Assistant Director, Strategic Meetings (51638)

WHY JOIN AGU

Our employees are our most valuable assets! You will feel welcomed and supported from the moment you join our team, and you will take part in strengthening and evolving our workplace culture.
We offer work-life balance and innovative benefits.

• Work-life balance: remote-first organization, flexible work hours, unlimited PTO, Summer Fridays off, paid holidays, military leave, parental leave.
• Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, life Insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, wellness, tuition reimbursement, 403(b) retirement plan, FSA, HSA, theft protection, personal and professional development, and much more.

WHO WE ARE
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) supports a global community of more than half a million professionals and advocates in the Earth and space sciences.
Through broad and inclusive partnerships, AGU aims to advance discovery and solution science that accelerates knowledge and creates solutions that are ethical, unbiased, and respectful of communities and their values. Our programs include serving as a scholarly publisher, convening virtual and in-person events, and providing career support. We live our values in everything we do, such as our net-zero energy renovated building in Washington, D.C., and our Ethics and Equity Center, which fosters a diverse and inclusive geoscience community to ensure responsible conduct.

This is an exciting time to work at AGU. Every day we approach our work with a sense of purpose, and we look for others who share that passion and desire for a career with impact.

WHO YOU ARE

As the Assistant Director, Strategic Meetings, you are responsible for the planning, coordination, and delivery of the organization’s strategic and specialty meetings portfolio. You will provide day-to-day leadership for a diverse set of meetings that vary in size, format, and audience, ensuring consistent quality, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals.

Operating as a peer leader to the Assistant Director, Annual Meeting, you will provide cross-coverage and shared operational support across the meetings portfolio while maintaining primary accountability for strategic and specialty meetings.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Strategic & Specialty Meetings Leadership

• Lead the end-to-end planning and execution of strategic and specialty meetings, including timelines, logistics, staffing, vendor coordination, and onsite delivery.
• Coordinate across the AGU enterprise for assigned meetings, ensuring each event is appropriately scoped, resourced, and delivered to standard.
• Working with volunteer leaders, partners and AGU departments, guide meeting format, delivery model, and operational approach decisions based on goals, audience, and resources.
• Provide data and documentation of meeting strategies and key data points for internal and external audiences.
• Collaborate with Meetings Department leadership, other Departments, and the volunteer leadership, including the Meetings Committee, to co-design strategic and specialty convenings that advance the AGU mission.

Cross-Portfolio Collaboration

• Operate as a peer partner to the Assistant Director, Annual Meeting, providing cross-coverage, shared planning support, and continuity across the meetings portfolio.
• Contribute to shared tools, templates, timelines, and best practices used across all meetings.
• Support Annual Meeting planning and onsite execution as needed to ensure coverage and continuity.

Budget & Resource Management

• Create and manage budgets for strategic and specialty meetings in coordination with meetings leadership, ensuring fiscal discipline and transparency.
• Monitor expenses, forecasts, and resource allocation across the portfolio.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and scalability across meetings of varying size and complexity.

Vendor & Venue Management

• Lead relationships with venues, production partners, and service providers supporting strategic and specialty meetings.
• Negotiate and manage contracts in alignment with organizational policies and risk tolerance.
• Ensure vendor performance meets agreed-upon standards and timelines.

Operational Excellence & Risk Management

• Develop and maintain operational plans appropriate to each meeting’s scope, including staffing models, safety and security considerations, accessibility, and contingency planning.
• Ensure on-site staff and remote support staff are trained and informed about strategic and specialty meetings..
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, contractual obligations, and governance requirements.
• Serve as a point of escalation during onsite operations for assigned meetings.

Onsite Leadership

• Provide visible leadership during strategic and specialty meetings, supporting staff, vendors, speakers, and attendees.
• Resolve issues efficiently while maintaining focus on attendee experience and meeting objectives.
• Lead post-event debriefs and documentation of lessons learned.

Continuous Improvement

• Partner with the Director of Meeting Experience, AGU departments and volunteer leaders to incorporate attendee insights, data, and feedback into meeting planning.
• Apply lessons learned across meetings to improve consistency and quality.
• Support innovation in meeting formats and delivery models that can scale across the portfolio.

• Performs other duties as required or assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING

• 5+ years of experience in event design and development.
• Management experience in a membership organization, with responsibility for strategy and innovation.
• Experience in implementing new strategies and programs.
• Experience developing and managing budgets.
• Strategic thinking and ability to independently translate vision and aspirations into executable plans.
• Strategic planning and business development knowledge
• Experience in partnership development and management.
• Effective written, verbal, and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated application of creative approaches to strategic enhancements, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Professional interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Attention to detail with an ability to multitask under pressing deadlines.
• Computer skills: Microsoft Office, specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
• Ability to exercise discretion on both internal and external confidential matters, and maintain confidentiality, including but not limited to strategic planning initiatives, contracts, budgeting, and personnel matters.
• Ability to identify emerging trends in scientific conferences and events.
• Background in creating strategic partnerships and collaborations.
• The ability to travel 20% of the time, with some trips spanning up to 12 consecutive days.

AGU ESSENTIAL VALUES

• Accountability: Own it.
• Excellence: Give your all.
• Member & Customer Service: Members & Customers first.
• Teamwork: Together everyone achieves more.
• Respect-Earn it and give it.
• Integrity- Do the right thing.

HIRING SPECIFICS

• We understand that it is unrealistic for candidates to fulfill 100% of the criteria listed in a job posting. However, we encourage you to apply if you meet many of the requirements because we know that skills evolve. If you are willing to learn and evolve alongside us, join our team!

• Full Time, Exempt position. This remote role is open to candidates living in many U.S. states (excluding WA, OR, and CA at this time).
• The salary range for this position is Min- $89,959, Mid $119,945, Max $149,931
• AGU will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
• Work Authorization: We will not sponsor applicants for work visas in the US.
• We care deeply about fairness so you can be ensured that your application will never be judged based on religious belief, age, color, race, creed, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnic origin, or disability.
• Veterans and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
• We are committed to providing an inclusive interview experience. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the interview process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.