Have you ever heard of Glühwein/Mulled Wine, a Christmas Pyramid, or a Schwibbogen? Then you've probably heard of the Seattle Christmas Market! Our traditional German-style Christmas Market at the Seattle Center next to the Space Needle runs from November through December 2026, but the work starts now! The Market features traditional European food and merchandise, entertainment, and experiences designed to spread Christmas cheer in our community and beyond. If you are looking for a diverse workplace in a growing company and love creating experiences for the community, we want you to become part of the Seattle Christmas Market team! The Role We are looking for an exceptionally organized, energetic, and hands-on Special Events & Market Programming Manager to oversee the programming and key guest experience touchpoints that bring the Seattle Christmas Market to life. This role sits at the centre of the Market's day-to-day guest experience. You will manage daily entertainment and programming, special events, guest activations, Brand Ambassadors, onsite signage, and related budgets and administration . From building schedules and coordinating performers before they arrive to running special events, managing Brand Ambassadors, communicating last-minute changes, and troubleshooting onsite, this role requires someone who can confidently manage a large number of moving pieces at once. The ideal candidate is extremely organized, detail-oriented, proactive, outgoing, and calm under pressure . You should love events, enjoy working with people, and naturally notice when something is missing and take ownership of fixing it.

Reporting To:

VP, Marketing & Guest Experience Roles & ResponsibilitiesMarket Programming & Entertainment Own the day-to-day execution of the Market's entertainment and programming schedule, including performers, roaming acts, DJs, hosts, workshops, Santa programming, and other scheduled activities. Coordinate performer communication, schedules, arrival and access information, technical requirements, onsite check-in, and other programming needs. Maintain an accurate master programming calendar and manage last-minute changes, cancellations, and replacements. Keep internal teams informed of daily programming and ensure performer invoices and payment information are submitted correctly and on time. Special Events & Guest Activations Lead the planning and onsite execution of special events, themed nights, workshops, promotional and media events, partner activations, and other Market programming. Create event schedules, run-of-shows, checklists, and operational plans and coordinate requirements across internal departments, vendors, entertainment, and external partners. Ensure event and activation spaces are properly prepared, stocked, signed, staffed, and guest-ready. Monitor events and guest activations onsite, resolve issues quickly, and identify opportunities to improve the guest experience throughout the season. Brand Ambassador Team Manage, schedule, train, and provide day-to-day direction to the Market's Brand Ambassador team. Ensure appropriate staffing coverage based on Market hours, programming, special events, and guest volumes. Manage attendance, breaks, call-outs, shift changes, and changing coverage requirements. Provide ongoing coaching and feedback and work with FOH and management to ensure staffing resources are used effectively. Signage & Onsite Communication Coordinate guest-facing signage for programming, events, activations, schedules, wayfinding, and temporary Market updates. Ensure signage is accurate, professional, installed in the correct locations, and updated when information changes. Maintain organized signage inventory and coordinate last-minute signage requirements with Marketing and Operations. Budget, Administration & Daily Readiness Track programming, entertainment, special event, activation, staffing, supply, and related guest experience expenses against approved budgets. Maintain organized records for contracts, invoices, schedules, contacts, bookings, supplies, and event documentation. Conduct pre-opening checks and ensure programming and activation areas have the staffing, equipment, supplies, signage, and materials required. Communicate daily priorities, staffing and schedule changes, and operational issues to relevant departments. Respond quickly and calmly to weather changes, cancellations, staffing issues, technical challenges, and other unexpected situations. Provide regular updates to management and support post-season reconciliation and review. The Ideal Candidate You are someone who: Is exceptionally organized and genuinely enjoys keeping track of a lot of moving pieces. Takes ownership and follows projects through from planning to completion. Notices small details and catches problems before someone else has to point them out. Can confidently manage schedules, people, events, budgets, and changing priorities. Communicates clearly and professionally with performers, partners, vendors, staff, and management. Is comfortable leading a team, making decisions, and solving problems independently. Remains calm, professional, and solutions-focused when plans change. Is outgoing, approachable, and enjoys working with people. Thrives in a fast-moving live event environment where no two days are exactly the same. Is comfortable spending significant time onsite and outdoors during the winter Market season. Qualifications Previous experience in event management, festival programming, entertainment coordination, hospitality, guest experience, or a similar role. Experience independently managing events or programs from planning through onsite execution. Previous experience supervising staff and building schedules is strongly preferred. Strong organizational, scheduling, budget tracking, and project management skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail. Confident working with performers, vendors, contractors, partners, and large operational teams. Comfortable using spreadsheets, calendars, project management tools, and shared documents. Ability to work independently while collaborating across multiple departments. Ability to work in a fast-paced outdoor winter environment. Flexible availability throughout the Market season, including evenings, weekends, and holidays . Experience with large-scale festivals, attractions, hospitality, entertainment, or live events is considered a strong asset.

Salary:

$65,000-$75,000 per annum, pro-rated for the contract term and paid biweekly. How to Apply Please apply with your

RESUME AND COVER LETTER HIGHLIGHTING YOUR RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

- Only resumes with cover letters will be considered. Thank You!

Job Type:

Full-time Pay:

$70,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year Application Question(s): Do you have at least 2 years of professional experience in event management, festival programming, entertainment coordination, hospitality, or guest experience? Have you independently managed an event, program, or activation from planning through onsite execution? Do you have experience supervising staff, including creating schedules, assigning responsibilities, and managing changing staffing needs? Are you available to work onsite throughout the Market season, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and outdoors in winter weather? Did you read this job posting all the way through to understand how to properly apply for this role?

Work Location:

In person