Meetings & Events Manager

This is a 15-month contract, with an immediate start. The role offers hybrid working, with occasional travel to London. Looking for opportunities with purpose, impact and possibilities? Our client, Vertex, is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation. As they grow their pipeline at pace, they are strengthening their reputation for creating transformative medicines for people with serious diseases.

General Summary: The Meetings & Events Manager will be expected to monitor and provide guidance to Preferred Logistics Agencies (PLA) in addition to independent planning and executing a broad range of complex in-person and virtual internal and external meetings, including highly visible engagements for Senior Leadership. The role will advise stakeholders, assist in the development of meeting strategies and guide cross-functional planning teams to ensure meeting logistics and planned activities are aligned and support the overall meeting goals and objectives. The role will work collaboratively with the Global M&E Management Team to identify, build, and propose process efficiencies and best practices for the internal team and PLAs.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leads and executes internal and external face to face and virtual meetings globally, including; venue sourcing, contract negotiations, budgeting, HCP compliance and transfer of value reporting, food & beverage, audio visual production, and on-site execution.
• Provides strategic logistical guidance to stakeholders and cross functional planning teams by implementing support strategies and project plans, defining roles & responsibilities, timelines, and deliverables.
• Drives contract negotiations with hotel, venue, and vendors, securing the best possible terms and cost savings for Vertex.
• Provides superior customer service and support to C-Suite Executives and Senior Leaders on planning and execution of events.
• Good understanding of HCP Compliance and reporting regulations and ability to identify and escalate compliance risks to the Office of Business Integrity & Ethics and Global Spend Transparency while adhering to and implementing guidelines.
• Oversees Preferred Logistics Agencies (PLAs) on ensuring HCP compliance and transfer of value reporting, accuracy of event budget and cost savings, event materials and deliverables, excellent customer service, and flawless event execution.
• Monitors performance and planning metrics of PLAs and provides feedback and process improvement suggestions to GM&E Management.
• Participates in internal team projects and efficiency initiatives.
• Good understanding of industry trends including hospitality, travel, audio visual/production and technology to contribute to recommendations to GM&E Management.
• Ability to travel domestically and globally at least 30-40% of the time.

Knowledge and Skills:

• For roles located ex-US, requires experience working in multi-cultural settings (countries, stakeholder, languages).
• Ability to support relationships globally within all levels of the organization.
• Strong meeting planning experience and meeting planning industry knowledge.
• Effective organization and time management skills, ability to simultaneously keep multiple projects prioritized and moving with multiple stakeholders with tight deadlines and minimal direction.
• Developed contract negotiations skills with understanding of hotel and venue legal and business terms.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to exchange complex meeting details and strategically guide business owners through decision making.
• Skilled in group and individual presentations to stakeholders.
• Experience working with and providing tactical guidance to Logistics Agencies.
• Ability to navigate and be successful in a fast-paced, highly-matrixed work environment.
• Committed to delivering the highest level of customer service.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite.
• Project management experience.
• Pharmaceutical experience.
• Supplier/vendor management experience.
• CMP and or CMM Certification (a plus but not required).
• Prior working knowledge of Cvent Event Management software program.
• For role ex-US, fluent in English, capability in other languages strongly recommended.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Extensive experience related to meeting and event planning, or the equivalent combination of education and experience related to meeting and event planning.