Event Support Specialist

Appointment Type: Full-Time Regular (FTR)

Location: Oak Ridge, TN

*Salary Range: $63,918 – $88,934

PURPOSE:

The Event Support Specialist will work with Project Managers in the planning and execution of peer reviews, scientific meetings, and technical workshops. Ensures events run efficiently from pre-planning through post-event follow-up. Responsible for ensuring all Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) procedures, policies, and regulations are met and maintained within the activity. Participates with other peer review managers and other ORISE and ORAU staff in planning and developing activities for peer review and the broader ORISE/ORAU organization.

Meeting Support

• Serves as a liaison between ORAU and contracted facilities and/or properties.
• Works collaboratively with Procurement and subcontractors to ensure contracts meet the needs of the scientific meetings and are executed within ORISE and ORAU guidelines and policies.
• Manages event timelines, checklists, budgets, and post-event reports.
• Responsible for event logistics, audio visual, menu planning, banquet event orders (BEOs), rooming lists, vendor management, event management, layout planning, ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory requirements, and invoice reconciliation.
• Ensures all event details are in place before onsite team travels to event and trouble-shoots any issues that may arise while they are onsite.
• Assists with on-site execution for larger meetings, as requested.

Customer Service

• Promotes customer focus and meeting customer needs.
• Organizes activities to meet business objectives.
• Maintains frequent customer contact to ensure work is acceptable and timely.
• Maintains relationships with existing properties.
• Works to ensure customers understand the ORAU business model as it pertains to executing meetings and events for ORAU.

Financial Management

• Coordinates with internal customers to determine funding needs and ensures adequate funding is available before expenditure commitments are made.
• Prepares budgets and control expenditures in accordance with agreed upon deliverables and ORISE and ORAU requirements.

Miscellaneous

• Works collaboratively with ORAU procurement office and General Counsel.
• Represents peer review in cross-organizational initiatives, reviews, issue resolution, and corrective actions.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Bachelor’s degree and three to five years of job-related experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience performing duties as described may be substituted for the minimum requirements.

• Ability to work with vendors, clients, and internal teams efficiently and effectively.
• Experience executing all aspects of large- and small-scale events which includes logistics, audio visual, menu planning, vendor management, event management, customer relations, and on-site support.
• Event management and coordination experience preferred.
• Certified Meeting Planner certification is preferred.
• Certified Government Meeting Professional certification is preferred.
• Ability to work in the office at the Oak Ridge, TN campus for a minimum of 50% of the work week with some weeks requiring additional time in the office.
• Knowledge of event planning, management, and coordination for peer reviews and other scientific meetings.
• Attention to detail is required.
• Ability to work at a fast tempo for extended periods.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills are required.
• Ability to interact effectively with all levels of ORAU staff, customers, and event venue staff.
• Knowledge of ORAU/ORISE business operations, government contract regulations, and best practices is preferred.
• Knowledge of grants management/peer review and meeting logistics operations is preferred.
• Excellent organizational and personal time management skills are required.
• Ability to manage and track multiple activities for meeting support services group.

*The candidate’s starting salary will be determined upon hire and ORAU will use salary survey data, internal comparators, and the candidate’s qualifications to determine salary.

TOTAL REWARDS:

ORAU has a strategic approach to providing total rewards to employees through a fair, equitable, and competitive total compensation package. The goal of our total rewards system is to integrate compensation, benefits, work-life balance, performance, recognition, development, and career opportunities to attract, engage, and retain the talent required to achieve ORAU’s business objectives. The benefit component of our total rewards program supports business goals by offering the following benefits based on employee eligibility:

• Legally required benefits
• Group Health insurance including: Medical, Prescription, Dental, and Vision
• Retirement plan contribution matching
• Disability insurance
• Group life insurance
• Travel Accident Insurance
• Section 125 reimbursement accounts
• Other voluntary employee paid benefit and insurance offerings

The ORAU total reward package also promotes work-life balance. Mindful of the need for employees to care for themselves and their families, ORAU offers the following additional work-life benefits based on employee eligibility:

• Telework
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Flexible work schedules or compressed work weeks
• Occupational Health and Wellness Programs
• Employee Assistance Program