Senior Portfolio Director (Events)
Location: DC Metro Area or Chicago Metro Area
Type: Full-Time
Industry: Non-Profit
Job Summary
Our client, a 100 percent employee-owned association management company, is looking for an Senior Portfolio Director (Events) to join its Events Services unit in Washington DC or Chicago offices.
The Senior Portfolio Director (Events) is the key strategic events leader for an assigned portfolio of client organizations within a specified industry practice: Healthcare/Scientific; Technology; or Business/ Trade. This individual partners with client organization executives to develop events strategy for both Association Management and Event Services clients in the portfolio. This individual leads and manages a dedicated large team of industry professionals to deliver revenue-generating events with service excellence, operational quality, and mission impact for client organizations. The Senior Director is accountable for portfolio profitability, team staffing and performance, client relationships, customer satisfaction, and ensuring the client organizations’ return on events investment. This individual may lead and/or participate in growing recurring account revenue, as well as in new business development efforts.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following areas:
Relationship Management
Will maintain strategic, collaborative, and high trust partnerships with client organization leaders and stakeholders.
- Establish him/herself as a valued thought partner
- Understand mission and event priorities for all client organizations, ensure team alignment
- Monitor and ensure timely and effective resolution of client concerns
Business Leadership
Ensures portfolio profitability and contributes to revenue growth and new business development.
- Work in partnership with peers to develop and implement a business strategy designed to grow revenue and enhance profitability, productivity, and efficiency for client portfolio
- Manage margin and budgeted services fees to generate predictable, consistent financial results for client portfolio
- Lead forecast, budget, and cost analysis processes for client portfolio
- Define event service offerings, value proposition, service level agreement, and guidelines for customization within the portfolio, based on understanding of client organization mission and needs
- Monitor performance trends within portfolio (registration, housing, etc.) to ensure team’s timely response and action
- Lead or participate in growth of Unit revenue thru new business pricing and strategy development, identification of client/industry prospects, cultivating referral and new business sources, and building unit capacity to support new business development
- Ensure operational efficiency and adherence to shared Unit processes, customer service standards, and service delivery excellence
- Serve as member of the Event Services leadership team, participate in establishing and implementing Unit strategy
- Act as a partner to our Corporate Sales and Industry Practice Leadership on new business, client retention opportunities and overall client strategy
Team Management
Leads a team of 25-30 event management professionals in the operationally efficient and high quality delivery of events that achieve each client organization’s respective mission.
- Set strategic and operational priorities for the events team and ensure consistent, high caliber execution and client service
- Optimize events team staffing and utilization for best client service
- Hire, train, and manage events team, ensuring successful onboarding, timely feedback, performance management and career development
- Continually work with the events team to identify and introduce process improvements and efficiencies within client portfolio
- Coach and develop team to ensure strong performance and high engagement
- Foster a team and unit culture of communication, collaboration, service excellence, continuous learning, and innovation
- Partner with Event Services Operations leader to identify team skill gaps and implement training to build capacity, expertise and skill of team members
- Work with Unit peers and Human Resources Business Partner to execute staff management and life cycle events
Value Creation
Facilitates the continued evolution of the Event Services Unit structure, operations, and brand within the company, the events and association industries, and with client organizations.
- Serve as a strategic voice of Event Services
- Identify and leverage data and resources to enhance ROI on client organization’s event strategy
- Serve as brand ambassador and talent magnet, enhancing visibility by actively participating in key industry events and cultivating an active professional network
- Champion corporate or unit initiatives and lead communication of Event Services and change initiatives within portfolio, team, or Unit
Role Requirements
- 8-10 years’ experience managing client, department, or unit profitability
- Demonstrated strategic thinking and strategic impact
- Large team/large staff leadership experience
- Demonstrated relationship management skills
- Deep working knowledge of business event strategy and its subcomponents
- Multi-client professional services experience
- Familiarity with Events Industry relations and suppliers (e.g., Convention visitor bureaus, hotel brands, decorators)
- CMP preferred
This role offers a competitive salary and robust benefits package.