Please note that this position is based in San Diego, CA, OR Princeton, NJ. Acadia's hybrid model requires this role to work in our office three days per week on average.
Position Summary
The Sr. Manager, Events brings internal meetings and incentive experiences to life — turning business strategy into well-run, memorable programs. You’ll support end-to-end planning and on-site delivery, partner closely with cross-functional teams and vendors, and ensure every event is executed smoothly, compliantly, and within budget.
Primary Responsibilities
- Support end-to-end planning and on-site execution for internal meetings, events, incentive trips, and related programs
- Develop and manage timelines, project plans, budgets, and vendor deliverables
- Source venues, support site selection, and negotiate hotel contracts
- Manage room blocks, rooming lists, no-show reports, and post-event reconciliation
- Manage registration, communication, graphics and signage, and meeting materials
- Coordinate meeting specifications including food and beverage, gifting, production/AV needs, décor, entertainment, and ground transportation
- 40% a month of travel requirement.
Internal Meetings
- Support the planning and execution of meetings from 10-person regional sales meetings to all-company events with 1,000+ attendees
- Source venues and effectively negotiate hotel contracts
- Manage vendor contracts and performance (AV/production companies, DMCs, logistics partners, hotels)
- Own the attendee journey: registration, communications, travel details, on-site execution, and post-event follow-ups
- Provide on-site support to ensure an exceptional experience for all attendees
Incentive Trips:
- Help project manage annual incentive trip calendar, timelines, and budgets; track expenses, and reconcile upon program completion
- Support research and recommendations for extraordinary destinations and venues
- Plan and execute memorable on-the-ground experiences for attendees, including group meals, outings, and activities
- Brainstorm and source attendee gifts and gifting experiences
- Oversee attendee travel arrangements to ensure a VIP experience
- Provide on-site support to ensure an optimal attendee experience
- Track winner awards and rewards; report relevant information to Acadia Finance to ensure compliance with internal policies and procedures
Congresses & Conferences:
- Provide occasional on-the-ground support for medical congresses and conferences in support of Acadia’s congress-planning leads
Education/Experience/Skills:
Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of relevant education and applicable job experience. A minimum of 5+ years’ experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries in progressively responsible meeting planning positions, including meetings, congresses, and incentive trips.
Must possess:
- Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation
- Cvent certification or comparable experience with Cvent Event Management, Attendee Hub, and Venue Sourcing modules
- Experience independently managing pre to post-event requirements for internal meetings of 30 – 50 attendees; Experience supporting meeting planning for internal meetings of 250+ attendees
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- MS Office proficiency in Copilot, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel
- Understanding of Regulatory, Legal and Medical requirements for pharmaceutical marketing/events
- Effective interpersonal skills and the ability to lead without authority
- Strong organizational abilities and detail orientation
- Ability to prioritize effectively to manage multiple programs at one time
- Excellent budget management skills
- Experience negotiating hotel contracts
- Self-direction and a sense of urgency
- Flexibility, adaptability, and solution-orientation; able to pivot without skipping a beat
- Ability to thrive in an environment of growth and continual improvement
#LI-HYBRID #LI-CA1
In addition to a competitive base salary, this position is also eligible for discretionary bonus and equity awards based on factors such as individual and organizational performance. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance, and location.
What we offer US-based Employees:
- Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
- 401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
- 15+ vacation days
- 13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
- 10 days of paid sick time
- Paid parental leave benefit
- Tuition assistance
EEO Statement (US-based Employees): Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications in the exact way they are described in job postings. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and innovative company, and we are looking for the BEST candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background or may meet the qualifications in a different way. We strongly encourage you to apply, especially if the reason you are the best candidate isn’t exactly what we describe here.
It is the policy of Acadia to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to considerations of race, including related to hairstyle, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender transition, country of origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, legally-protected medical condition or information, marital status, domestic partner status, family care status, military caregiver status, veteran or military status (including reserve status, National Guard status, and military service or obligation), status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, enrollment in a public assistance program, or any basis protected under federal, state or local law.
As an equal opportunity employer, Acadia is committed to a diverse workforce. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. Furthermore, you may request additional support if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access Acadia’s career website due to your disability, along with any accommodations throughout the interview process. To request or inquire about your reasonable accommodation, please complete our Reasonable Accommodation Request Form or contact us at [email protected] or 858-261-2923.
Please note that reasonable accommodations granted throughout the recruiting process are not guaranteed to be the same accommodations given if hired. A new request will need to be submitted for any ADA accommodations after starting employment.
California Applicants: Please see Additional Information for California Residents within our Privacy Policy.
Canadian Applicants: Please see Additional Information for Canadian Residents within our Privacy Policy.
Applicants in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Serbia: Please see Additional Information for Individuals in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Serbia within our Privacy Policy.
Notice to Search Firms/Third-Party Recruitment Agencies (Recruiters): The Talent Acquisition team manages the recruitment and employment process for Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Acadia”). Acadia does not accept resumes from recruiters or search firms without an executed search agreement in place. Resumes sent to Acadia employees in the absence of an executed search agreement will not obligate Acadia in any way with respect to the future employment of those individuals or potential remuneration to any recruiter or search firm. Candidates should never be submitted directly to our hiring managers or employees.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
- Minimum 5 years' experience in meeting planning
- Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation
- Cvent certification or comparable experience
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- MS Office proficiency
- Strong organizational abilities and detail orientation
- Excellent budget management skills
- Experience negotiating hotel contracts
What We Do
Our Acadia family of care-ageous warriors aspire to enable brighter moments for patients and their loved ones. For 30 years, we have been working at the forefront of healthcare to bring vital solutions to people who need them most. We developed and commercialized the first and only approved therapies for hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis and for the treatment of Rett syndrome. Our clinical-stage development efforts are focused on treating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and neuropsychiatric symptoms in central nervous system disorders. Important Notice for Candidates - Be Aware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activity Acadia Pharmaceuticals has become aware of fraudulent recruiting activity being circulated via email and LinkedIn by individuals impersonating Acadia Talent Acquisition employees. These communications may appear legitimate due to an official-looking Acadia email address or website, referencing of an actual recruiter and/or manager at Acadia (easily found on LinkedIn), and/or offer documents falsely signed by an Acadia executive. The impostor uses the incentive of a job interview and job offer to solicit sensitive personal information from the intended victim. Please note that the Acadia Talent Acquisition and HR Team will ONLY interact with a candidate from "Acadia-pharm.com" domain sourced emails. We do not request sensitive personal information, such as a Social Security Number, or payments of any kind during the interview or job offer process. Acadia strongly recommends individuals, who receive email solicitations, to carefully verify the authenticity of the correspondence before responding. Never provide personal information or click on links if you are unsure a communication’s legitimacy. If in doubt, please contact [email protected] to verify.
