The salary for this position is $67,000.00. 

The CIA offers a substantial benefits package that includes medical coverage available at no cost to qualifying employees, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, short and long term disability insurance, retirement savings plan with high employer contributions, a generous paid time off program, and more!

As the benefits package at the CIA results in a significant value above the base salary for this position, we encourage you to apply so that our recruiters can share more information with you about the benefits of working for the CIA.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Manager of Strategic Initiatives is responsible for coordination of program logistics of annual conferences and leadership initiatives and programs that have a range of strategic topics from world cuisines and flavor development to health and wellness and agriculture-foodservice connections programs. This position is tasked with managing all aspects of operator and presenter engagement from recruitment and list management through planning of the details of their participation and appearances in our programs and initiatives.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage program participation and travel arrangements for attendees for each SIG program (invitations, travel arrangements, biographies, head shots, scheduling, accommodations, reimbursement payments, and thank-you letters).
• Manage overall SIG database of current and potential foodservice operator invitees for invitation-only programs, and paid ticket programs.
• Create long-lead planning lists of chefs and operators to be invited to future retreats, coordinating input from CIA senior management, media resources (lists of top corporate chefs, operators and others accessed with the assistance of the CIA’s media relations department from trade media leaders).
• Manage the financial activities, including invoicing and payment tracking, for honoraria and travel for presenters and operators, to ensure regular tracking against budget for each program.
• Manage the vendor relationship with our online registration system, develop and implement plans for online and onsite registration for each program, and adapt evaluation questionnaires and surveys into the system.
• Oversee, project-manage, promote, and troubleshoot conference mobile apps as needed for individual programs, including reporting out after the conference on app adoption and other key metrics and insights.
• Manage invitations, bios, head shots, logistics, meeting and committee planning, coordination, meeting notes management and required follow-up for program leadership councils, collaborative member groups, and program steering committees.
• Oversee the management of room blocks, hotel contracts and rooming lists for program housing and ensure housing budgets are maximized.
• As necessary, assist with the hotel needs of sponsors and other travel logistical needs of sponsors as determined.
• Assist with the leadership of on-site program delivery and culinary talent management, including gathering and reviewing presentations, providing updates to program directors concerning potential overlap, or the need to re-focus on program objectives at all leadership events at all CIA campuses.
• Assist with the execution of all SIG conferences and events, taking on additional responsibilities as required.
• Coordinate efforts interdepartmentally and with other CIA California departments that work on SIG programs.
• Any and all other duties as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• High School Diploma or equivalent.

Experience:

• Four (4) years of combined work experience in fields such as food service, events, hospitality, marketing, or an office environment or one (1) year of experience and an advanced degree.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality, Business, or Marketing preferred.
• Culinary background, preferably with both back and front of the house experience.
• Experience with Cvent or other online registration systems a plus.
• Basic mobile app design, web design, HTML, programming skills, and/or SquareSpace experience are an additional plus.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Strong analytical, problem-solving and conceptual skills.
• Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills; ability to be adaptable, dependable and handle multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent written, verbal communication, and presentation skills required. Must have demonstrated ability in organizational, time management, problem solving and interpersonal skills.
• Strong computer experience, which must include abilities to work effectively with Office suite products, i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as extensive experience with databases and mail-merge, and in the online environment.
• High energy, with a business-like approach to problem solving.
• Collegial and positive in outlook and approach.
• Success oriented and goal directed.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Moderate travel to support conferences that are remote from the CIA California campus, as required.
• Must be available to work nights and weekends as required due to business needs.
• Regular work requires a great deal of sitting and standing for extended periods.
• Regular work requires the use of a computer, sometimes in excess of eight (8) hours per day.