Sr. Manager, Events - Houston in Houston, Texas at Greentown Labs

About Greentown Labs

Greentown Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit accelerating climatetech innovation for the planet, people, and prosperity. As the world’s largest climatetech and energy startup incubator, Greentown catalyzes ecosystems to provide entrepreneurs mission-critical access to labs, equipment, customers, capital, talent, community, and resources for business and leadership growth. Greentown is home to more than 250 startups and has supported more than 675 since its founding in 2011; these startups, with a survival rate of 88 percent, have collectively created more than 16,600 jobs and raised more than $12.5B in funding. We are entering a new phase of growth—strengthening our platform, expanding globally, and building more structured, scalable ways to serve our two core customer bases: startups and corporate partners. For more information, visit www.greentownlabs.com or follow Greentown on LinkedIn.

Position Overview

Greentown Labs is seeking a strategic, hands-on Sr. Manager, Events to own the strategy and execution of our Houston event portfolio. Reporting to the Director of Strategic Programs and Events, this role leads the planning and delivery of all Houston-based programming — including the annual Climate Tech Summit, member-facing events, pitch days, ecosystem conferences, third-party rentals, tours and executive engagements.

You’ll bring a portfolio-level lens to our Houston events: setting strategy and KPIs, owning budgets and vendor relationships, and partnering across Houston and Boston to make sure our Houston presence reflects the ambition of Greentown’s mission. You’ll also own our Houston site-level social media (Instagram) and serve as our on-the-ground content lead, surfacing the moments worth amplifying across our member community.

This is a role for an operator who has run large-scale events end-to-end, who can move between strategic planning and on-the-ground execution without missing a beat, and who is energized by working in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

What you'll do

Event Strategy & Portfolio Management

Own the Houston event strategy, calendar, and KPIs — from member mixers and pitch days to large-scale climatetech summits and executive engagementsLead end-to-end planning and execution of the annual Climatetech Summit, including speaker outreach, sponsorship logistics, volunteer coordination, and on-site operationsOwn budget development and tracking across the Houston event portfolio; negotiate vendor contracts and identify opportunities to drive cost efficiency without compromising on qualityDevelop post-event reporting and continuous-improvement loops — what worked, what didn’t, and what to standardize across the portfolio

Event Operations & Execution

Serve as the senior operational lead for all Houston events and tours — public programming, member-hosted events, and third-party rentals — owning the full lifecycle from intake to wrap-upDirect venue, vendor, catering, AV, and run-of-show coordination using Greentown’s Asana event templates; level up the templates where the system can carry more weightManage event registration, check-in, and data integrity on Greentown’s Luma platformEvaluate inbound third-party event requests and ensure every hosted event is mission-aligned with Greentown’s climatetech focusTrack event KPIs — attendance and registration rate, attendee satisfaction, social impressions and engagement, budget adherence, on-time program execution — and report quarterly to leadership

Social Media & Brand Storytelling — Houston

Own Greentown Labs Houston’s site-level Instagram: strategy, content calendar, posting cadence, voice, and community engagementLead pre-event buzz, live coverage, and post-event content; produce photo and video on the ground at events and contribute to HQ LinkedIn coverageSurface moments worth amplifying across our member community — bring an editorial eye to the day-to-dayPartner with the Marketing & Communications team in Boston to align voice, brand, and cross-channel storytelling

Conferences, Speakers, & Ecosystem Engagement

Direct Greentown’s participation and presence in external conferences and ecosystem events — booth coordination, registration, team briefings, and executive prepManage end-to-end speaker and panelist support for events Greentown hosts or participates in: logistics, materials, A/V requirements, run-of-show, and on-site green room operationsCoordinate executive speaking engagement preparation and follow-up across the Houston leadership team

Cross-Site Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

Partner with Boston-based events and marketing colleagues to build a coherent Greentown event experience across both sitesDevelop the Houston event ops playbook — repeatable processes, templates, and standards that scale with our teamMentor and direct future hires or contractors as the Houston events team grows

Who You Are

You are a seasoned events operator who can hold strategy and execution at the same time. You are mission-driven, calm under pressure, and energized by being in the room. You are:

