Conferences Sales and Business Manager

Primary Function

FASEB convenes the biological and biomedical research community through a portfolio of approximately 100 thematic conferences spread over two years, with 40 in-person events annually, and other online/virtual events, each designed to attract 100-200 scientists, clinicians, and researchers around cutting-edge topics. Recently, conference registration and revenues have plateaued while costs of conferences have grown; improved financial performance that allows the conference programs to successfully continue without the use of organizational financial resources has been identified as a strategic opportunity for improvement. 

The new role of Sales and Business Manager was developed to drive that effort and improvement. The Sales and Business Manager, Conferences is a new, purpose-built position focused on identifying and recruiting conferences that meet the program’s business requirements, providing business intelligence that supports the decision-making process, and ultimately converting targeted prospective attendees into registered, paying participants. This is not a brand-awareness or content marketing role — it is a data-informed, consultative, business-focused sales and pipeline management role. The right candidate thinks like a business and sales professional: they prioritize the topics and appropriate organizers to lead conferences, identify the targeted audience for attending the conference, identify potential matches for partner societies, reach the audience directly, build relationships, and close registrations. They are responsible for meeting revenue and registration targets within a defined budget. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Pipeline Development & Prospecting

• Coordinates with colleagues on the publishing/business intelligence side, identifying the topics best suited for FASEB’s conferences. Target outreach to drive new conference proposals from topical areas agreed upon and leaders.
• Using business intelligence tools provided, research and prepare a profile for each conference application including market sizing and dynamics, geographic clustering, competitive conferences (timing, pricing, features).
• Identify target attendee personas and core effective messaging for each event using data about the scientific field in collaboration with the conference managers and conference organizers.
• Research and source prospective attendees from proprietary tools, build and maintain a structured prospect pipeline for each conference, segment and prioritize outreach by those most likely to attend and the value provided by the conference. 

Direct Outreach & Conversion 

• Execute high-volume, personal sales campaigns via a variety of approaches targeted at likely attendees.
• Conduct one-on-one conversations with organizers and prospective organizers to understand their professional interests, networks, potential attendees, and connect the information gathered to specific conference value propositions.
• Professionally and consistently follow up with warm leads and prospective attendees throughout the process.
• Develop and deploy targeted offers (e.g., early-bird nudges, group registration incentives, sessionspecific hooks) to move prospects through the funnel to conversion. 

Revenue Management

• Own registration revenue and registrant targets across the conference portfolio.
• Track conversion rates, revenue pacing, and registration trends on a per-event basis.
• Report regularly to the Associate Director, Conferences, the Sr. Marketing Manager, and the CEO on pipeline status, conversion performance, and revenue forecast vs. goal; provide projections for calendar year expected performance based on trends.
• Identify underperforming events early and develop and implement targeted recovery sales strategies.

Relationship Building & Retention

• Cultivate multi-year relationships with frequent attendees to drive repeat registrations and understand event value.
• Work with conference managers and conference organizers as requested to identify and recruit key opinion leaders, early-career researchers, to grow conference communities.
• With guidance from the Associate Director, Sr. Marketing Manager, and CEO, develop group/institutional sales strategies targeting university departments, research institutes, and corporate R&D teams.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the marketing resources to ensure outreach messaging, landing pages, and promotional assets support sales conversations — but own the conversion process end-to-end.
• Collaborate with conference managers and conference organizers to develop a deep knowledge of each conference’s content and community.
• Provide prospect and customer feedback to the Associate Director and governance (Meetings Committee) to improve event offerings. 

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in science, preferred degree related in the biological, biomedical, medical, ir chemical sciences
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfortable with direct outreach and consultative sales conversations
• Highly organized, self-motivated, and data-driven
• Strong customer service skills
• Must have attention to detail
• Ability to multitask
• MS Office Suite

Work Environment/Conditions:

• 90% sitting, 5% standing, 5% walking
• Occasionally requires lifting materials of approximately 20-30 lbs.
• Requires computer work involving extensive use of keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
• Working long hours sitting, standing, walking onsite at conferences.
• Dayshift hours primarily.
• Travel (up to 10%) and other work-related assignments after hours or on weekends are possible. 

Location  

Rockville, Maryland; (Hybrid; In-office once every 2 weeks minimally and as needed. DC, Maryland, or Virginia only will be considered for this position.) 

To Apply

For full consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled.

If an accommodation is needed to complete the application process, please contact FASEB’s Human Resources Department at resumes@faseb.org. To learn more about FASEB, please visit www.faseb.org.

FASEB is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.