Work Location Type: Hybrid  

Req Number  327124

This position is not eligible for any form of sponsorship now or in the future. Individuals requiring sponsorship (e.g. OPT or H1B visa status) should not apply. Only individuals authorized to work in the United States now and for the foreseeable future will be considered for this position.


About Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc., is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working® by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with products and solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. Known for its commitment to service and award-winning culture, the Company had 2024 revenue of $17.2 billion across its two business models. In the High-Touch Solutions segment, Grainger offers approximately 2 million maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and services, including technical support and inventory management. In the Endless Assortment segment, Zoro.com offers customers access to more than 14 million products, and MonotaRO.com offers more than 24 million products. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.  

Compensation

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $95,000.00  to $158,400.00.

Rewards and Benefits

With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

For additional information and details regarding Grainger’s benefits, please click on the link below:

https://experience100.ehr.com/grainger/Home/Tools-Resources/Key-Resources/New-Hire

The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation.  The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.   

The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above. 

Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.

Position Details

The Manager, Events is responsible for leading a team of event planners and overseeing the end-to-end planning and execution of corporate events that align with organizational goals. This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on event management, ensuring exceptional experiences for internal and external stakeholders. You will drive operational excellence, manage budgets, and foster team development while delivering high-impact events that support business objectives. This position is located at our Lake Forest, IL Corporate HQ. Working 3 days per week in the office is required.

You Will

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of corporate Event Planners. Conduct regular performance reviews, provide constructive feedback, and identify professional development opportunities to enhance team skills and talent
• Directly plan and execute events or workstreams as assigned, supporting meeting strategies across a portfolio of events with varying size, and goals, providing expertise and industry best practice to maximize value (cost savings, return on investment, attendee satisfaction etc.)
• Partner with event team members to plan and execute components of events such as managing budgets, registering events, negotiating with vendor on travel and accommodations, food and beverage, audio visual and transportation, while creating unique experiences.
• Develop and maintain relationships with Business Partners and other cross functional teams.
• Communicate with stakeholder event progress, budget and post event follow-up and reconciliation.
• Support the leadership team’s strategic direction and operational implementation opportunities by translating organizational goals into actionable event strategies and process improvements.
• Support strategic direction and operational implementation, as designed by Event Team leadership.
• Oversee the allocation of resources and event assignments across the team, ensuring balanced workloads and successful execution of all planned events.
• Develop, document, and implement standardized processes, templates, and best practices for event planning, budgeting, vendor management, and post-event analysis across the entire team independently or in partnership with event leadership team
• Oversee events budget and planner dashboards to ensure events are coming in at or under budget and planning aligns with agreed upon timelines.

You Have

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience in marketing, Communication, or Business Administration. required
• 5+ years of experience planning events in a corporate setting and previous people management experience required
• Experience leading and developing event planning teams by setting expectations, providing feedback, and maintaining a collaborative structure.
• Experience managing multiple events simultaneously, including timelines, budgets, and cross-functional coordination.
• Experience building relationships with internal stakeholders and external vendors while negotiating terms and addressing contractual risks.
• Experience implementing new technologies, creative formats to enhance event experience, and managing logistics such as transportation, accommodations, and security for large-scale events.
• Experience using data and metrics to measure event performance, guiding future planning, and presenting proposals and post-event analyses to senior leadership.
• Up to 30% travel required

 We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one’s employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.

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