. Excellent EQ and communication skills with a strong understanding of when to manage across and up.
14. Involvement in industry-related associations.
15. Flexibility to work evenings and weekends.
16. Ability and flexibility to travel to off-site venues for site inspection and execution as necessary.
17. Familiarity with basic accounting principles, attention to detail and diligence with follow up, is required.
18. Ability to problem solve under pressure (e.g., time constraints, demanding clients, and change in requirements) and strong problem resolution skills are a major requirement for success in this position.

Working Conditions

Work is in an unassigned, highly mobile environment. Moderate to extensive travel domestically/internationally/globally depending on assignments. The internal partners that the event team services are very demanding, resulting in a high-pressure environment that is fast-paced and has tight deadlines. As well there are many last-minute requests, resulting in modifications to events that in turn require escalation to the Director. Significant evening and weekend work may be required. A valid passport is required. A valid driver’s license is essential. This is an overtime-exempt position.

Location(s): Canada : Ontario : Toronto

Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets.

At Scotiabank, we value the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the Bank, and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our Recruitment team know. If you require technical assistance, please click here. Candidates must apply directly online to be considered for this role. We thank all applicants for their interest in a career at Scotiabank; however, only those candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.