General Manager | Full-Time | Santa Clara Convention Center

Oak View Group

Oak View Group is the global leader in venue development, management, and premium hospitality services for the live event industry. Offering an unmatched, 360-degree solution set for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster that includes the most influential, highest attended arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions on the planet.

Overview

The Santa Clara Convention Center General Manager will oversee all Directors and assist with the management, promotion, and operation of the facility in all facets, including operations, sales, marketing, finance, food and beverage, security, IT, production, technology, capital projects, partnerships, special events, community relations, sustainability, branding, and all other related departments within the Convention Center. The General Manager is responsible for shaping the overall culture, direction, coordination, and evaluation of the team and facility. This executive will also be responsible for maximizing the number of events and revenue opportunities at the venue and will work in unison with City of Santa Clara, DMO (Discover Santa Clara) and community stakeholders to maximize the amount of regional and national convention/meeting business which occurs annually at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

This role pays an annual salary of $225,000-$250,000 and is bonus eligible

Benefits for Full-Time roles: Health, Dental and Vision Insurance, 401(k) Savings Plan, 401(k) matching, and Paid Time Off (vacation days, sick days, and 11 holidays)

This position will remain open until October 17, 2025.

Responsibilities

• Maintains active contact and effective working relationships with in-house food and beverage provider (Levy), Contract Administrator, City of Santa Clara Departments, CVB (Discover Santa Clara), Facility Clients, Community Stakeholders, convention/live event industry decision makers, labor unions, and community and civic organizations. 
• Monitors Oak View Group’s compliance with all provisions of the management contract.
• Aggressively promotes the use of the facility with the local destination sales and marketing organization (Discover Santa Clara) to maximize the facilities utilization with high impact events.
• Negotiates contractual agreements as determined necessary and in the best interests of the facility.
• Negotiates lease agreements with meeting planners, third party organizations, event organizers, and promotors.
• Coordinates facility involvement and event hosting with Convention and Visitors Bureau (Discover Santa Clara).
• Assures the coordination, implementation and administration of specific policies and procedures prescribed by OVG corporate directives, to include: matters of training and development; quality assurance; energy efficiency; safety/emergency procedures, crowd control, crisis management procedures, or other areas as needed.
• Develops and implements facility goals in accordance with the management contract, the client’s objectives, corporate policy, and good business practices.
• Prepares and maintains required and necessary reports/records for the Contract Administrator/City of Santa Clara, Board Members, and the OVG Corporate Office.
• Plans, organizes, coordinates and directs all activities and personnel engaged in maintaining and operating the facility.
• Assists and coordinates with the development of the annual operating event calendar, operations schedules, capital improvement plans, and projections for all revenues and expenses.
• Conducts leadership and staff meetings on a consistent basis. 
• Directs the development and administers the execution of facility operating and marketing financial budgets, to include, operating revenue, expense budgets and capital expense plans.
• Maintains daily oversite for all operations and event activity at the Santa Clara Convention Center in collaboration with fellow Oak View Group staff, assuring the successful coordination and execution of all activities.
• Provides final approval of all contracts and agreements with licensees, vendors, suppliers for necessary activities and services at the facility.
• Provides or coordinates for timely and effective response to directives and requests received from internal and external organizations, boards, stakeholders, partners, agencies, departments and individuals; assures and maintains the integrity of the facility and OVG360 in all forms of communication and personal contacts.
• Oversees and advises Human Resources on any necessary revisions/modification to the staffing plans, including number and types of employees, essential functions, salaries, and benefits.
• Assures the administration of p