Event Manager and Producer, Sophia Club

Aeon Media seeks an Event Manager and Producer to deliver Sophia Club Live Philosophy events in Melbourne and internationally

Event Manager and Producer, Sophia Club3 days/week (potential to increase days), Melbourne-based

Role overview

We are seeking aproactive, creative and meticulous Event Manager and Producer to join the Sophia Club team as we continue to deliver the unique Sophia Club Live Philosophy events in our key locations (Melbourne, London and New York) and expand into new cities.

This role is central to the delivery of an annual series of 10-12 professionally curated and produced cultural events and requires a high level of coordination and communication with international and local colleagues, speakers, artists, venues and partners.

The ideal candidate will have proven experience in a similar role and a motivation to get things done to the highest standards. You will likely have experience in the production and delivery of high-quality performance and literary events as part of a festival or cultural venue program. Experience producing similar events internationally is valued but not essential.

You will join an established Sophia Club team including the Editorial and Artistic Directors (Dr Brigid Hains and Sophia Brous), curatorial, marketing and finance teams.

About us

Aeon Media is a registered charity that publishes two popular online magazines (Aeon and Psyche) and presents the Sophia Club, an international program of cultural events in New York, London and Melbourne that showcase Live Philosophy. Our mission is to explore and communicate knowledge that helps people make sense of themselves and the world.

At Sophia Club Live Philosophy events, audiences enjoy spirited philosophical conversation between guest speakers and the evening’s host centred around a theme, woven together with performances by musicians and other artists. We believe that philosophy is for everyone – it is not just an intellectual affair, but also a poetic and creative one; it should activate the heart and body as well as the head.

We are building a permanent home for the Sophia Club in Collingwood, Melbourne, which is due to open mid-2027. The premises will be purpose-designed to house a dynamic cultural program of talks, music and workshops, as well as a café and bar.

Aeon Media employs around 30 staff primarily in Melbourne, with smaller offices in London and New York.

The role

You will report to the Sophia Club Manager and work closely with on-the-ground producers in cities apart from Melbourne, where you will produce the events yourself. The role requires some out-of-hours work at events and meetings with overseas staff and contacts.

Role deliverables:

• End-to-end production of Sophia Club events including planning, meetings, logistics and execution in the three cities, working with on-the-ground producers in New York and London
• Supporting the Sophia Club Manager in strategy and planning for the annual series including schedules, meetings, financial and audience analysis
• Partner management and development including with venues, audio and programming partners
• Working with the marketing team to promote the events and collate audience and sales data and reports
• Delivering efficient event production, project and contract management and team communication using established systems
• Managing and reporting on budget, including coordinating payment for subcontractors, speakers and artists in association with the Aeon finance team
• Acting as the central liaison for the team, speakers, artists and external contractors
• Updating the Sophia Club website with current copy and provide input into social media copy and other collateral as needed
• Acting as central contact for media enquiries and partnership requests
• Overseeing event hospitality and speaker/artist travel

About you

Essential:

• Demonstrated experience in event management and production for similar high-quality cultural events with a live-performance element (3+ years)
• Demonstrated understanding of best practice event audiovisual, lighting, staging and audience experiences
• Events project management experience and strong organisational capabilities with an ability to direct meetings, teams, budgets and deadlines
• Sophisticated interpersonal, written and oral communication skills and stakeholder management
• The ability to work independently with a high level of maturity and discretion
• A can-do attitude and problem-solving mindset
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office – especially Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Google Workspace
• An interest in ideas, philosophy or the arts
• Melbourne-based and able to work from our CBD office 2-3 days per week
• Tertiary qualifications in arts or events management or relevant experience in a similar role for a festival, cultural or educational organisation

Desirable

• Experience producing similar events internationally is valued but not essential
• Knowledge and experience working with CRM databases and/or booking and ticketing systems
• Proficiency with project management systems (we use Monday.com)
• Current driver’s licence
• First-aid certification

Next steps

Send your CV and a one-page cover letter explaining why you think you would be suited for the role to [email protected] by EOD Sunday 22 February 2026.

You must have a right to work in Australia to be considered for this role.