Company Name: Takeda
Location: Cambridge, MA
Type: Full Time
Job Description:
The Manager, Meeting Planning position is responsible for planning, supporting, and executing congresses, exhibits and customer-facing meetings aligned to franchise stakeholders from inception to completion, including onsite management. This role will encounter a variety of types of meetings including congresses, exhibits, and customer-facing meetings. He/she will ensure that all meetings and events meet diverse business needs and objectives, and are high quality, compliant and fiscally appropriate. This role covers US Domestic meetings and Events, and will require travel.
Key Responsibilities Include
- Strategic business partner with the franchise and responsible for oversight of all meetings, including
- Understanding their objectives of the business and how that drives the conventions and meetings.
- Annual planning calendar, annual budget development, on-going budget tracking, ensures accurate meeting forecasting and meeting service level expectations are met.
- Oversight to all meetings to ensure they are managed consistently across franchises, and meeting types.
- Manage the execution with preferred management companies for meeting logistics, air travel, production/experiential experiences. Ensure that legal, ethics and compliance policies are adhered to throughout the planning and reconciliation processes.
- Lead the search for venue’s appropriate for meetings and contract according to company guidelines.
- Review registrations websites for attendees to refer for meeting information, as well as register requirements for housing, badges, travel, etc.
- Review working documentation that highlights all logistical specifications.
- Develop comprehensive budget for each meeting project and ensure approved, planned within, and final costs and savings reported.
- Project Management of each meeting project with stakeholders and vendor partners. Providing a timeline of deliverables and set expectations for all parties involved to adhere to.
- Set planning conference calls and maintains ongoing communications to ensure communication between Stakeholders, Content Agency, and Meeting planning.
- Review company policies and be an expert on compliance guidelines and government policies surrounding customer facing meetings. Ensure that ToV reporting for these programs is completed accurately and on-time.
- Meeting assignments will be determined based on the complexity and time requirements. Scope of meetings may require a team of planners to execute certain events, and it will be required for this position to play a supportive role to other team members.
How You Will Contribute
Process
- Support US Commercial Meeting & Event leadership to ensure all meetings are planned and executed according to company policies and our service level agreements
- Share and document best practices and lessons learned to enhance overall functional and business success
- Provide input as needed on external supplier relationships and strategies
- Identify and implement opportunities to improve and optimize meetings and events processes
- Review company policies and be an expert on compliance guidelines and government policies surrounding customer facing meetings. Ensure that ToV reporting for these programs is completed accurately and on-time.
Project Management
- Maintain communications with businesses and assist with forecasting and annual budget planning.
- Execute US Commercial meetings and events strategies by developing and implementing project plans and tracking progress against key metrics.
- Monitor and report on KPIs and metrics management systems to achieve goals and identify areas of improvement
- Maintain working documentation that highlights all logistical specifications and can be provided to confirm expectations with suppliers
- Communicate timely and accurate information and project progress across functional teams to meet deadlines and quality standards
- Set planning conference calls and maintain ongoing communications to ensure communication between Stakeholders, Content Agency, and Meeting planning
- Coordinate logistics for internal and external production companies and vendors to meet customer needs
Cross-Functional
- Maintain ongoing communication with stakeholders / vendors to ensure that project timelines, budget deliverables and project changes are aligned to business needs
- Collaborate with other business functions across marketing operations, finance, professional engagements, procurement, and other functions as necessary
- Offer solutions based on industry expertise to support franchise teams and achieve their meeting objectives
- Proactively provide expertise and training to internal and external clients
Minimum Requirements/Qualifications
- College Degree required
- Minimum of 5 years of related experience in meeting management, hospitality industry experience, project management, accounting or financial management
- Experience working with cross-functional groups and teams to achieve common goals
- Experience with healthcare industry advisory boards, investigator meetings and conventions.
Preferred Requirements
- Vendor selection and management experience
- Knowledge of metrics and data analysis
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
- Cvent or similar SMMP knowledge
- HMCC, CMP and/or CMP-HC
Travel Requirements
- Significant travel including up to 25-30% of any month.
What Takeda Can Offer You
- 401(k) with company match and Annual Retirement Contribution Plan
- Tuition reimbursement Company match of charitable contributions
- Health & Wellness programs including onsite flu shots and health screenings
- Generous time off for vacation and the option to purchase additional vacation days
- Community Outreach Programs
Takeda is proud in its commitment to creating a diverse workforce and providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, genetic information or characteristics, marital status, status as a Vietnam era veteran, special disabled veteran, or other protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, and any other characteristic protected by law.