A strategic thinker who can also execute — comfortable building the plan and running the day-of with equal precisionA confident communicator across audiences — startups, corporates, executives, sponsors, vendors, and internal teammates — and a strong written and verbal voice for the Greentown brandCalm and resourceful under pressure — pivots quickly when plans break, makes fast calls without complete information, and runs the post-mortem afterwardA scrappy operator with a bias toward action — you see a wall and look for the way around it, treating resource constraints as a creative input rather than a blockerComfortable being visible — confident in groups, energized by full-time in-person presence, and a natural ambassador for our member communityA systems thinker who builds processes that last — leveraging templates, dashboards, and playbooks to make the team more effective over timeGenuinely interested in the climatetech ecosystem and the work our members are doing, with a real eagerness to learn the stories driving the energy transition

Qualifications

Experience: 5–7+ years of progressive event management experience, including end-to-end ownership of large-scale conferences, summits, or multi-day events with $35K+ budgetsEducation: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; concentrations in Marketing, Communications, Event Management, or a related field a plusLeadership: Demonstrated track record of leading event strategy, managing vendors and sponsors at scale, and influencing across cross-functional teamsCommunication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to represent the organization to senior internal and external stakeholdersOrganization: Strong project management and organizational skills; fluent with tools like Asana for project tracking, LUMA (or similar) for registration, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite, and Canva or Adobe for content productionSocial Media: Demonstrated experience owning a brand-level social channel — strategy, content calendar, and execution — with familiarity in tools like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or similarAnalytics: Experience with event analytics, NPS reporting, dashboards, and translating event data into actionable insights for leadershipIn-Person: Comfort with full-time in-person presence at our Houston location, including evening availability to support events

Preferred: Familiarity with the climatetech, energy, or built-environment ecosystem; CMP or related event management certification; experience with Salesforce or comparable CRM; photo / video coordination at live events

What Success Looks Like

In your first 6–12 months, you will have:

Owned and delivered the 2026 Climate Tech Summit — speakers, sponsors, volunteers, run-of-show, and on-site operations — to measurable outcomes against attendance, satisfaction, and revenue targetsEstablished the Houston event ops playbook: repeatable processes, vendor relationships, and standards that scale with the teamBuilt Greentown Labs Houston’s Instagram into a credible, engaging channel — one that members want to be featured on and that our partners look to for what’s happening in HoustonSet a quarterly KPI rhythm for the Houston event portfolio and delivered the first set of reports to leadershipForged effective working relationships with Boston-based events and marketing colleagues and become the recognized owner of the Houston event experience

General Physical Demands

Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request to enable candidates to perform the essential functions of the position.

Communication: Regularly required to communicate with others in person, via phone, and virtually/electronicallyStationary Work: Prolonged periods working on a computerMobility: Regularly moving around the office to interact with colleagues, access files, and attend meetingsPhysical Demands: Lifting and carrying up to 25 lbs.

Additional Considerations

Travel: Occasional travel may be required to attend off-site events or conferences.Late Hours: Evening work will be necessary for some events.

Work Location and Schedule

Greentown staff generally operate on a hybrid schedule, with expectations to be on-site at Greentown’s incubator in Somerville, MA at least three days per week, with the option to work remotely two days per week. Occasional evening work will be expected to support and capture content at events. Our standard business hours are 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Compensation and Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits packageBe a part of a dynamic and growing organization committed to making a positive impact on the worldWork in a collaborative and supportive environment with opportunities for professional developmentEmployees may be eligible for incentive compensation at year-end; incentive compensation is tied to organizational performance and individual performance

Equal Opportunity Statement

Greentown Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, pregnancy, status as a veteran, genetic information, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Greentown Labs seeks to fully represent our community and constituencies—particularly low-income communities and communities of color—to amplify those voices and provide opportunities to participate in the direction and leadership of the organization. We actively encourage candidates from broad, diverse backgrounds to apply.

Accommodations: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), Greentown Labs will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. To request an accommodation during the application process, please contact hr@greentownlabs.com.

At-will Employment

This job description is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract of employment for any specific duration. Employment with Greentown Labs is at-will, meaning that the employment relationship can be terminated by the employee or the Company at any time, for any reason, with or without notice.

The pay range for this role is:80,000 - 90,000 USD per year(Houston, TX)