South by Southwest (SXSW) is a world-renowned celebration of the convergence of technology, film, music, education, and culture. Every March, innovators from around the globe gather in Austin, Texas, for our conferences, festivals, exhibitions, and networking opportunities. Our team works year-round to create an unforgettable experience for hundreds of thousands of attendees.
Job Purpose
The Vice President of Logistics will oversee the planning, execution, and operations for all SXSW event logistics. This leader manages five core departments: Event Operations, Registration & Housing, Production, Planning, and Government Affairs. They will ensure these departments operate in alignment to deliver seamless, world-class events.
This role requires balancing high-level strategy with hands-on operational oversight, driving efficiency, innovation, and exceptional attendee and partner experiences. We are looking for a leader who is exceptional at collaboration, both inside and outside the company. It is ideal for a senior event operations leader with a proven track record in large-scale, complex multi-venue events who thrives in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment.
Duties & Responsibilities
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Strategic & Operational Leadership
- Partner with the executive leadership team to develop short- and long-term operational strategies that support SXSW’s mission and growth.
- Lead annual planning cycles, ensuring all logistics departments align on timelines, milestones, and priorities.
- Collaborate with department heads and the CFO to develop and manage budgets that meet fiscal goals while maintaining quality standards.
Event Logistics Oversight
- Direct all logistical operations for SXSW events, from venue contracting to vendor management, housing, staffing, and credentialing.
- Ensure vendor and partner relationships meet performance, quality, and compliance standards while optimizing for cost and service excellence.
- Support negotiations with venues, hotels, and service providers to secure favorable terms and conditions.
Team & Department Leadership
- Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team across five departments, fostering collaboration and professional growth.
- Promote operational efficiencies and process improvements year-round.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for logistics issues during both planning and execution phases.
On-Site Responsibilities
- Lead on-the-ground logistics operations during SXSW, ensuring smooth execution and rapid problem-solving.
- Maintain strong relationships with internal teams, government officials, and external stakeholders during the event.
Direct Reports
- Logistic Department Heads
Qualifications Include
Qualifications & Skills
- 10+ years in large-scale event logistics, with a minimum of five years at the management level.
- Proven experience delivering city-wide or multi-venue events involving 50,000+ attendees.
- Demonstrated expertise in vendor management, budget ownership, and production timelines.
- Strong production and technical logistics background.
- Skilled in interfacing with city departments, permitting offices, fire marshals, public safety, and elected officials.
- Ideally, experience with recurring festivals, conferences, or large-scale touring environments.
- Ability to multitask, be agile, and adapt to evolving deadlines and priorities
- Familiarity with Meetingmax, Social Tables, and/or CAD software, Airtable, GSuite, and FileMaker
- Knowledge of industries represented at the SXSW and a passion for working with the creative community.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully:
- Prolonged periods of sitting or standing at a desk and working on a computer.
- Ability to lift to 15+ pounds occasionally, as needed.
- Manual dexterity to operate standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, etc.
- May require occasional bending, reaching, kneeling, or climbing stairs.
- Ability to work outdoors, including exposure to varying temperatures or noise levels.
- This is a high-stress position in a high-stress environment.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Work Location & Schedule
The position is full-time and located in Austin, Texas. Core business office hours are from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday. You must be available to work additional hours from January through March, including evenings and weekends. You must also be available for the March event, which will have extended working hours on-site.
