Senior Events Specialist

Professional learning plays a key role in the organization's mission. It is driven by the need to develop, pilot, implement and maintain policies, procedures, programmes and resources targeted at improving the quality of administering, coordinating, teaching and delivering the IB programmes.

The PDD team manages the planning and delivery of all educator professional learning workshops, hosting over 10,000 + workshop participants in hotels and schools across each region.

The PDD Events Specialist oversees all aspects of professional development events (i.e. regional scheduled and on-demand) and other IB events as requested by leadership, from inception to execution, which include but are not limited to budgeting, all third party vendor negotiations, audio visual planning, on-site registration, manage printing workshop material process, and primary IB on-site leader ensuring the standards of quality defined by the IB and fulfilling stakeholders professional development needs are met.

This position requires up to 30% of travel typically over weekends.

Operations

• Serves as the logistics and delivery lead for virtual, online, and blended delivery models, by monitoring and updating the team with virtual events process and platform usage.
• Manages mobile app process for regional events.
• Assisting and review of registration build, IB website and partner with Salesforce Superuser to enhance cross-departmental integration and efficiency in Salesforce.
• Executes the pre-planning and on-site delivery of IBEN Training
• In collaboration with Product Channel owner, develops process documents in support of new delivery models.
• Supports special projects as assigned.

Event Planning and Management

• Executes the pre-planning and delivery of events which can encompass face to face, online, and virtual delivery modes for both scheduled and school requested events
• Manage logistic planning and monitor budgeting for each event to the agreed KPIs and quality assurance scores
• Develop comprehensive communication plans articulating expectations, logistics, and deadlines with key stakeholders such as workshop leaders, venue liaison, participants, exhibitors, and staff.
• Continuous oversight of assigned event venue capacities and proactively collaborating with the Logistics Manager on workshop offerings (i.e. cancelling low enrolment sessions, combining categories, opening of additional sessions); resulting in effective learning environments while maximizing revenue.
• Serve as primary IB on-site leader (face to face and virtually), managing all situations by making quick decisions for IB participants and workshop leaders, including implementing IB's emergency plans as required.
• Ensure that each event is branded with IB PD materials and any sponsors/exhibitors are compliant with IB promotion policies
• As assigned, provide coverage to other team members.

Financial Management

• Monitor compliance of contract terms and procurement process.
• Under direction from the Logistics Manager, secure third-party vendors contracts, including hotels, to minimize event costs while still meeting high standards of quality, as measured by IB quality assurance framework
• Responsible for adhering to established budgets to ensure best value for money and compliance with financial guidelines.
• Collaborate with the procurement finance team to set up new vendors and oversee the review, coding and processing of invoices.
• Maintain CRM on key event metrics, including attendance, sleeping room pick up, evaluations of venue services, expense/revenue, etc.
• Recommend and price out logistics requirements for new delivery models.

Travel and Hotel Management

• Support Logistics Manager on assigned hotel venue procurement.
• Collaborate with the Educator Support Specialist to ensure logistics for workshop leaders, field reps as well as office staff (if needed) have accurate travel arrangements.
• Manage hotel rates, room block, and master