Lead, Events

Lead, coach and develop a geographically dispersed team of event professionals.

Establish clear priorities, expectations and performance standards.

Allocate team resources based on business impact, event complexity and strategic importance.

Create an inclusive, collaborative and accountable culture.

Build organisational capability through coaching, development planning and succession management.

Establish operating rhythms that support planning, readiness reviews, learning and continuous improvement.

Provide strategic oversight across all stages of event planning and execution.

Ensure excellence in event production, attendee experience, executive engagement and operational delivery.

Develop playbooks, governance models, templates and quality standards that improve consistency and scalability.

Lead readiness reviews for major events and critical programmes.

Ensure risks, dependencies, decision points and contingency plans are clearly understood and managed.

Act as the senior escalation point for high-profile or high-risk events.

Ensure compliance with legal, procurement, privacy, accessibility, health and safety, financial and brand requirements.

Protect Pearson's reputation through strong governance and effective risk management.

Establish clear controls and operational standards across the portfolio.

Manage contractual, financial and operational risks appropriately.

Build trusted relationships with senior leaders across Marketing, Sales, Product, Communications, Finance, Procurement, Legal and Regional Business teams.

Align competing stakeholder requirements into clear priorities and actionable plans.

Lead strategic relationships with agencies, event organisers, suppliers, venues and technology vendors.

Oversee supplier selection, commercial negotiations and performance management.

Provide executive stakeholders with clear recommendations, investment cases and portfolio reporting.

Define and measure success across the events portfolio.

Connect event activity to pipeline creation, customer engagement, partnership development, brand awareness and business growth.

Partner with Sales and Marketing Operations to improve lead capture, attribution and reporting.

Maintain executive dashboards covering portfolio performance, investment effectiveness, capacity planning and risk management.

Drive ongoing improvements in efficiency, attendee experience, supplier performance and event ROI.

Champion event technology, automation and data-driven decision making.

Events play a critical role in how Pearson engages customers, learners, educators, partners and industry leaders around the world.

This role is responsible for ensuring event investments deliver meaningful business outcomes, strengthen customer relationships and elevate Pearson's position as a trusted leader within education and learning.

The successful candidate will shape a world-class events capability that delivers strategic value through disciplined planning, exceptional execution and measurable impact.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR Essential Experience

Significant senior leadership experience managing complex corporate, B2B or enterprise events portfolios across multiple regions.

Proven experience leading and developing event teams.

Strong track record of translating business strategy into prioritised event programmes and measurable outcomes.

Extensive experience managing conferences, exhibitions, sponsorships, executive programmes, customer events and partner activations.

Experience operating within global, matrixed organisations.

Strong stakeholder management and influencing capability at senior levels.

Demonstrated success managing budgets, resources, suppliers and commercial investment decisions.

Direct experience delivering event programmes across both US and UK markets.

Experience within Higher Education, Education Technology, SaaS or global corporate environments.

Familiarity with event technology platforms, automation tools and audience engagement solutions.

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Event Management or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS Live Our Purpose

Connect every event investment to meaningful customer, learner, partner and business outcomes.

Create an inclusive environment built on trust, accountability, collaboration and respect across teams, markets and cultures.

Turn diverse priorities, competing demands and operational challenges into clear decisions, practical plans and visible ownership.

Maintain high standards, make evidence-based decisions and deliver predictable outcomes without compromising quality or integrity.

Set direction, empower teams, coach for growth and create conditions that enable people to perform at their best.

At Pearson, we're committed to helping learners realise the life they imagine through learning.

This is an opportunity to shape one of Pearson's most visible global capabilities, influencing how we engage customers, partners and industry stakeholders around the world.

You'll lead a talented team, manage a high-profile international portfolio and drive measurable business impact through strategic event experiences that strengthen relationships, build brand credibility and support growth across the organisation.

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.

Job: Marketing

Job Family: GO_TO_MARKET

Organization: Corporate Marketing & Communications