Meeting and Event Planning Manager (100% Remote)

Education/Training: 4 year degree in Business Management, Hospitality, Hotel Management or equivalent related experience; Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) or Strategic Meeting Management Certification (SMMC) preferred. Related Experience: 5-7 years relevant work experience.

ARE YOU A CURRENT US FOODS EMPLOYEE? PLEASE APPLY DIRECTLY THROUGH OUR INTERNAL WORKDAY CAREER SITE Join Our Community of Food People! Makes key decisions related to meeting design, objectives and content, negotiations, personnel, financial management and contingencies. Sources, plans and executes logistics for company meetings and events with total meeting related spend in excess of $7 million. Maintain a visible role within the organization and to outside parties. This position has been segmented "Remote Anywhere" meaning the work is completed 100% remote anywhere in the U.S. except Hawaii or United States Territories. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Implement strategic meetings management program within USF. Promoting value proposition for current and new meeting planning activities. Develop SOP for USF Meetings to streamline planning and execution. Train Divisions, Corporate and Support office on newly developed processes and polices as well as benefits/cost savings of consolidated event planning. Develop and manage vendor relationships to insure USF has access to a large variety of service and support. Including sourcing, negotiating, and implementing vendor relationships and activities. Review and record all vendor contracts relating to event management for compliance and standardization to USF legal requirements. Work with Legal to develop boiler plate contract language to use with vendors, including Master Service Agreements. Work with key internal stakeholders to determine cost estimates and event budget. Track spending, adherence to budget and ROI; prepare management reports as needed. Manage relationship and coordinate services with supporting suppliers including but not limited to: registration and online enrollment partner, destination management company, catering services, meeting room and audio/visual equipment requirements. Assist in development of internal and external event promotional and preparation materials as needed. Manage event staffing and scheduling; manage outside vendors and staff. Attend events, as appropriate, to direct staff and outside vendors and ensure events are executed in an efficient manner; expedite all problems and emergencies. Coordinate event travel needs with USF Travel department to ensure policy compliance and cost effectiveness. Lead in the development of meeting agendas, objectives and deliverables, organization and logistics to ensure a successful meeting. Discuss meeting venue needs with 3rd party presenters and/or other meeting content facilitators to ensure meeting needs are met. Develop contingency plan to reduce both risk to meeting attendees and reduce financial liability to USF. Function as a subject matter expert in meeting/event planning as a resource to the divisions and support office. Staff, supervise and coach direct reports in the performance of their duties. Overnight travel up to 50% required. SUPERVISION Travel and Expense Assistant RELATIONSHIPS Internal: Division and regional personnel; corporate and support office personnel. External: Vendors and staff, supporting suppliers, 3rd party presenters and/or other meeting content facilitators. QUALIFICATIONS Education/Training: 4 year degree in Business Management, Hospitality, Hotel Management or equivalent related experience; Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) or Strategic Meeting Management Certification (SMMC) preferred. Related Experience: 5-7 years relevant work experience. Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: • Proven knowledge in organizing and managing all logistical aspects of mid to large size meetings / events within multibillion dollar organization. • Experience in working with meeting related sourcing and registration technology. • Excellent planning, organizational and project management skills. • Ability to manage concurrent projects and prioritize tasks. • Working knowledge of hotel industry including evaluating vendors and negotiating contracts. • Proficient in Microsoft Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) • Must be a team player, have strong analytical skills and be able to work under tight time constraints. • Strong communication skills, both oral and written are required. • Must be able to work independently, with an ability to interact and build consensus among people. This role may also receive annual incentive plan bonus.​ ​Benefits for this role may include health insurance, pre-tax spending accounts, retirement benefits, paid time off, short-term and long-term disability, employee stock purchase plan, and life insurance. To review available benefits, please click here: Compensation depends on relevant experience and/or education, specific skills, function, geographic location, and other factors as applicable by law (for example: state or local minimum wage thresholds). The expected base rate for this role is between $75,000 - $120,000 ***EOE – Race/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Age/Genetic Information/Protected Veteran/Disability Status*** Originally posted on Himalayas Event-Planner, Meeting-Planner, Event-Manager, Conference-Event-Planner, Meeting-and-Events-Manager, Meeting-Event-Manager, Virtual-Events-Manager