Director of Conferences and Training

The National Consumer Law Center® (NCLC) is seeking a Director of Conferences and Training to join our talented development team. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Director of Conferences & Training is a key leader in connecting NCLC’s deep consumer law expertise to attorneys and advocates through national conferences and other events that inform, inspire, and engage members of the consumer law community. This role is responsible for managing the project timeline, budget, and a cross-organization conference planning team for multi-day conferences jointly produced by NCLC with the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA), as well as producing training workshops and other special events. The Director is responsible for all aspects of each conference, including sourcing, negotiating, drafting, and signing vendor contracts, overseeing marketing and communications, working with advocates to create each event’s agenda, and more. Responsibilities also include onsite management of conferences and trainings, including coordinating and overseeing the work of hotel and venue staff and vendors.

This is a full time position. The Director of Conferences & Training may be based in Boston, MA, Washington DC, or remotely, with a strong preference for an in-office presence of at least 2 days per week in the Boston office.

Founded in 1969, NCLC is a nonprofit, public interest advocacy organization that seeks to build economic security and family wealth for low-income and other economically disadvantaged Americans. NCLC is a leading source of legal and public policy expertise on consumer issues for lawyers, federal and state policymakers, consumer advocates, journalists, and front-line service providers. For more information, please see our website at www.nclc.org.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conference team and planning leadership
  • Supervise and lead the conference related work of a cross-organization conference planning team of 10 staff
  • Hold team members accountable for meeting deliverables, budgets, and timelines.
  • Schedule and lead all conference planning meetings.
  • Work with curriculum chairs on curriculum timeline, setting deadlines and expectations for internal staff and external speakers.
• Event and Vendor Management
  • Manage on site conference staffing.
  • Schedule and manage all public events, conference sessions, and private meetings happening during conferences.
  • Negotiate contracts and pricing with hotel staff, and act as the primary point of contact for all logistics planning.
  • Conduct hotel site visits.
• Conference Project management and Budgeting
  • Create and manage an approved budget informed by past conferences and future goals.
  • Manage the reporting, tracking, and evaluation of conference information.
  • Manage team members on CLE applications and reporting, language and timeline.
• Sponsorship and Fundraising
  • Manage the entire conference sponsorship process each year, including the creation of benefits, pricing, and collateral with input from sponsorship leads at NCLC and NACA
  • Ensure delivery of obligations to sponsors at events.
• External Engagement and Communication
  • Manage event marketing and develop conference-specific marketing plans and materials, including print materials, emails, social media posts, videos, and website updates in collaboration with team member(s) and/or graphic designers.
  • Communicate regularly with conference speakers on schedule, expectations, and best practices.
  • Serve as a vital link between NCLC’s expert advocates and the wider consumer law community.
  • Coordinate and execute training/engagement opportunities (webinars, video calls, in person meetings when warranted).

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree and Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) certification or equivalent combination of experience and education required; Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM) preferred.
• Minimum of 6 years conference management experience, with heavy emphasis on conference planning; experience managing both in person and virtual events.
• Strong leadership skills with an emphasis on managing, training and coaching across functions.
• Strong project management skills including the ability to manage multiple projects and needs simultaneously and to manage to deadlines.
• Strong computer skills and a general ability to learn and use a range of databases, applications, and programs; experience using event registration and/or other event applications; comfort using Google Docs/Sheets/Forms, particularly for budgeting and formula-driven documents.
• Strong revenue and expense budgeting/forecasting, oversight, and reconciliation skills, with a demonstrated ability to create conference budgets and meet or exceed revenue goals.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Outstanding interpersonal, customer service and relationship-building skills.
• Strong event marketing skills required, including content creation, messaging (print, email, social media), and understanding of best timing practices.
• Demonstrated commitment to working on behalf of disadvantaged individuals and communities

The National Consumer Law Center is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and believes that diversity strengthens our work. Employment decisions are made based on merit and without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, military service or status, veteran status, marital status, genetic information, pregnancy or a condition related to pregnancy, ancestry, political affiliation or beliefs, or any factors unrelated to the skills and qualifications for the position in question. Individuals of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment screening, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to our Human Resources Manager at careers@nclc.org

NCLC offers an outstanding benefits package that includes employer paid medical, dental, life and disability insurance, as well as pre-tax savings plans, a retirement contribution after 1 year of service, and generous paid time off, including holidays, sick time, personal time, paid parental and family leave, and 4 weeks of vacation per year.