Associate Director, Meeting Planning and Event Technology (Rockville)

The Associate Director, Meeting Planning and Event Technology is a leadership role and is responsible for overseeing corporate meetings, event technology, and the FINRA Strategic Meeting Management Program (SMMP). SMMP ensures enterprise-wide meetings and events align with the company’s mission, strategy, and priorities. This position manages a team of individual contributors and is accountable for complex multifaceted meetings.

Event Technology

• Oversee and manage all cross‑departmental integrations into the Cvent technology system(s). Facilitate productive operations to share information and processes efficiently through multiple system sources such as Single Sign On, Workday, Deem Travel, conference virtual platforms, mobile apps, Post, and URL branding. Develop and maintain best practices to improve fiscal transparency, standards, and practices.
• Lead the implementation, productivity, and efficiency measures for FINRA’s meeting planning technology software, tools, and resources. Provide direction necessary to continue the development and growth of SMMP.
• Develop and implement the meeting technology roadmap to initiate new processes, create efficiencies, and collaborate across FINRA lines of business.
• Serve as the Virtual Technology Specialist for revenue‑generating conferences that use virtual and mobile applications. This role includes project management between FINRA groups and platform vendors, initiates APIs to provide secure transfer of information, and serves as virtual producer for live‑stream sessions.
• Maintain best practices to improve fiscal transparency, standards, and practices.
• Lead key stakeholders in identification and review of new software products that enhance department efficiencies and effectiveness. Evaluate business impact and present options to leadership that best fit business needs.
• Partner with the FINRA cyber‑security and data privacy teams to ensure meeting technology vendors, as well as departmental processes, are in compliance with FINRA policy and procedures.
• Implement the development of metrics and standards for the department of technology, including Single Sign‑On, Concur Travel, conference app integration, POST URL branding, and maintaining private domain account.
• Manage and support team in day‑to‑day responsibilities to execute the goals and priorities of the program. Promote daily prioritization of workload, coordinate program intake, and support registration using on‑demand badge printing and attendance‑tracking system.
• Manage and develop ongoing training and materials for key users of meeting technology.
• Integrate FINRA spending codes, Workday feed, within meeting technology platform for budget planning to provide reporting and accruals in coordination with financial management team.
• Manage the supplier network and leverage strategic vendor and technology contracts to drive higher cost/benefit ratios and positive financial results for FINRA.
• In‑person work required for week of FINRA annual conference.

Team Management & Meeting Planning

• Supervise and lead the meeting planning team, providing day‑to‑day oversight, guidance, and support to ensure efficient operations and high‑quality event delivery.
• Assign and distribute meetings, events, and project responsibilities.
• Project manage complex meetings, events, and conferences from conception to completion, overseeing all aspects including program structure, cross‑department collaboration, site selection, contract negotiation, hotel rooming list, food & beverage, vendor management, on‑site management, event design and signage, registration, technology solutions, and post‑conference financial and attendee reporting.
• Accountable for developing and managing multi‑faceted budgets for revenue‑generating meetings, ensuring cost‑effective planning and execution.
• Independently negotiate numerous vendor contracts, including hospitality services (incorporating FINRA Legal addendum), technology systems, and exhibitor contract management.
• Select and manage conference virtual platform and mobile application to enhance attendee engagement and provide high‑quality experiences.
• Oversee the entire exhibitor management process for revenue‑producing conferences, creating policies and guidelines with OGC, managing floor plans, logistics, signage, and payment collection.
• Coordinate external speaker/committee travel guidelines and approve expenses.
• Adapt and scale program objectives to meeting and venue requirements.
• Manage the execution of marketing materials to support meetings, including presentations, customized signage, session collateral, and media scripts.
• Strategically develop meeting goals, objectives, and program with key stakeholders.
• Interfere with internal key stakeholders, invited guests and management committee during events.

Additional Responsibilities

• Demonstrate FINRA’s values.
• Collaborate, both in‑person and virtually, in furtherance of FINRA’s mission of investor protection and market integrity.
• Other duties as required.

Education/Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communications, Technology, or other related field plus a minimum of eight (8) years of meetings management, event management, project management, hospitality experience and/or IT‑related roles, or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) required. Cvent Certification required.
• Expertise in technologies and software, including Microsoft Office Suite and Cvent, with proven aptitude for learning new technologies.
• Advance verbal and written communication skills.
• Previous experience using Cvent to manage a strategic meeting management program of similar scale up to 3,000‑person events and exhibits.
• Must have experience in negotiating 3rd‑party vendor contracts and legal addenda.
• In‑depth knowledge of virtual event production, audio‑visual industry, equipment, webcasting and multi‑casting.
• Must maintain professionalism in a high‑pressure, fast‑paced environment.
• Must be flexible, creative, and capable of troubleshooting and developing alternative plans on the go.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills.
• Experience managing or leading a team preferred.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid work environment, with defined in‑person presence requirements.
• Professional, highly visible, and fast‑paced environment.
• Travel required and extended work hours.

For work performed in CO, FL, TX, IL, PA, MA, MD, VA, Washington, DC, NY, and NJ, salary ranges are:
CO/FL/TX: Minimum Salary $114,200, Maximum Salary $207,200
IL/PA: Minimum Salary $125,900, Maximum Salary $228,000
MA/MD/VA/Washington, DC: Minimum Salary $131,200, Maximum Salary $238,300
NY/NJ: Minimum Salary $131,200, Maximum Salary $248,700

Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Non‑exempt employees are also eligible for overtime pay in accordance with federal, state, or local law. As part of its dedication to employee wellness, FINRA provides comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance. Additional insurance includes basic life, accidental death and dismemberment, supplemental life, spouse/domestic partner and dependent life, short‑ and long‑term disability, long‑term care, business travel accident, disability and legal. FINRA offers immediate participation and vesting in a 401(k) plan with company match and eligibility for participation in an additional FINRA‑funded retirement contribution, tuition reimbursement, commuter benefits, and other benefits that support employee wellness such as adoption assistance, backup family care, surrogacy benefits, employee assistance, and wellness programs.

FINRA encourages its employees to focus on their health and wellness through a generous time‑off program of 15 days of paid time off, 5 personal days, and 9 sick days unless otherwise required by law. Employees also receive two volunteer service days, military leave, jury duty leave, bereavement leave, voting and election official leave for federal, state or local primary and general elections, care of a family member leave (available after 90 days of employment), and childbirth and parental leave (available after 90 days of employment). Full‑time employees receive nine paid holidays.

FINRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to any legally protected category, including race, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, sex, or any other status or classification protected by state or local law.