Senior Coordinator, Meetings and Events #2023-2814

In this role, your primary focus will be supporting the Annual Meeting (a city-wide meeting with 10k+ attendees from around the world, 16+ concurrent sessions, and special events over 5+ days) and other smaller meetings and events for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). ARVO is the world’s largest and most respected international organization devoted to advancing research in vision and ophthalmology. The ARVO Annual Meeting is the premier gathering for eye and vision scientists at all career stages, students, and those in affiliated fields to share the latest research findings and collaborate on innovative solutions.

Reporting to the Chief Officer of Meetings and Community Engagement and working closely with the Senior Director of Programming, you will manage several core components of planning the meeting and provide operational support on-site. Your work will be cyclical, with some periods of fast-paced, high-intensity work. Working closely with the Chief Officer of Meetings and Engagement while you come up to speed, you will own the complex Ancillary Event process, manage ARVO-sponsored social events, and provide tracking, administrative, and logistical support (including speaker management) for the Annual Meeting. During off-cycle times of the year, you will manage the invited component of the meeting.

This role works across the organization and requires a great deal of accuracy, coordination, attention to detail, critical thinking, sound judgment, and the capacity to manage multiple projects efficiently to completion. This is an opportunity to take your organizational, communication, and project management skills to the next level.

How You’ll Make an Impact

You will support the team to ensure the success of the Annual Meeting and associated events by preparing timelines, maintaining the internal Teamwork project plan, updating internal staff and external partners, managing invited session proposals and speakers, and coordinating supplies and shipments. Major responsibilities include:

Annual Conference Support

• Coordinate approvals and track the Ancillary Events (200-400 per year). Review each request, apply policies to determine handling, and create comprehensive trackers to keep the team organized and informed. Inform organizers of ARVO policies for the events and ensure compliance.
• Organize social events for 2-3K attendees, including sourcing and recommending venues within budget, arranging entertainment, and managing catering. Work with destination marketing organizations (DMOs) or convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs).
• Collaborate with ARVO communications staff to provide specific event-related information for print, digital, email, and social media campaigns. Update the Annual Meeting web pages.
• Manage staff needs and travel arrangements.

Annual Conference Logistics

• Work with the team to coordinate conference logistics, including meeting room assignments for educational programs, committee meetings, and ancillary events.
• Oversee the supplies and shipments for the conference, ensuring all are organized and delivered correctly.

Annual Conference Program Development & Speaker Management

• Support the Senior Director of Programming on the invited speaker content by setting up the proposal submission site, tracking the confirmed presenters and their submissions, and sending reminders.
• Manage speaker needs/requirements (e.g., registration, housing, and travel expenses as appropriate).

Work Environment, Salary, and Benefits

• You’ll enjoy a flexible hybrid work environment, including two days collaborating with colleagues in our Rockville, MD, office, and three days working remotely. Some domestic travel is required, including 7-10 days at the ARVO Annual Meeting.
• The budgeted salary range for this position is $55-65K*. We offer an outstanding benefits package including comprehensive medical insurance, employer-paid vision, dental, life, and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts for medical and childcare expenses, matching retirement savings, employer-paid parking or monthly contribution for public transportation, generous PTO (12 paid holidays, 12 days of vacation increasing to 18 during 2nd year, and 10 days of sick leave), and tuition reimbursement for professional development.

* Manager-level candidates are encouraged to apply; salary will be commensurate with experience. Certified Meeting Professionals (CMPs) are encouraged to apply.

• We recognize the value of our employees and strive to create an environment that is both flexible and conducive to a high-performing organization. Your colleagues are collegial, collaborative, and eager to help each other succeed.

Qualifications

• Experience and Education:
• 1-3 years of experience in event/conference management and logistics coordination for large-scale events (2-10K+ attendees) at an association is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in project management, including data collection and tracking, managing deadlines for multiple stakeholders across multiple projects, and ensuring compliance with organization regulations.
• Professional certification, such as a certified meeting professional (CMP), is a plus but not required.
• Technical Proficiency:
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is required. Familiarity with other relevant software such as Open Water, ScholarOne, ATIV (or another mobile conference app), Teamwork (or another project management system), and Optimizely (or similar CMS) is preferred but not required.

About Us

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest and most respected eye and vision research organization in the world. Our members include nearly 12,000 eye and vision researchers from over 75 countries. Our mission is to advance research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating, and curing its disorders.

To Apply

We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position description; we will consider people from a variety of backgrounds and career experiences.

Use the “Apply” button on this page or simply email your resume to Lilly Khan at [email protected] with “ARVO – Senior Coordinator #2023-2814 SA” as the subject of the email.

Job responsibilities are similar to the following positions: Meeting Assistant, Program Coordinator, Education Specialist.

Staffing Advisors is committed to reducing bias in every aspect of the hiring process. We have long recommended a competency-driven approach to hiring. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)