Director, Operations - Fanatics Events
Fanatics · New York City · $150,000–$175,000 (stated in the posting)
About Us
About Fanatics Events
Fanatics is a global leader in licensed sports merchandise, collectibles, and fan experiences. Our newest platform, Fanatics Events, creates large-scale consumer festivals and live experiences that bring fans, athletes, and partners together.
Our flagship productions include:
- Fanatics Fest – A first-of-its-kind multi-day fan festival hosted at the world-class Javits Center, combining sports, collectibles, athlete appearances, and immersive activations.
- WWE World – A multi-day consumer event produced in partnership with WWE, bringing fans closer to superstars, storylines, and experiences during major tentpole weekends.
The Role
The Operations Director owns the technical and back of house engine behind Fanatics Fest, WWE World, and other flagship Fanatics Events productions. Reporting to the Senior Director of Operations, this leader manages day-to-day AV operations, stage and Fanatics Games execution, and the back of house perimeter, while partnering closely with the Live Content, Exhibitor Customer Success, and Fulfillment teams to keep every stage and every exhibitor set up for success.
The ideal candidate is highly detail oriented, thrives in a fast-paced live event environment, and is comfortable being the go-to problem solver onsite when a curveball comes their way. This role requires travel and onsite presence for load-in, show days, and load-out, including nights and weekends as needed.
What You'll Do
AV & Stage Operations
- Own the day-to-day audio visual operations across all stages and activations, including equipment inventory, vendor coordination, and real-time troubleshooting.
- Manage the daily operations of all event stages and the Fanatics Games footprint, ensuring schedules, staging, and technical requirements are executed on time and to spec.
Live Content Support
- Partner with and support the Live Content team across every stage, coordinating run-of-show logistics, technical rehearsals, talent load-in/load-out, and show-calling support.
Back of House (BOH) Perimeter Management
- Own the planning and day-to-day management of the back of house perimeter, including fencing and barricade layout, vendor load-in routes, and coordination with security.
- Manage barricade and bike rack vendors, ensuring correct placement, delivery, and breakdown across the event footprint.
Work Order Process
- Work alongside the broader operations team to manage the end-to-end work order process – covering electrical, rigging, signage, and labor requests – from submission through fulfillment and close-out.
Exhibitor Experience & Pre-Show Planning
- Partner closely on exhibitor needs and exhibitor pre-show planning, serving as a key operational point of contact to ensure exhibitors are fully prepared and supported ahead of show days.
- Coordinate with the Exhibitor Customer Success and Fulfillment teams to align logistics, floor plans, and onsite requirements.
Airtable & Systems Management
- Serve as the primary owner of Airtable bases used for stage schedules, work orders, vendor tracking, and exhibitor pre-show planning; build and maintain views, forms, and automations that keep the broader team aligned and informed.
Vendor & Cross-Functional Coordination
- Partner with the General Service Contractor, AV, security, and production vendors, as well as internal marketing and content teams, to align on stage builds, BOH logistics, and work order fulfillment.
Budget Support
- Track AV and stage-related costs, flag variances, and coordinate invoicing and approvals with the budget team.
Onsite Leadership
- Serve as the onsite point of contact for AV, stages, and BOH perimeter issues during load-in, show days, and load-out, resolving issues in real time.
Documentation & Process Improvement
- Maintain detailed SOPs, schedules, and trackers, and identify opportunities to streamline the work order and BOH processes year over year.
What We're Looking For
- 8–10+ years of experience in live event production or operations, ideally with large-scale festivals, tradeshows, or multi-stage events.
- Hands-on AV production experience, including staging, audio, video, and lighting coordination.
- Experience managing back of house logistics and perimeter or site security coordination.
- Advanced Airtable experience – comfortable building bases, forms, views, and automations from scratch.
- Experience supporting exhibitor services or pre-show planning processes; familiarity with Map Your Show, EXPOCAD, or a2z is a plus.
- Highly detail oriented with strong organizational, documentation, and process-management skills.
- Strong vendor management skills, with experience negotiating and holding vendors accountable to scope.
- Willingness to travel and work onsite for multi-day event builds, including nights and weekends.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; calm and clear-headed under pressure.
- A genuine passion for sports and live events, and pride in the details that make a show run smoothly.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
- Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.
- A leadership role shaping the most ambitious consumer events in sports & entertainment.
- Opportunities for career growth as the Fanatics Events portfolio expands.
- Access to exclusive sporting events and experiences.
The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation. When determining base pay as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/
Fanatics will never ask candidates for money, banking information, or other sensitive personal information as part of the interview process. If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from Fanatics recruiting, please do not respond and report it here.