Assistant Director, Meetings, Travel & Events

GRADE: MGT E

ANNUAL SALARY: $121,078.77

LOCATION: All USA or Washington, DC HQ

Organizational Overview: We are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a union of about 2 million diverse members in healthcare, the public sector, and property services. We believe in and fight for our Vision for a Just Society: where all workers are valued, and all people are respected & no matter where we come from or what color we are; where all families and communities can thrive; and where we leave a better, more equitable world for generations to come. We are an anti-racist union determined to check corporate power and uproot structural racism through unions & worker power and collective action & and government & legislative and political action. We fight for Unions for All and a Government that Works for All so that all of us, across race and place, can have power together in unions and participate fully in our democracy.

The Meetings, Travel & Events (MTE) Department supports governance meetings, campaigns, and operational initiatives across SEIU through meeting planning, travel administration, vendor management, and meetings technology. The department supports approximately 130-150 meetings annually and a travel program serving roughly 6,000 travelers and guests across SEIU and affiliated local unions.

PURPOSE:

The Assistant Director supports the Director in administering and strengthening SEIU’s enterprise meetings and travel program. This role provides operational leadership for vendor management, meetings and travel systems, staff supervision, financial stewardship, and program governance while helping ensure activities align with organizational policies and operational standards.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operational Leadership

• Provide operational leadership for SEIU’s meetings and travel program across departments and major union events.

• Coordinate planning for governance meetings, Executive Boards, Executive Committees, and leadership convenings.

• Identify operational risks, lead issue resolution, and maintain continuity planning.

Program Administration

• Administer and support SEIU’s Strategic Meetings Management Program (SMMP) and corporate travel program.

• Monitor compliance with meeting intake processes, sourcing protocols, and travel policies.

• Review operational reporting to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.

• Coordinate with vendors and internal stakeholders to support program standards.

• Maintain program documentation, policies, and operational processes.

Vendor Management

• Oversee Travel Management Companies (TMCs), third-party meeting firms, and related vendors.

• Monitor vendor performance, SLAs, procurement compliance, and service metrics.

• Support vendor evaluations, contract renewals, and issue escalation.

Financial Stewardship

• Monitor travel and meeting spend, attrition risk, cancellation exposure, and unused ticket liability.

• Ensure financial controls and stewardship practices are consistently followed.

• Support audit readiness, reporting, and compliance documentation.

Technology & Program Systems

• Lead administration of meetings and travel technology platforms, including Concur, Cvent, or similar systems.

• Configure system policies, approval workflows, user roles, and reporting.

• Maintain data integrity across travel, HR, and financial systems.

• Monitor reporting to support compliance and operational effectiveness.

Staff Leadership

• Supervise, coach, and develop meetings, travel, and operations staff.

• Foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Support staff in solving operational challenges and escalating issues appropriately.

Operational Processes

• Lead development and improvement of SOPs and operational workflows.

• Ensure workflows align with union policies and cross-departmental requirements.

• Collaborate across departments to maintain operational clarity and compliance.

DIRECTION AND DECISION-MAKING:

This position reports to the Director, Meetings, Travel & Events. The Assistant Director independently manages day-to-day administration and execution of the meetings and travel program, including vendor oversight, staff supervision, and technology platforms. Strategic direction and final budget authority remain with the Director.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience managing meetings and travel programs within a complex organization, including work within an SMMP environment.

• Hands-on experience administering corporate travel booking platforms and strategic meetings management systems.

• Experience configuring policies, workflows, reporting, and user administration.

• Education or equivalent professional experience in meetings management, hospitality, travel administration, business administration, or a related field is valued.

Program & Operational Experience

• Supervising and developing professional staff

• Managing vendors and service-level agreements

• Monitoring contractual compliance and financial controls

• Administrator-level experience with online booking tools (OBTs) such as Concur

• Administrator-level experience with Cvent or comparable meetings technology

• Configuring policies, workflows, reporting structures, and system controls

• Using reporting and analytics to monitor compliance and program performance

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Strong operational management and organizational skills

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines

• Experience with project management, procurement, or vendor sourcing

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Experience in mission-driven, nonprofit, labor, or advocacy environments preferred

• Commitment to equity, anti-racism, and responsible stewardship of organizational resources

• Certifications such as CMP, GTP, GLP, CMM, CGMP, Cvent, CPSM, CSP, or CSMP are a plus

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be able to work in an office or similar setting with or without reasonable accommodation. Travel and extended work hours are required to support governance meetings and union events.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.