Senior Manager, Technical Community Engagement and Governance

The Senior Manager of Technical Community Engagement and Governance is charged with two primary areas of responsibility: supporting the volunteers who run Optica’s 51 Technical Groups and managing the governance activities associated with Optica’s Meetings portfolio. Specific to the Technical Groups, this individual will manage the development and growth of our technical communities and develop and maintain relationships with a wide range of volunteers. For the Meetings portfolio, this individual will be charged with efficiently supporting the governance of Optica’s meetings. The ideal candidate will have the ability to effectively work with volunteers, be proactive, have strong project management skills and demonstrate composure, responsiveness, and engagement with Optica’s dynamic and fast paced optics and photonics community.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Serves as Governance Project Manager
   1. Drafts agendas, assists in preparing materials and generate minutes for all governance meetings. Creates reports for Executive Office to include in updates to the Optica Board of Directors.
   2. Maintains and monitors the meetings governance action item register, following up as needed with internal staff and external volunteers to ensure that all action items are completed.
   3. Manages ballots and approval process for regular activities of the Board of Meetings and Meetings Council (e.g. topical meeting chairs, BoM membership, Steering representatives, and endorsed meetings).
   4. Manages the administration of the Steering Committees for all Optica managed meetings, including delivery of quarterly management updates.
   5. Manages endorsed meetings requests, including review, approval and notification.
   6. Maintains rosters and orientation materials for all Meetings governance committees.

1. Manages Optica’s Technical Groups (TG)
   1. Coordinates the annual TG leadership meeting, creating the meeting agenda, and developing and delivering the presentation in partnership with the Senior Director, Technical Program Development and Strategy.
   2. Conducts the annual TG election in Q4, including identifying expiring or inactive chairs, working with IT on technology to support the election process, implementing marketing campaign, and conducting personal outreach
   3. Works with TG leadership to develop and implement strategies and programs focused on outreach and engagement of TG members, utilizing both in person and online community building events and tools.
   4. Conducts TG orientation meetings, updates governance documents, and maintains a consolidated list of activities to generate ideas for future programs.
   5. Develops quarterly and annual reports to present to the Board of Meetings on activities, key metrics and future goals and objectives.

1. Manages Technical Group Events and Technical Community Engagement Specialist
   1. Manages and supervises the activities of the Technical Community Engagement Specialist.
   2. Identifies and, if approved, manages new meeting formats and new workshop opportunities for TG meetings.
   3. Communicates opportunities to host events at Optica events, provides relevant deadlines, and works with internal teams and TG volunteers to identify the best times to schedule in-person events.
   4. Manages all logistics associated with each TG events and benefits including submitting function forms with logistical requirements to meeting planners for all in-person events, crafting event descriptions to be posted on Optica.org, promoting the event through all applicable marketing and TG channels in collaboration with Meetings Marketing and Corporate Communications, creating banners and setting up each event in Optica’s CRM.
   5. Provides TG volunteers with information on event location, setup, point-of contact onsite, banner, suggested invitation language, and RSVP link.

1. Supports the development of effective benchmarks and measures the growth and effectiveness of TGs
   1. Ensures that the TG tracking sheet as well as the yearly webinar and event tracking sheet are completed on time and are accurate.
   2. Create quarterly and annual reports on activities for the Board of Meetings.
   3. Compile data on webinars and Brightcove playbacks for the quarterly Benchmark Report.
   4. Utilize TG tracking sheet and reports to identify the activity level of each group.

1. As needed to balance workload, serve as Program Manager for a Congress annually
   1. Serves as primary committee liaison and responds promptly to inquiries.
   2. Drafts committee planning timeline (per template) and program schedule and obtains sign-off internally and with the committee
   3. Manages committee deliverables, including finalizing scope and topics, committee members selection and invited speaker confirmations, as well as the development of the industry program
   4. Ensures administrative tasks are addressed on timely basis to support overall process, working with the Director of Program Development and outsourced staffing, and connecting with the committee as needed
   5. Manages the sessioning and scheduling process, including any special needs and committee requests are addressed
   6. Collaborates with other staff and departments to ensure events run smoothly.

1. Items 1-4 above represent a list of high-level activities rather than a specific list of tasks associated with this position. All tasks associated with these activities are the responsibility of this position. Other activities and duties may be assigned at any time and are a required part of the role.

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Four-year college degree and 5-7 years work experience, preferably with a scientific society.
2. Significant experience with volunteer management and committee governance.
3. Strong project management skills.
4. Ability to project an outgoing, high energy and collaborative approach with staff and volunteers.
5. Strong written, verbal and problem-solving skills
6. Multi-task oriented and can demonstrate excellent organizational skills.
7. Exceptional interpersonal skills and demonstrated effectiveness working in a team environment.
8. Some travel may be required to select events and meetings.

Optica is an equal employment opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy, disability, religion, marital status, veteran's status, personal appearance, political affiliation, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, matriculation or any other basis prohibited by law.