Event Production Manager

Off the Grid is a dynamic placemaking platform based in the San Francisco Bay Area, dedicated to activating local businesses and public spaces through unique and engaging in-person experiences. Operating dozens of events weekly across various Bay Area locations, Off the Grid connects communities by showcasing hundreds of local food creators and welcoming over 100,000 guests every week. These events range from vibrant public markets and corporate catering to bespoke large-scale conferences and gatherings, making every activated space a hub for community connection and cultural engagement.

The Event Production Manager at Off the Grid plays a pivotal leadership role within the Event Operations department, reporting directly to the Head of Operations. This full-time, exempt salaried position offers a competitive annual compensation ranging from $105,000 to $115,000. Based primarily in San Francisco, the role involves regular travel across the Bay Area to ensure seamless event execution.

This role is fundamentally about transforming vision into reality. The Event Production Manager is the architect of the OTG experience and embodies the philosophy that hospitality is a gift offered proactively rather than reactively. They collaborate closely with the Onsite Event Manager, who oversees execution on the ground, while the Event Production Manager focuses on upstream responsibilities such as vision setting, curation, establishing standards, and developing detailed event-ready plans.

Responsibilities encompass designing unique event experiences that align with client expectations and the company’s creative goals, curating and onboarding food creators and vendors, and maintaining strong relationships with venue partners. A major component of this role is producing and managing operational documents, including Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) for private events and Public Event Playbooks for markets, ensuring accuracy and practical applicability through collaborative handoffs to onsite teams.

The ideal candidate is an experienced professional in event production, catering operations, or hospitality who demonstrates exceptional taste, judgment, and organizational skills. They are adept at building scalable systems and processes that ensure event excellence is repeatable and consistently aligns with Off the Grid’s brand promise. Their work impacts not only public events but also large corporate and private engagements across multiple venues.

The Event Production Manager leads a team of Catering Event Producers, offering mentorship, performance management, and training to optimize workload distribution and enhance team capabilities. They also own vendor sourcing and contracting, navigating engagements with staffing platforms, AV companies, décor providers, and entertainment partners to secure high-quality resources while monitoring vendor performance to adjust sourcing strategies as needed.

This position demands a methodical approach to systems thinking and documentation, ensuring that operational protocols are accessible, transparent, and adhered to by all stakeholders. The role requires a strong communicator who can confidently and warmly engage with clients, venue managers, vendors, creators, and internal teams.

Physical demands of the role include periods standing and walking at event sites, occasional lifting of equipment up to 25 pounds, and working outdoors in varying weather conditions. Off the Grid values inclusivity and is committed to building a diverse team reflective of the communities they serve, ensuring equal opportunity for all applicants. Overall, the Event Production Manager role is critical to Off the Grid’s mission of turning vibrant ideas into tangible, memorable events that bring people together across the Bay Area.