Director, Special Events & Strategic Sourcing

Join a team of proud, passionate, and caring people that together share their diverse talents and backgrounds to serve our members and grow the game of golf. Being at the PGA of America means you are supported, respected, and appreciated for your contributions.

The Director of Special Events & Strategic Sourcing leads long-range strategic sourcing, procurement, and contract negotiations for hotel accommodations, meeting venues, and food and beverage programs across all premier Championships and Association initiatives. This role oversees third-party vendor relationships, manages event budgets, and ensures financial stewardship and legal protection for major events, including the PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, Board of Directors meetings, Annual Meetings, governance meetings, executive leadership events, PGA REACH functions, and other Association initiatives. Additionally, the position drives operational excellence, establishes procurement best practices, and directs the planning and execution of executive and Association special events.

RESPONSIBILITIES (Specific areas of responsibility include but are not limited to):

Strategic Sourcing & Long-Range Planning

Lead the multi-year planning cycle, securing hotel room blocks, meeting spaces, event venues, and key supplier relationships up to three to five in advance of Championships and Association events. 

Continually monitor hospitality industry trends, market compression cycles, and market fluctuations to identify risks and leverage negotiation opportunities early.

Lead destination research, hotel evaluations, venue assessments, and site inspections to identify facilities that best support the operational and strategic needs of the PGA of America.

Contractual Engagements & Financial Stewardship

Direct sourcing, RFP development, evaluation, negotiation, and execution of hotel agreements, all master service agreements, venue contracts, catering agreements, and other event related vendor contracts.

Negotiate contracts that protect the PGA of America from attrition, cancellation, force majeure while maximizing concessions,  rebates and value added services.

Develop and manage multi million dollar event budgets, forecasting future costs while ensuring procurement decisions maximize return on investment and operational efficiency.

Special Events Planning & Association Event Management

Serve as the strategic lead for planning and executing Association events, including Board of Directors meetings, the Annual Meeting, PGA REACH events, executive leadership and governance meetings, officer functions, awards events, VIP receptions, and internal conferences and retreats.

Develop comprehensive event plans including timelines, logistics, staffing, transportation, décor, entertainment, audiovisual production, registration, signage, and overall guest experience.

Establish operational standards and best practices to ensure consistency across all Association events regardless of location.

Food & Beverage Strategy

Develop comprehensive food & beverage strategies supporting Association meetings, executive functions, and special events.

Collaborate with hotels, venues, caterers, and culinary partners to develop menus, banquet service plans, beverage programs, and hospitality experiences that reflect the PGA of America's standards.

Oversee banquet guarantees, menu pricing, catering negotiations, service standards, and budget performance.

Identify innovative culinary experiences that enhance executive and member engagement while maintaining financial discipline.

Vendor & Strategic Partner Management

Develop and maintain long-term relationships with preferred hotel brands, convention centers, destination marketing organizations, destination management companies, transportation providers, audiovisual firms, entertainment partners, production companies, rental suppliers, registration vendors, and other strategic event partners.

Evaluate vendor performance through measurable service standards while identifying opportunities for increased efficiencies, innovation, and cost savings.

Maintain preferred supplier programs that create long-term value for the Association.

Executive & VIP Experience

Develop a thorough understanding of the expectations of PGA Officers, Board Members, Executive Leadership, PGA REACH donors, Championship leadership, players, sponsors, international guests, and member volunteers.

Serve as the Association's hospitality advisor for executive meetings and special events, ensuring every experience reflects the professionalism and brand standards of the PGA of America.

Oversee executive accommodations, VIP logistics, transportation coordination, and personalized service strategies.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner closely with Championship Directors, Finance, Legal, Marketing, Communications, Player Services, Volunteer Operations, Corporate Partnerships, Ticketing, and Executive Leadership to ensure all procurement and event strategies support organizational priorities.

Provide strategic guidance during championship planning related to Association functions and executive events conducted alongside PGA Championships and Ryder Cups.

Operational Excellence & Risk Management

Develop contingency plans for lodging, transportation, food & beverage, venue operations, and other critical event services.

Lead operational response during unexpected disruptions including weather, vendor issues, hotel challenges, transportation delays, and other event-related risks.

Continuously evaluate processes and implement improvements that increase efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the Association event experience.

Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management

Recruit, mentor, and develop a high performing team responsible for strategic sourcing, special event planning, and Association meeting execution while  fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation and continuous improvement.

Develop a deep understanding of the diverse clientele, ranging from PGA Executives, Board Members, and PGA REACH donors to players, and various sponsors, tailoring housing strategies to meet their distinct expectations.

Manage housing bureaus, registration providers, destination management companies and other event partners to ensure seamless execution and exceptional service delivery.

INCLUSION:

Employees are expected to contribute to a respectful and inclusive team environment by welcoming and respecting others’ beliefs, backgrounds, identities, abilities, and individuality to help ensure a supportive and engaging experience for Association Members, partners, customers, and guests. PGA of America respects the uniqueness of each employee and offers everyone the means to find their place and thrive. 

SHARED VALUES:

Embody the organization's shared values and help ensure the organization's values-based culture thrives by proactively identifying and addressing any shared values challenges and opportunities impacting you and your team.  Keep Leadership aware of the pulse of the workforce; recognizing, discussing, and addressing any cultural concerns.

SUPERVISION:

This is a supervisory position responsible for the performance management and hiring of employees within the department.  

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:

Responsible for preparation and oversight of the Department budget and for monitoring results.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience preferred. 

Eight years of progressive leadership experience in strategic sourcing, hospitality management, corporate events, luxury hotel sales, meeting planning, or corporate procurement, with a focus on large-scale, citywide events and major sporting championships. Proven ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams.

Four years team management experience.

Extensive knowledge of hotel contract law, attrition clauses, food and beverage agreements, venue contracts, and complex corporate or association negotiations.

Demonstrated experience managing multimillion-dollar event budgets, analyzing financial data, forecasting long-term costs, identifying savings opportunities, and ensuring all contractual obligations are met.

Experience in developing standard operating procedures, planning templates, and negotiation guidelines to support consistent and efficient event execution.

Travel and hospitality experience required.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

Must have thorough knowledge of administrative principles and procedures with the ability to work on various projects and programs as assigned.  A knowledge of the organization's functions of a business operation.  Skills in planning and organizing.  Ability to understand legal and contractual terminology as it pertains to event contracting. Ability to gather information, analyze data, and provide recommendations.  Ability to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information with the highest level of integrity. Must have working knowledge of Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Google Docs. Basic fluency in artificial intelligence (AI) tools and concepts. This includes using AI to enhance business operations and drive innovation, enabling us to better serve our Members and stakeholders.

Ability to travel up to 25%.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

The PGA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, veteran status, gender identity or expression, marital or familial status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, to ensure full equality of opportunity in all operations and activities of the organization, every staff member employed by the PGA shall be selected under fair employment procedures that provide equal employment opportunities to all people.

This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

PGA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, veteran status, gender identity or expression, marital or familial status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, to ensure full equality of opportunity in all operations and activities of the organization, every staff member employed by the PGA shall be selected under fair employment procedures that provide equal employment opportunities to all people. DFWP.