Yup, you were correct on all counts. I didn't know I could get an object value by using get (I suppose that is all too obvious now that I think about it). So in the end it looks like

			for(String jobName : jobFieldList.keySet())
			{
				//ok, so now we are looking at one specific job (ex Dishwasher__c). There is a field on the 
				//related opportunity called Dishwasher__c. That field contains the number of employee schedule
				//objects we need to create for the Dishwasher__c type.
				
				//This line causes the error, I am unsure how to feed the jobName variable into this loop condition
				integer iterator = Integer.valueOf(event.get(jobName));
				for(Integer i = 0; i< iterator; i++)
				{
					Employee_Schedule__c thisSchedule = new Employee_Schedule__c();
					thisSchedule.event__c = event.id;
					thisSchedule.Role__c = jobFieldList.get(jobName);
					thisSchedule.Punch_In__c = event.Start_Date__c;
					thisSchedule.Punch_Out2__c = event.End_Date__c;
					Schedules.add(thisSchedule);
				}
			}

The dynamic part  I was seeking is done by the 

integer iterator = Integer.valueOf(event.get(jobName));

I'll give my trigger a whack and see how it goes. Thanks a bunch for the tip, that's just what I needed (i think).

It saves, but it errors, on this line

integer iterator = Integer.valueOf(event.get('project__r.'+jobName));

So while this works

is it possibly failing because Moderator__c could be null, which would bomb out valueOf (I think)?  Not sure if the Number needs the default value set to zero...

You were correct, the value was null, but even with a value, it still bombs out. Full disclousre, this class is actually being invoked via a custom button click. The method that actually calls the one we are looking at looks like 

	WebService static void createSchedulesForEvent(string id)
	{
		list<events__c> thisEvent = [select id, 
											Start_Date__c, 
											End_Date__c, 
											project__c,
											project__r.Moderator__c
											from events__c where Id = :id];
		createScheduleObjects(thisEvent);
	}

later on I plan on making that query dynamic (also using that jobFieldList to tell it what projects values to pull, but for now I'm just hard coding them in). I doubt this is causing the issue, but just figured I'd try and help ya get a full grasp of whats going on.

If you're using the Eclipse ID, I'd put a valid Id into that SOQL and a System.debug on Integer.valueOf(thisEvent.get('project__r.Moderator__c')), and tool around with under Execute Anonymous.  When I first was playing around with the pseudocode, it reminded me I needed to use valueOf, for instance.  Might help narrow down the actual error...

Thanks for the suggestion. I got something working, a hybrid between our two theories.

I just set it up to create a map of all references opportunities based on their id. for each event I find the right entry in the opportunity map, and use get(jobName) to extract the values required. Full code posted below.

Thank you so much for your help, couldn't have done it without ya.

global class eventClasses 
{
	WebService static void createSchedulesForEvent(string id)
	{
		list<events__c> thisEvent = [select id, 
											Start_Date__c, 
											End_Date__c, 
											project__c,
											project__r.Test_Set_up_Coordination__c,
											project__r.Servers__c,
											project__r.Dishwasher__c,
											project__r.Kitchen__c,
											project__r.Moderator__c
											from events__c where Id = :id];
		createScheduleObjects(thisEvent);
	}
	public static void createScheduleObjects(events__c[] eventList)
	{
		Map<Id,Opportunity> oppsMap = new Map<Id,Opportunity>();
		Set<Id> oppIds = new Set<Id>();
		
		for(events__c event : eventList)
		{
			oppIds.add(event.project__c);
		}

		for (Opportunity opp : [select id,
									   Test_Set_up_Coordination__c,
									   Servers__c,
									   Dishwasher__c,
									   Kitchen__c,
									   Moderator__c
									   from Opportunity where Id in :oppIds])
		{
			oppsMap.put(opp.id,opp);
		}
		
		//the idea here is to create all the required schedule objects for every event passed in.
		list<Employee_Schedule__c> Schedules = new List <Employee_Schedule__c>();
		
		list<Contact> SiteStaff = [select name, id from contact where account.name = 'FPI Field Ops'];
		
		//create a map of all the job types that exist. Every item here has a field by the same name
		//on the opportunity object that contains the number of people required to fill that role for this event.
		//the second part just contains a friendly name for this job to be shown to the user.
		Map<String,String> jobFieldList = new Map<String,String>();
		jobFieldList.put('Test_Set_up_Coordination__c','Test Setup');
		jobFieldList.put('Servers__c','Server');
		jobFieldList.put('Dishwasher__c','Dishwasher');
		jobFieldList.put('Kitchen__c','Kitchen');
		jobFieldList.put('Moderator__c','Moderator');
		
		//loop over every event passed in
		for(events__c event : eventList)
		{
			//For every job type defined, evaluate the number of people needed for that job as specified on the
			//related opportunity object
			for(String jobName : jobFieldList.keySet())
			{
				//ok, so now we are looking at one specific job (ex Dishwasher__c). There is a field on the 
				//related opportunity called Dishwasher__c. That field contains the number of employee schedule
				//objects we need to create for the Dishwasher__c type.
				
				//This line causes the error, I am unsure how to feed the jobName variable into this loop condition
				system.debug(event.project__r.Moderator__c);
				
				 
				Opportunity thisOpp = oppsMap.get(event.project__c);
				integer iterator = Integer.valueOf(thisOpp.get(jobName));
				for(Integer i = 0; i< iterator; i++)
				{
					Employee_Schedule__c thisSchedule = new Employee_Schedule__c();
					thisSchedule.event__c = event.id;
					thisSchedule.Role__c = jobFieldList.get(jobName);
					thisSchedule.Punch_In__c = event.Start_Date__c;
					thisSchedule.Punch_Out2__c = event.End_Date__c;
					Schedules.add(thisSchedule);
				}
			}
			
			
		}
		insert Schedules;
	}
}