Onsite Event Manager

Off the Grid is a dynamic placemaking platform dedicated to activating local businesses and public spaces through unique, community-driven in-person experiences. Operating across the Bay Area, Off the Grid manages over 60 events weekly, including public markets, mobile catering, and bespoke private events. These activations bring together hundreds of local food creators and attract over 100,000 guests each week, transforming ordinary locations into vibrant, engaging hubs that foster connection and community engagement. By combining creativity, culture, and culinary innovation, Off the Grid has established itself as a leader in experiential event production, bridging the gap between local vendors and eager audiences. As a company, Off the Grid prioritizes authenticity, hospitality, and precision in every aspect of its events, ensuring that each activation feels fun and convivial while upholding a high standard of quality and guest experience.

The role of the Onsite Event Manager at Off the Grid is critical in maintaining and elevating these standards. Serving as the field leader and primary brand representative, this position oversees how every activation looks, feels, and operates on the ground. The Onsite Event Manager is responsible for building and managing the team of Onsite Producers, developing systems and protocols that ensure consistency across all markets and catering events, and personally leading the company’s largest and most complex activations. This role blends expertise in event execution, brand experience, staff leadership, and vendor management into a single point of accountability.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned professional with 4 to 6 years of experience in event production, catering operations, or hospitality, including supervision of onsite teams and management of multi-vendor events. You will actively shape the guest experience from start to finish, embodying Off the Grid’s values of warmth, authenticity, and meticulous execution. This includes ensuring all signage, creator placements, and staff presentation are on brand and intentional. You will also collaborate with the creative and marketing teams to translate experiential programming ideas into executable and repeatable onsite plans.

On a practical level, your work will involve managing vendor relationships with staffing platforms, AV providers, entertainment partners, and rental vendors; overseeing the operational needs of multiple venues across the Bay Area; and owning training programs for staff onboarding and development. You will set performance expectations for third-party vendors and ensure quality through regular site checks, immediate feedback, and consistent documentation.

With a full-time, exempt salaried position offered between $70,000 and $80,000 annually, this role demands regular night and weekend work to align with the event schedule. The primary work location is in San Francisco with frequent travel across the Bay Area. Physical demands include standing and walking across event sites for extended periods, lifting equipment up to 50 pounds, and working outdoors under varying weather conditions. The position offers the opportunity to lead highly visible events that are central to the Off the Grid brand, directly impacting community experiences and local business success.

Off the Grid is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring that its team reflects the communities it serves. They encourage applicants from all backgrounds and are an equal opportunity employer. This role offers a unique chance to lead a passionate team within a fast-paced, innovative event company that is changing the way communities come together through food and shared experiences.