Manager, Conference Programming

Job Title: Manager, Conference Programming

Reports to: Director of Conferences and Events

Hiring range: $80,000 – $95,000

FLSA Status: Exempt

Job Location: Remote eligible

JOB SUMMARY

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest professional association of its kind for economic development professionals, is seeking a Manager of Conference Programming to develop and coordinate programming content for three major conferences each year. This role requires exceptional project management skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to work effectively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. The Manager of Conference Programming will play a key role in delivering engaging, timely, and relevant content that meets the needs of our growing and diverse membership.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS & KEY OUTCOMES

Content Development

• Lead the development of conference and events agendas, including theme and track development, session planning, speaker outreach, and coordination.
• Drive innovation in event content formats and delivery, ensuring experiences are engaging, inclusive, and world-class.
• Collaborate with members and conference host committees, subject matter experts, and internal IEDC teams to ensure content reflects current trends and member needs.
• Track content performance through post-event surveys, feedback, and analytics to advise future programming.
• Identify and share emerging trends for potential future program inclusion.

Project Management

• Manage multiple concurrent planning timelines, meeting key deadlines across all conferences.
• Maintain program development tracking systems and documentation for internal reporting and post-event analysis.
• Provide regular updates to organizational leadership and colleagues on the status of program development and speaker confirmation.
• Manage conference programming, both pre-conference and onsite by developing scripts, planning and leading the run-of-show, and managing onsite run-throughs with AV.

Speaker Management

• Identify, invite, and coordinate with high-level speakers representing diverse perspectives, including public officials, industry leaders, and thought leaders both before and after conferences.
• Serve as the main point of contact for all invited speakers and moderators throughout the planning and execution process.
• Develop and manage speaker communications, including invitations, briefing materials, logistics details, and deadlines.
• Coordinate speaker prep calls and ensure participants are well-informed and aligned with session goals.
• Collect and organize speaker bios, headshots, session descriptions, and presentation materials.
• Provide high-touch support to speakers onsite, ensuring a positive and professional experience.

Internal and Cross-functional Coordination

• Work closely with the Membership, Research, and Marketing teams to align conference content with organizational goals and promote member engagement.
• Ensure seamless integration of content, marketing, and logistics efforts.
• Coordinate closely with Sponsorship Associate to fulfill sponsor benefits related to program content (e.g., sponsored sessions, speaking opportunities, branding) and proactively identify new sponsor programming.
• Contribute to content for web, email, and social platforms.

Completes other duties and related projects, as assigned.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS

Required qualifications

Education & Credentials:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, events management, hospitality, or related field
• At least five years of experience of program or content management, preferably in a non-profit or association, or in conferences and events for at least 500-1,000 attendees
• Proven track record of designing and implementing high-impact large-scale conferences

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Excellent communications and customer service skills
• Excellent organization and coordination skills and systems
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of external stakeholders, including conference speakers
• Knowledge of protocols in working with elected officials, delegations, and other high-level dignitaries
• Ability to meet deadlines on simultaneous projects with strong attention to detail
• A collaborative and innovative mindset
• Ability to communicate well with people of diverse cultural professional and experiential backgrounds
• Proficiency in cloud-based Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Teams and SharePoint
• Advanced computer literacy in word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, varying databases, and electronic research
• Commitment to the mission and values of IEDC

Preferred qualifications

Education & Credentials:

• Certified Meeting Professional

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Experience in economic development and/or community development issues

COMPENTENCIES

Core Competencies

• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Collaboration & Teamwork
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
• Diplomacy & Confidentiality
• Member & Stakeholder Engagement
• Outcomes & Solutions Oriented
• Program & Project Management
• Technical Expertise & Credibility
• Values & Prioritizes Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)

SALARY & BENEFITS

The expected salary for this position is between $80,000 - $95,000 based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and additional considerations.

IEDC has a generous benefits program that includes health, dental, vision, term life, and disability insurance, plus sick and annual leave, federally recognized holidays, a cell phone benefit, a 401(k) plan, and an annual professional development stipend.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position is eligible for remote work within the United States. Candidates within commuting distance of Washington, DC are considered local and have the option to work from IEDC’s offices. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

In addition, this position requires:

• Occasional weekend and evening work
• Some overnight, out-of-town travel (10-15%)
• Occasional travel to the IEDC office

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to occasionally talk, hear, stoop, bend, kneel, frequently sit for extended periods of time; and continuously operate a computer and use manual dexterity for tasks such as keyboarding. The job requires occasional sedentary physical effort of lifting, pushing, pulling, and carrying objects weighing up to 25 lbs. The mental demands of the job include continuous comprehension, organizing and reading and writing; frequently engage in reasoning, decision making, and interpreting and analyzing data; and occasionally requires resilience.

International Economic Development Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer who encourages applications from women, people of color and other members of underrepresented groups who will contribute to the diversity of its staff.

ABOUT IEDC

IEDC is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization that, for nearly 100 years, has been helping economic developers around the world facilitate economic well-being in their communities. It is the largest organization of its kind supporting this profession.

TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to careers@iedc.org. Applications submitted without cover letters will not be considered.