Events & Exhibitions Manager, Northern & Central Europe

About the Role

As Events & Exhibitions Manager, you will be responsible for planning, managing, and executing a portfolio of events and smaller exhibitions across Northern & Central Europe, except Romania.

You will work closely with business leaders, country teams, marketing and communications colleagues, and external partners to deliver professional, engaging, and strategically aligned events that strengthen Thales' market presence and customer relationships.

This role combines strategic planning with hands-on execution and requires excellent project management, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills.

Key Responsibilities

Events & Exhibitions Strategy

• Develop and implement an annual regional events and exhibitions strategy aligned with business priorities.
• Identify and recommend participation in key defence, security, aerospace, and cybersecurity exhibitions, conferences, and industry forums.
• Manage the regional events calendar and coordinate activities across multiple countries and business lines.
• Ensure all event activities support Thales' brand positioning, business objectives, and customer engagement goals.

Event Planning & Execution

• Lead the end-to-end planning and delivery of events, including exhibitions, customer events, executive roundtables, partner events, conferences, and trade shows.
• Manage event logistics, venue coordination, registrations, travel arrangements, catering, production, and on-site execution.
• Coordinate exhibition stand design, messaging, content, branding, demonstrations, and customer hospitality activities.
• Support speaking engagements, leadership participation, and executive hosting programs.

Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate closely with country teams, business development, strategy & marketing, leadership teams across the region and liaising closely with the Thales Communications Family in the Group.
• Build strong relationships with industry associations, event organizers and key suppliers.
• Provide guidance and support to local teams organizing customer and partnership events.

Budget & Supplier Management

• Manage event budgets and ensure cost-effective delivery without compromising quality.
• Negotiate with venues, agencies, stand builders, production partners, and other suppliers.
• Monitor event expenditures and report on budget performance.

Communications & Marketing Integration

• Support the creation of event-related communications materials and messaging.

Your Profile

Required Experience

• 3-5 years of experience managing events, exhibitions, conferences, or customer engagement events in an international environment.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering complex, multi-stakeholder events.
• Experience working across multiple countries and cultures.
• Background in B2B industries such as defence, aerospace, security, technology, cybersecurity, telecommunications, or related sectors is highly desirable.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Branding & Design skills for event booths acc to Thales Brand guidelines
• Excellent stakeholder management and interpersonal abilities.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Commercial awareness and customer-focused mindset.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across international teams.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and evolving environment.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Event Management, Business, or a related field.
• Professional certifications in event management or project management are an advantage.

What We Offer

• A unique opportunity to build and shape a newly established regional role.
• Exposure to senior leadership, customers, government stakeholders, and industry partners across 27 countries.
• A collaborative international environment within a global technology leader.
• The opportunity to contribute to projects that support national security, defence, and critical infrastructure.
• Professional growth and development within a world-leading organization operating at the forefront of innovation.

Travel

This role involves regular international travel across Northern & Central Europe to support exhibitions, customer events, partner engagements, and internal business activities.

At Thales, we’re committed to fostering a workplace where respect, trust, collaboration, and passion drive everything we do. Here, you’ll feel empowered to bring your best self, thrive in a supportive culture, and love the work you do. Join us, and be part of a team reimagining technology to create solutions that truly make a difference – for a safer, greener, and more inclusive world.

Thales is a global technology leader trusted by governments, institutions, and enterprises to tackle their most demanding challenges. From quantum applications and artificial intelligence to cybersecurity and 6G innovation, our solutions empower critical decisions rooted in human intelligence. Operating at the forefront of defence and security, aerospace and space, cybersecurity and digital identity, we’re driven by a mission to build a future we can all trust.

In Romania, we are advancing innovation through software engineering, research and development, delivering solutions in key markets in which Thales Group operates. Our engineers design, develop and integrate solutions that impact global industries – from fully operational systems and subsystems for naval warfare and maritime security operations, to air traffic management systems, satellite-based solutions, tactical indoor simulations, identity and biometric technologies and more.