Director of Meetings and Online Programs

Position Summary

The ASBMB meetings team is made up of business event professionals who are responsible for designing, driving, executing, and measuring in-person and online meetings that serve the needs of members, global scientists, industry partners, and those in adjacent communities. This position plays a critical role in helping the society advance multiple strategic objectives to drive scientific excellence, drive community engagement, and reinforce revenue.

The Director of Meetings and Online Programs is responsible for leading strategic direction, planning, management, and execution of ASBMB meetings (in-person, virtual, or hybrid) and online programs that range from 75 to 2,800 attendees and partners ensuring effectiveness and optimizing expense and revenue. This position plays a key role in creating best practices for the meetings, mentoring a team, and leveraging internal and external relationships to ensure flawless event execution, budgetary oversight, and that ASBMB meetings are known for their scientific excellence and welcoming community. The director oversees the operations of the department and collaborates with scientific organizers and volunteer committees, vendors, and other stakeholders in a fast-paced, every-changing environment.

A successful candidate will have 10 years’ experience leading and managing multifaceted meetings and events that often overlap and require attention simultaneously.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

Meeting Management

• Work cross-functionally with internal and external stakeholders to develop and execute innovative meetings that meet the needs of members and the specialties across molecular bioscience, and advance multiple organizational strategic objectives.
• Serve as liaison to meetings and program committees to position events with forward-thinking science. This committee work involves helping manage and evolve program proposals, reviewing event and program proposals, as well as managing overall content and program scheduling
• Lead, throughout the event life cycle, strategy, planning, and execution of ASBMB meetings and events, including, but not limited to, logistic requirements, contracting services, systems and tools
• Conduct RFPs, future site searches, site selection; negotiate contracts for facility and vendor services, develop budgets, and manage logistics
• Oversee execution of webinars, virtual conferences, and events, collaborating with internal teams and scientific organizers to ensure seamless execution.
• Serve as internal liaison and facilitator to manage and evolve online program proposals and foci across ASBMB departments, including focusing on a coordinated program that showcases ASBMB science and adds value to our scientists.
• Develop project timelines for annual meeting to ensure all stakeholders meet established deadlines
• Manages the exhibit and sponsorship sales team for the annual meeting and work in collaboration with partners (including volunteers) for such sales for small meetings
• Determine staffing requirements for the meetings team as well as for onsite and online meetings and serve as point of contact to oversee staffing and facility and vendor partners
• Create innovative meeting design initiatives and assess software tools to enhance existing programs
• Attend professional development events to enhance knowledge, maintain industry and peer networks, stay abreast of industry trends and share that knowledge with the team
• Participate in meetings/program committee meetings and council meetings and foster positive committee and member relationships through clear communication, timely responses, and process improvements
• Provide key insights to the marketing and communications team on marketing strategy and planned promotions, provide updates on program content development
• Collaborate and consult with Chief Program and Business Innovation Officer on responsibilities of the department to include strategy for onsite and online programming, budgeting, goal development, business processes, marketing and promotion, staff supervision, and future planning
• Partner with Executive Office and other directors to facilitate collaboration across the organization.
• Travel required
• Perform other duties and assignments as required

Departmental Management

• Lead, mentor, manage, and evaluate department staff to ensure clear communication and alignment with ASBMB mission and policies, fostering a culture of collaboration that serves the science
• Oversee the planning and execution of meetings and required tools and software, ensuring successful outcomes based on predefined metrics
• Establish and enforce best practices across all ASBMB meetings, providing training opportunities to enhance staff skills
• Distribute and assign projects within the department to ensure that deadlines are met, work is distributed, and the team is growing in skill and knowledge

Budgeting

• With Finance department colleagues, develop and manage budgets for meetings, ensuring financial objectives are met
• Negotiate contracts with vendors to meet budgetary guidelines and maximize positive net margin
• Communicate cost savings options to leadership to inform decision making
• Oversee vendor selection process to achieve favorable results
• Follow sponsorship and grant compliance requirements provided by ASBMB leadership pertaining to meetings

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, minimum 10 years’ experience in meetings and exhibits management of groups at or growing toward 4,000
• CAE, CMP, or CEM credential(s) are required
• Three-plus years of managing direct report(s)
• Experience with budget management, financial analysis, and strategic planning
• Strong communication, organization, and venue/vendor negotiations and contracting skills
• Strong project and people management: Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks for self and team, adapt to changing priorities, maintain attention to detail and appropriate sense of urgency.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders, providing clear needs and timelines to support and help coordinate meeting-related activities across organization.
• Data and technology-forward mindset, with knowledge and use of key tools such as registration, mobile app, and virtual/hybrid platforms, as well as ability and willingness to use key internal technology including project management.
• Forward thinking attitude/experience in using AI or other automation in event planning
• Experience using data analytics and other reporting tools to develop and apply data-driven strategies, identify opportunities or threats, and inform internal and external stakeholders.

Preferred Skills (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities)

• Scientific background or experience working with scientists or scientific meetings
• Working in a membership organization environment
• Strong record of building and maintaining sponsorship and exhibitor relationships

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Must be able to lift at least 20 lbs. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

Note

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) of this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

To perform this job successfully, the employee(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at-will relationship.