Associate Director, Meeting Services

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Our employees are tasked with delivering excellent business results through the efforts of their teams. These results are achieved by:

Being responsible for managing all program logistics, including but not limited to venue/site selection, contract negotiations, travel, food and beverage, meeting room sets, audio-visual and production, hotel rooming lists, ground transportation, and ancillary vendors (i.e., entertainment, activities, décor, photographer)

Being responsible for independent planning, organizing, and seamless execution of high-quality virtual event meetings with multimedia components. Including but not limited to:

Virtual platform configuration

Manage technology vendor

Schedule and execute rehearsals to ensure all parties are prepared for success

Attendee management and communication

Offer assistance and guidance with any attendee connection issues, as well as basic technical support during an event and to the client

Building and customizing registration websites and recruitment material templates with program-specific information and coordinating distribution to all attendees according to necessary timelines

Ensuring the highest standards of quality control of client materials and, as appropriate, developing best practices protocols for project teams to facilitate such quality control

Being responsible for the oversight and management of program recruitment and attendee management

Reviewing and approving meeting specifications from all perspectives such as attendees, vendors, etc., and offering recommendations to reduce costs

Providing standard and customized reports to clients at specified intervals

Being responsible for attending and participating in new project briefings and kick-off meetings

Attending multiple internal meetings with Client Services, Meeting Services, and other key personnel to discuss project status, etc.

Working on-site and leading the logistics team at large meetings to coordinate meeting logistics/ activities with Client Services, venue, and vendors, and offer assistance to team members

Reviewing and reconciling final invoices and pass-through costs within the mandated timelines

Tracking and preparing accurate attendee spend reports to comply with the Open Payment Guidelines

Maintaining ongoing dialog with the line manager and project team throughout the life of the program to evaluate progress and initiate the scope change process, if necessary

Negotiating the best available rates and contract terms with vendors for owned meetings such as hotel F&B, A/V, ground, etc.

Owning the budget (hours & OOP) on assigned meetings and advising the project team of the possible risks. Discussing with the client the challenges and recommendations for correction

Identifying operational change opportunities to improve program execution or increase efficiency and/or decrease costs and elevating and owning the potential plan to management.

Thorough knowledge and experience of a client, being able to build a budget for a requested meeting based on provided parameters

Ability to represent position level on a pitch and explain the appropriate responsibilities to the potential client

May be responsible for the relationship of the key vendor for the meeting team, including negotiation and contract review.

If a people manager, being responsible for career development, training, and mentoring.

Direct report responsibility of forecasting hours and reporting of high/low risks to the VP

Maintaining and/or exceeding minimum billable utilization percentages for the position level

Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias.

All other duties as assigned

PEOPLE LEADER

People leaders must possess both the skills to effectively accomplish these tasks and the emotional intelligence to do so in alignment with our cultural values. In addition to the critical management and leadership tasks listed above, this role also includes the following unique responsibilities:

Responsible for and oversee their respective department.

Interview, select and supervise the activities of the department staff; communicate interpret and discuss with team the company policies and procedures.

Determine job objectives, work methods and performance standards; review performance relative to departmental objectives discussion appraisal with each employee and performance; authorize and communicate salary changes, promotions, transfers, discipline, and discharge and administer all other personnel actions.

EXPECTATIONS OF THE JOB:

Travel (35%)

Hours (40 hours per week, M-F). Meeting planner role for live meetings; will be required to work outside the standard hours, including evenings and weekends for live events.