Director, Meeting Services (pharma agency exp needed)

Director, Meeting Services

The Director, Meeting Services is responsible for the management of team members under the supervision of the VP, Meeting Services. Responsible for achieving financial objectives by accurately forecasting hours for themself and team members assigned and pass-through costs on assigned projects. The Director is also responsible for leading a high volume of meetings and managing clients for logistics projects. This role is responsible for contributing and supervising strategically and tactically on assigned accounts, as appropriate for Meeting Services.

This open role has a diverse position with the need to own your own client projects and experience in all types of meetings that pharmaceutical companies are involved in such as congresses, product theaters, advisory boards, focus groups, speaker bureaus, launch, POA and national sales meetings. Coordinating and communicating with other teams across the larger agency and able to offer advice that serves our clients as the subject matter expert with your vast industry knowledge.

Responsibilities include :

• Being responsible for managing all program logistics, including but not limited to venue / site selection, contract negotiations, travel, food and beverage, meeting room sets, audio-visual and production, hotel rooming lists, ground transportation, and ancillary vendors (i.e., entertainment, activities, dcor, photographer)
• Being responsible for independent planning, organizing, and seamless execution of live and high-quality virtual event meetings with multimedia components.
• Virtual platform configuration
• Manage technology vendor
• Schedule and execute rehearsals to ensure all parties are prepared for success
• Attendee management and communication
• Offer guidance to clients and attendees with confidence as to the best format and meeting timings.
• Building and customizing registration websites and recruitment material templates with program-specific information and coordinating distribution to all attendees according to necessary timelines
• Ensuring the highest standards of quality control of client materials and, as appropriate, developing best practices protocols for project teams to facilitate such quality control
• Being responsible for the oversight and management of program recruitment and attendee management
• Reviewing and approving meeting specifications from all perspectives such as attendees, vendors, etc., and offering recommendations to reduce costs
• Ability to pull reports (Job usage, finance, or Cvent) for team members cross-functionally
• Attending and participating in new project briefings and kick-off meetings and recommending the planner for the team.
• Attending multiple internal meetings with client services, meeting services, and other key personnel to discuss project status, etc.
• Working on-site and leading the logistics team at large meetings to coordinate meeting logistics / activities with Client Services, venue, and vendors, and offering assistance to team members
• Reviewing and reconciling final invoices and pass-through costs within mandated timelines
• Tracking and preparing accurate attendee spend reports to comply with the Open Payment Guidelines
• Negotiating the best available rates and contract terms with vendors for owned meetings such as hotel F&B, A / V, ground, etc.
• Owning the budget (hours & OOP) on assigned meetings and advising the project team of the possible risks. Discussing with the client the challenges and recommendations for correction
• Identifying operational change opportunities to improve program execution or increase efficiency and / or decrease costs and elevating and owning the potential plan to the management.
• Building budgets for a requested meeting based on provided parameters
• Participating in new business pitches which require Meeting Services either for Speaker Bureau or Live
• Routinely assessing vendors for efficiencies and fit
• As a people manager, being responsible for career development, training, and mentoring.
• Direct report responsibility of forecasting hours and reporting of high / low risks to the VP
• Reviewing department policies, procedures, and forms and working with the VP to stay proactive in updates
• Supporting bi-weekly team meetings in conjunction with the VP in the assigned areas
• Maintaining and / or exceeding minimum billable utilization percentages for the position level
• Demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias
• Must be able to travel 25-30% annually; some travel will be overnight and some travel will be longer engagements; Spring and Fall are typically travel heavy
• All other duties as assigned

Minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities :

Preferred qualifications :