Sr. Project Manager, Meetings & Events

QED-C, the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, is an industry association with the mission to grow the quantum economy through community-building and collaboration. QED-C currently serves over 250 member organizations operating in more than 20 countries. QED-C seeks an experienced Project Manager to grow the association's meeting & event offerings into a profitable, million-dollar line of business that advances QED-C's strategic goals to: engage & empower members, be the voice of the quantum industry, and inform & influence policy. This position is a part of a tight-knit management team, reports to the QED-C Deputy Director, and is responsible for strategic, operational, and financial leadership of QED-C's event offerings, including conferences, tech expos, trade delegations, technical workshops, educational webinars, and networking functions.

Strategy

Develop, maintain, and implement an organization-level events strategy and policies that advance QED-C in its mission and strategic goals.
• Engage with volunteer leadership to develop and implement event-specific strategies (both collectively and individually) in line with the QED-C mission and strategic goals toward objectives of increasing member satisfaction and engagement in the first year.
• Manage event pricing and sponsorship to achieve and sustain net-positive revenue from signature events within three years.

Planning

• Responsible for overall events P&L; develop and maintain budgets for all events.
• Lead the planning and execution of in-person, hybrid, and virtual QED-C meetings & events. Oversee scheduling of meetings & events throughout the year. Collaborate with membership, operations, marketing, and volunteer liaison teams on association event programming, activities, and collateral to ensure a cohesive, positive experience.
• Develop an annual sponsorship prospectus. Cultivate sponsors and exhibitors that provide value to participants and to QED-C.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to perform venue selection and logistics activities, including BEO and guarantees, A/V, room set, and determining and communicating signage and promotional material collateral requirements.
• Develop and maintain event project plans, documentation, production schedules, and checklists.
• Manage stakeholder pre-event meetings and calls including kick-off, regular check-ins, and run-of-show; send post-meeting summaries and follow up on action items.
• Coordinate with speakers and presenters to arrange prep calls; collect bios, headshots, and presentations; communicate event logistics; and follow-up.
• Organize and schedule the shipment of materials to/from events.

Administration

• Negotiate and manage agreements and relationships with vendors/contractors supporting QED-C events, coordinating with internal stakeholders.
• Manage all aspects of event registration including creation of registration form/pages; monitoring registrations for accuracy and completeness; providing registration assistance to VIPs, speakers, and sponsors; reporting on sold vs. capacity; and badge creation.
• Maintain the inventory of event-related items and order supplies and promotional items.
• Perform post-event follow-ups: deploy satisfaction surveys, process invoices, distribute conference materials and presentations, and process cancellations and refunds according to event policy.
• Maintain event-related statistics for use in reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Respond to general association and event-related inquiries.
• As this line of business grows, may hire and supervise one or more staff.

Execution

• Serve as on-site liaison for vendors/contractors.
• Manage on-site registration and logistics; ensure staffing of critical support areas on-site, including registration desk and in-room A/V support; conduct tech checks; coordinate and manage set-up, tear-down, packing, and other event assistance as needed; oversee placement of signage and collateral.
• Launch and staff virtual events.

• Bachelor's degree and minimum 10 years of relevant experience OR minimum 15 years of experience with progressive responsibilities in events management.
• Proficiency with the following business software:
  • Project management software (e.g., Asana)
  • Event registration platforms (e.g., Eventbrite)
  • Virtual meeting and webinar systems (e.g., Zoom)
  • Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets (conditional formatting, pivot tables, etc.)
  • CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce or HubSpot)
  • BI tools (e.g., Strategy One)
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage vendors/contractors/staff and balance multiple projects.
• Proven ability to communicate clearly and effectively to coworkers, volunteers, and stakeholders at all levels both orally and in writing.
• Customer-oriented demeanor.
• Curiosity and a willingness to learn, contribute, and grow in a startup-like environment.
• Solutions-oriented critical thinker who performs well under pressure in the middle of a large event.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Master's degree in business administration, hospitality, or a related field.
• Current CMP or CAE credentials.

Work Environment:

• Metro-accessible office location in Rosslyn, VA.
• Hybrid work schedule with in-office work, a minimum of 3 days per week. Flexible work hours (e.g., 9/80 schedule) are possible.
• A professional, fast paced "startup" environment; crises are rare, but event days are busy.
• Approximately 25% travel (some international).
• Occasional work outside regular business hours, particularly leading up to and during events.

The salary range is: $114,813-$152,127. Salary ranges will vary and are based on several factors, including geographic location, market competitiveness and equity amongst internal employees in similar roles. Positions may also qualify for SRI's Pay for Outstanding Performance program or the annual Performance Based Compensation program. SRI also has a competitive benefits package, to view details please go to https://www.sri.com/resources/benefits/. SRI will accept applications until the position is filled.

SRI is an independent nonprofit research institute headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., with a rich history of supporting government and industry. We create and deliver world-changing solutions for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future. For more than 75 years, we have collaborated across technical and scientific disciplines to discover and develop groundbreaking products and technologies and bring innovations and ideas to the marketplace.