Meeting and Event Planning Manager

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Illinois.

📋 Description

• Execute the strategic meetings management program at USF.

• Create standard operating procedures for meetings and provide training to divisions, corporate, and support offices.

• Establish and oversee vendor relationships, which include sourcing, negotiating, and implementing vendor contracts.

• Assess and document event-management vendor contracts to ensure compliance and standardization.

• Collaborate with Legal to formulate standard vendor contract language and Master Service Agreements.

• Calculate event cost estimates and budgets alongside internal stakeholders.

• Monitor expenditures, adherence to budgets, and return on investment; prepare management reports.

• Coordinate services with registration, destination management, catering, meeting-room, and audiovisual suppliers.

• Create promotional and preparatory materials for both internal and external events.

• Oversee event staffing, scheduling, external vendors, and personnel management.

• Attend events as necessary to guide staff and vendors while addressing issues and emergencies.

• Manage event travel requirements in coordination with the USF Travel department.

• Develop meeting agendas, objectives, deliverables, organizational structure, and logistics.

• Coordinate venue requirements with presenters and facilitators of meeting content.

• Formulate contingency plans to mitigate attendee risk and financial exposure.

• Act as a subject matter expert and resource for divisions and support offices.

• Recruit, supervise, and mentor direct reports.

• Oversee the Travel and Expense Assistant.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Hospitality, Hotel Management, or comparable relevant experience.

• Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) or Strategic Meeting Management Certification (SMMC) is preferred.

• 5 to 7 years of pertinent work experience.

• Demonstrated expertise in organizing and managing all logistical components of mid to large-scale meetings/events within a multibillion-dollar organization.

• Familiarity with meeting-related sourcing and registration technology.

• Exceptional planning, organizational, and project management capabilities.

• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks effectively.

• Solid understanding of the hotel industry, including vendor evaluation and contract negotiation.

• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

• Strong analytical abilities and capacity to perform under tight deadlines.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Capability to work independently and build consensus among teams.

• Willingness to travel overnight up to 50% of the time.

🏝️ Benefits

• Annual incentive plan bonus may be available.

• Health insurance.

• Pre-tax spending accounts.

• Retirement benefits.

• Paid time off.

• Short-term disability.

• Long-term disability.

• Employee stock purchase plan.

• Life insurance.

• 100% remote work available anywhere in the U.S. except Hawaii or United States Territories.