Director, CES Digital Platforms

Basic Function of the Position:

The Product Owner is the organization's accountable owner for CES system performance, reliability, and strategic alignment. This is a business leadership role with deep platform fluency - the ideal candidate combines strong stakeholder instincts, sound vendor judgment, and the credibility to make and defend platform decisions in a complex, multi-team environment.


Critical Duties and Responsibilities:

Platform Portfolio Ownership & Roadmap

• Own and maintain the CES platform roadmap, prioritizing work based on organizational value, operational risk, and show-critical timing.
• Serve as the accountable owner for CES system performance, reliability, and continuous improvement across all systems managed by the CES Platforms Team.
• Define success criteria for platform initiatives and track progress against them.
• Establish clear ownership, documentation standards, and support models for all systems managed by the CES Platforms Team.
• Make or facilitate decisions on system changes, vendor selections, and platform investments.

Business Partnership & Requirements Management

• Partner with Marketing, Conferences, Sales, Finance, Operations, Data & Analytics, and IT to understand business needs and translate them into actionable requirements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders on CES system capabilities, tradeoffs, and investment decisions.
• Act as subject matter expert and strategic advisor for CES systems managed by other teams.
• Prioritize system enhancements based on enterprise value, attendee and exhibitor experience, and operational risk.

Vendor & Contract Management

• Own vendor relationships, contracts, renewals, and performance management for all systems managed by the CES Platforms Team.
• Lead platform selection processes including requirements definition, vendor evaluations, and RFPs as needed.
• Hold vendors accountable to SLAs, timelines, and quality expectations through active, ongoing engagement.
• Maintain collaborative, informed communication with system vendors throughout the year.

Governance, Change & Release Management

• Establish and maintain governance for acquiring, configuring, and modifying CES business applications.
• Own change management and release coordination, particularly during critical CES work cycles.
• Communicate system changes, anticipated downtime, and release timelines to affected teams in a timely and clear manner.
• Reduce operational risk during peak periods through disciplined planning and execution.

Team Leadership

• Directly manage the Integration Engineer, providing clear priorities, coaching, and support.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with IT, Data & Analytics, and business teams across CTA.
• Represent the CES Platforms team in organizational planning and technology discussions.

Work Experience:

Required

• 7-10 years of experience in business systems, product management, enterprise applications, or a closely related role.
• Demonstrated ownership of SaaS business platforms in a complex, multi-stakeholder organization.
• Strong experience in business partnership, requirements management, and cross-functional stakeholder communication.
• Proven vendor management experience, including contract oversight and performance accountability.
• Experience leading or managing technical team members, formally or informally.
• Excellent prioritization, communication, and judgment in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.

Preferred

• Experience as a Product Owner or Product Manager in an enterprise context, with demonstrated ability to manage a platform backlog and make prioritization decisions under competing demands.
• Background in associations, events, trade shows, or similarly time-critical operating environments.
• Familiarity with data integration, reporting, and analytics considerations.
• Experience in environments transitioning from fragmented or decentralized system ownership to centralized governance.
• Experience with Eventbase, MapYourShow, EventPoint, or similar event technology platforms.

Education/Training:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Business Administration, Computer Science, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
• Product management certifications (e.g., CSPO, PSPO) are a plus.