About the role

We’re looking for a Project Manager (events and programme design) to oversee KIC’s high-profile European and international events. These range from policy conferences and stakeholder forums to dissemination summits.

You’ll manage the full programme lifecycle - form design to delivery. This involves developing themes, selecting speakers, coordinating partners, suppliers, and managing budgets. You also oversee venue logistics and on-site delivery.

This role is both strategic and operational. We need a confident organiser who combines creative programme thinking with rigorous project management - someone who can hold a room of 200 policy experts while making sure every session earns its place.

Beyond individual events, you’ll help shape KIC’s wider events portfolio. You’ll work closely with project managers and leadership to ensure each event meets project goals and strengthens KIC’s position in European education and digital policy networks.

Skills requirements

We hire based on what you can do, not on your CV alone. You don’t need to meet every requirement perfectly. Tell us where your strengths lie and where you’d like to grow.

Skills we are looking for:

Programme design and curation. You can shape a conference from a blank page. You can define thematic tracks, identify the right mix of expert voices and build a programme that keeps a policy audience engaged throughout a full-day or multi-day event.
Expert and speaker coordination. Youcan identify, approach and manage senior experts, researchers and policymakers as speakers or panellists. You can brief them clearly, manage expectations and help them contribute effectively before and during the event.
Event project management. You turn a complex programme into clear milestones, responsibilities and deadlines. You can coordinate logistics, anticipate risks and maintain quality under pressure.
Budget and supplier management. You develop and manage an event budget, negotiate with venues and suppliers, and oversee invoicing and reporting. Where relevant, you can work in line with EU funding requirements.
Team leadership. You can coordinate junior colleagues and external contractors working across event workstreams. You set clear priorities and keep delivery on track.
Partner and sponsorship engagement. You can identify suitable project, institutional and external partners. You’ll learn to create compelling partnership offers and take them through to agreement.
European policy and ecosystem awareness. You already understand - or can quickly pick-up - EU education, skills and digital policy.

Eligibility requirements

To be considered, you'll need:

The right to work in the EU or an EU candidate country.
Fluent English, with the ability to write and present professionally. Additional European languages are an advantage.
A bachelor’s degree.
A track record of leading or co-leading at least two large-scale events with more than 100 attendees, from initial concept through to delivery.

Working arrangements

The role is based in Ljubljana and offers hybrid working, with the option to work from home for part of the week. Regular travel to event venues across Europe will be required. We may also consider exceptional candidates for fully remote work.

The initial contract runs two years, fixed-term, with a six-month probation period. Renewal will depend on KIC’s project portfolio at the time the contract expires.

Our hiring process

We use a skills-based recruitment process to give capable candidates from both traditional and non-traditional backgrounds a fair opportunity. We’ll base our decision on demonstrated ability.

The process will include:

An initial screening of applications.
Selected candidates will be invited to present examples of a large-scale event they've led.
A short introductory “get to know you” interview.
An extended, task-based structured interview.

About KIC

The Knowledge Innovation Centre (KIC) is a strategic social enterprise based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, with offices in Brussels and Malta. We work at the intersection of education and digital transformation.

We deliver consulting and R&D projects funded mainly through EU programmes, including Erasmus+, Horizon Europe and the European University Alliances initiative. Our team of 18 professionals supports European education and research ecosystems, focusing on interoperability, digital education, quality assurance, and equity and democracy.

Apply by 14 September 2026.

Project Manager (Events & Programme Design)

Job Description