Senior Manager, Content Programming

The Senior Manager, Content Programming, is responsible for supporting the development and curation of customer-centered content across PLASTICS trade shows and educational events, including NPE, National Plastics Conference, FlexForum, Vinyl Week, and other programs. The role serves as a key connector between member companies and internal teams, ensuring that educational programming reflects industry needs and trends. This position is responsible for translating member insights into relevant, high-impact learning experiences across diverse formats and audiences.

Responsibilities:

Content Strategy & Development

• Identify and curate industry-relevant themes, topics, and speakers for all educational programs.
• Support the development of a multi-event content strategy aligned with member interests, industry trends, and organizational priorities.
• Manage the submission, review, and selection of session proposals and speaker requests to ensure high-quality, engaging programming.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as Marketing & Events and Sustainability to align content themes with delivery formats and ensure cohesive programming across events.
• Maintain a content calendar and speaker pipeline to ensure coverage of priority topics and diverse representation.
• Track and coordinate assigned content-related costs, including speaker fees and travel, to support accurate budget forecasting and reporting.

Member Engagement & Speaker Relations

• Serve as the primary liaison for member companies regarding content and speaker opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with industry experts, thought leaders, and potential speakers.
• Attend external industry events to identify trends and expand the speaker network.
• Interview and vet speakers to ensure alignment with content themes and audience needs.
• Coordinate with Marketing & Events teams on speaker logistics including travel, bios, AV needs, and session formats.
• Support speakers throughout planning and onsite execution to ensure continuity and quality.
• Ensure consistent outreach to companies across all events to streamline engagement.

Attendee Experience Enhancements

• Work with NPE and Marketing & Events teams to support smaller activations within larger events such as networking lounges, innovation showcases, and speaker meet-and-greets.
• Contribute ideas that enhance attendee engagement and reinforce event themes.
• Ensure activations reflect member interests and support the educational and networking goals of events.

Committee Management

• Manage the NPE Content Committee, including agendas, minutes, materials, and strategic guidance.
• Participate in planning committees for other events, providing content expertise and speaker recommendations.
• Prepare materials such as presentation slides, speaker proposals, and content strategy updates.

Project Management & Reporting

• Provide regular progress updates to internal stakeholders and event planning committees.
• Maintain documentation in project management tools to track speaker outreach, content development, and committee deliverables.
• Ensure cross-functional teams have up-to-date information to support seamless collaboration and execution.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, communications, a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• A minimum of three years’ experience in a similar or related content, and event programming position preferably in a trade association.
• Experience in the plastics, plastics-related sectors, manufacturing, and/or sustainability preferred.
• Experience managing speaker outreach and engagement across multiple programs.
• Experience with project management tools (e.g., Airtable).
• Experience with event management, floor planning management platforms, and customer relationship management tools (e.g., iMIS, Map Your Show, and Hubspot) is a plus.
• Experience with committee management is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Proven ability to translate industry trends into compelling educational content.
• Written and verbal communications skills with diverse stakeholder audiences.
• Self-motivated with attention to detail, problem-solving, organizational, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to prioritize and work on a variety of projects simultaneously and adjust to changing priorities, meet deadlines, and deliver results.
• Ability to work well autonomously and collectively to build consensus.
• Ability to provide customer service to internal and external stakeholders.
• An earnest work ethic and dedication to the collective success of the organization in service of our membership.
• A commitment to promoting and working in an inclusive and diverse environment with a variety of colleagues from multiple backgrounds.
• Demonstrate a commitment to embody and uphold PLASTICS’ core values of ethics, unity, impact, optimism, and innovation in all interactions and responsibilities.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to travel (<20%).

About PLASTICS

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) is a purpose-driven organization here to support the entire plastics supply chain. We are proud to represent the nearly one million people who are employed by companies in the plastics supply chain in the United States. PLASTICS is a dynamic organization with an ambitious team, striving for growth and success. Together we shape the direction of the entire plastics industry and as a job requirement, have some fun while doing so. Employees have the opportunity to learn, develop, and impact both the industry and our association. We also encourage volunteerism. As a team we seek opportunities to improve the communities in which we work and visit, including organizing riverbank clean-ups.

We offer generous benefits including health, dental, vision, life insurance, well-being, a 401(k) plan with employer contributions, competitive salaries, and work from home flexibility. We work hard, we play hard, and we value a work-life balance! In fact, we offer unlimited paid time off, and employees take personal time off at their own discretion.

PLASTICS is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, sex, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, or any factor prohibited by applicable law.