Outreach and Diversity Manager | Full-Time | McCormick Place Convention Center

Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in premium live entertainment infrastructure and services with a platform spanning venue development and end-to-end capabilities across venue management hospitality and sponsorship sales. Founded in 2015 the company serves a collection of seven world-class owned venues and a client roster of the most iconic arenas stadiums convention centers music festivals performing arts centers and cultural institutions spanning four continents.

Oak View Group located at McCormick Place Convention Center has an immediate opening for an Outreach & Diversity Manager. The Community Outreach and Supplier Diversity Manager is responsible for developing implementing and advancing initiatives that promote equitable economic opportunities minority supplier inclusion and meaningful community engagement. This role serves as a key liaison between the organization MPEA client diverse businesses community stakeholders governmental agencies and industry partners to strengthen relationships expand access to contracting opportunities and support organizational diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) objectives. The position will lead supplier diversity efforts by identifying engaging and supporting diverse suppliers while fostering collaborative partnerships that create positive economic impact throughout the communities surrounding McCormick Place Convention Center and Wintrust Arena. This role is responsible for ensuring compliance with diversity participation goals maintaining reporting requirements and advancing outreach initiatives that reflect the organizations commitment to inclusion and community investment.

This role pays an annual salary of $55000-$65000

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 September 11 2026.

McCormick Place Convention Center located in downtown Chicago is the largest and most flexible convention center in North America. With over 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space the campus proudly hosts some of the worlds largest and most prestigious conventions meetings and trade shows welcoming approximately 3 million visitors to Chicago every year.

Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships -

• Serve as the primary liaison between the organization MPEA client community organizations local stakeholders diverse businesses and governmental agencies to cultivate and maintain strong collaborative relationships.
• Develop and implement community outreach strategies that strengthen the organizations presence engagement and positive impact within the surrounding communities.
• Identify opportunities to support local economic development workforce inclusion and community partnerships aligned with organizational goals.
• Represent the organization at community meetings industry events supplier diversity forums and stakeholder engagement initiatives.
• Foster partnerships with minority-owned women-owned veteran-owned LGBTQ-owned and other diverse businesses to increase awareness of contracting and procurement opportunities.

Supplier Diversity and Inclusion -

• Develop manage and continuously enhance the organizations Supplier Diversity Program including participation goals policies procedures performance metrics and reporting mechanisms.
• Collaborate with procurement and operational teams to integrate supplier diversity strategies into sourcing contracting and purchasing processes.
• Identify recruit and support qualified diverse suppliers to expand participation opportunities across organizational spending categories.
• Research industry trends benchmarking data and best practices to strengthen supplier diversity initiatives and improve program effectiveness.
• Monitor supplier participation and utilization to ensure compliance with organizational objectives and contractual requirements.
• Promote and support good faith effort initiatives while maintaining accurate documentation and outreach records.

Compliance Reporting and Program Administration -

• Manage all supplier diversity reporting requirements including local state federal client and organizational compliance obligations.
• Collect analyze and maintain supplier participation spend data and program metrics to measure performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Prepare and submit reports presentations and updates for organizational leadership OVG MPEA and other stakeholders as required.
• Maintain accurate records related to supplier certifications outreach activities participation achievements and compliance documentation.
• Develop recommendations and action plans to improve supplier engagement inclusion outcomes and community impact.

Program Development and Event Management -

• Coordinate and oversee quarterly networking and outreach events that connect diverse suppliers community partners and organizational stakeholders to promote business development and collaboration.
• Facilitate educational workshops informational sessions and networking opportunities that support supplier growth and capacity building.
• Participate in supplier diversity councils industry associations and professional organizations to strengthen partnerships and identify emerging opportunities.
• Communicate supplier diversity achievements community engagement initiatives and program outcomes to leadership and key stakeholders.

Required Qualifications -

• Bachelors degree in business administration Public Administration Communications Community Development Supply Chain Management or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 3-5 years of experience in supplier diversity community outreach economic inclusion procurement stakeholder engagement or a related field strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of diversity equity and inclusion principles and their application within supplier diversity and community engagement programs.
• Experience building and maintaining partnerships with community organizations business associations governmental agencies and diverse suppliers.
• Strong project management organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage
• multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Excellent verbal written presentation and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and reporting capabilities including data collection interpretation and performance measurement.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across multiple departments and organizational levels.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Excel PowerPoint Word and database/reporting systems is required.

Preferred Qualifications -

• Experience in procurement financial management sourcing contracting or supplier relationship management.
• Knowledge of MBE WBE DBE VBE LGBTQ and other diverse business certification programs.
• Experience working within convention centers hospitality public venues government agencies or large-scale operational environments.
• Familiarity with compliance reporting requirements and supplier diversity measurement methodologies.

At OVG we understand that to continue positively disrupting the sports and live entertainment industry we need a diverse team to help us do it. We also believe that inclusivity drives innovation strengthens ourpeople improves ourservice and raises ourexcellence. Our success is rooted in creating environments that reflect and celebrate the diverse communities in which we operate and serve and this is the reason we are committed to amplifying voices from all different backgrounds.

Oak View Group is committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (protected class) including but not limited to veteran status uniform service member status race color religion sex national origin age physical or mental disability genetic information or any other protected class under federal state or local law.