Job Summary This Conference Program Manager role supports the OCEANS Steering Committee (OSC) and represents the Marine Technology Society (MTS) and IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES) (hereafter Societies) on all matters with regard to the OCEANS Conference. This position is responsible for working with the Professional Conference Organizer (PCO), the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and the Societies to provide consistency from one conference to the next. Additionally, this individual will be responsible for introducing new channels for content to enhance future OCEANS. The position has the authority to contribute to and implement the strategic guidance provided by the OSC. This individual will directly support the OCEANS Conference Board, providing logistical support, taking minutes, tracking actions to completion, and other associated functions. This role will report to Sr Director Business Ops & Intelligence and has no direct reports.
Key Responsibilities
Reviews all OCEANS-related contracts, providing feedback and recommendations to OES VP-OCEANS and MTS VP for Budget and Finance
Works with PCO and LOC to draft Statements of Work for approval by the OES VP-OCEANS and MTS VP for Budget and Finance
Attends all LOC calls to provide support and continuity
Convene and manages the OCEANS Conference Board; function as a member of the board as well as the Secretary
Develops and executes, in collaboration with the OCEANS Conference Board, strategies to increase attendance and new channels for content (e.g. job fairs, non-author tracks, industry outreach, etc)
Administers the Request For Proposal process for selecting future services, as required
Works with PCO’s and LOC’s to create and deploy consistent marketing campaigns across all events
Ensures OCEANS conference website and planning documents are accurate and up to date
Supports future LOCs in reporting information to the conference sponsors as necessary to comply with applicable organizational policies
Works with OES Student Poster Competition (SPC) Chair, MTS VP of Education, and other contributors and stakeholders to provide consistent guidance to LOC SPC chairs to ensure a smooth program
Collaborates with volunteer groups at both OES and MTS in pursuit of new OCEANS program elements, including, but not limited to OES Young Professionals, MTS Early Career Ocean Professionals, OES Women in Engineering, MTS Women Leadership in Technology and Science, OES Committee on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, MTS Committee for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Attends OCEANS and partner with key-stakeholders to provide an after-action report following the event, focused on programming quality and vendor satisfaction
Other activities as assigned
Education
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience Req
Work Experience
4-7 years Meeting, conference or other event planning Req
Proven Project Management Req
Training and education Req
Skills and Requirements
Excellent organizational skills
Excellent communications skills
Excellent creation and delivery of presentations
Expertise in: On-demand collaboration, online meeting, web conferencing and video conferencing tools
Must demonstrate a sense of responsibility, tactfulness, diplomacy, and discretion as is required to deal with a diverse group of customers
Database management and analysis preferred
Must possess an exceptional ability to multi-task with great attention for detail
Must be an open and transparent communicator
Must be able to accept and apply constructive criticism and yet continue to assert own ideas and maintain creativity and integrity
Must exhibit a positive professional work ethic
Must be a technologically savvy who seeks out technology solutions to business challenges.
Must be experienced in Google Apps and Microsoft Suite
The Marine Technology Society (MTS) believes that advancements in the development and use of marine technologies are essential to support responsible and sustainable use of the oceans. Founded in 1963, we are an international professional society that provides members of academia, government, and industry a common forum for the exchange of information and ideas. Our members are engineers, scientists, technologists, policy makers, and educators on the leading-edge of technology design, development, and application. MTS members work within the full spectrum of ocean and subsea technologies that support sustainable ocean use; ranging from offshore energy to dynamic positioning, ocean robotics to buoys, and many more.