Role profile

Reporting into the Managing Director in London, this is a maternity cover contract role for the Global Finance portfolio. The Global Finance portfolio hosts 45 events globally, with 30% the US.

Operating within a global, increasingly digital multi-platform media business, the role requires a strategic, commercial and creative leader, designing, project managing and delivering premium events and overseeing the operational direction of the digital platforms.

A truly innovative and commercial focused operations leader will foster positive and collaborative relationships across the business. With laser focus on the market leading products, the Operations Director will role model delivery of exceptional events that differentiate us in the market.

As part of the senior leadership team within Global Finance, the Operations Director will partner with the Managing Director, Commercial Director and Marketing Director in London. The Operations Director will help shape the event strategy then translate the vision, through imaginative design, commercial sense, and detailed planning and project management from concept through to execution onsite.

With exceptional P&L knowledge, including business and budget planning formulation, projections and forecasting, both direct and indirect costs. Using the knowledge of the industry to shape operational decisions.

Success will be reliant on a comprehensive knowledge of the strategic imperatives, researching the wider events market seeking innovative technology and features, mapping the customer journey to deliver impeccable customer experience and project managing each of the leader events from beginning to end with the wider team.

With 10 years+ in large conferences and exhibitions, success will be dependent on clear communication, decisive decision making and ability to successfully manage a global team. The Operations Director will work closely with the Managing Director to identify the optimal structure with operational delivery in London and New York, embedding best practice.

Informa Connect has a clear vision and focus, investing significantly in premium, leader events globally serving the audience needs. We are very clear on our strategy, delivering digitally enhanced customer centric events.

Key Responsibilities

Create

• Strategic planning and development for all events in partnership with the leadership team in line with the strategic Connect planning process.
• Create a culture and structure that reflects the customer centricity of Informa Connects leveraging digital platforms to deliver a premium service to all clients.
• Create a high performing operations team. With integrated training & publishing businesses.  Refocusing and structuring the team to fit the expanding vertical. While managing the personal development plans of individuals and workloads. Looking for efficiencies where necessary

• Empower and develop the operations team, role modelling solution solving, demonstrating resourcefulness in setting priorities and the ability to multi task with a positive mindset.
• Solely responsible for timely, accurate budgeting and forecasting of all event costs within the global portfolio. Partnering with the leadership team will prepare and report with clear accountability, delivery of the monthly forecast. Avail of procurement partnerships delivering cost savings which may be reinvested.

Design

• Lead the Global Finance event industry with creative and innovative solutions to space, branding and networking. Research other industries and events to identify new technologies and products for the events.
• Work closely with the Commercial Director in London to design the spaces and create commercial opportunities. Work with centrally procured suppliers, to significantly improve the experience for our commercial clients and providing new inventory.
• Manage the venue procurement process with the Operations team and event content directors, using knowledge of venues and locations to direct outcomes, with the business needs at forefront of decisions.
• Manage complex contractual arrangements and advises team on managing supplier issues. Able to source new suppliers and proposes new ways of working with existing suppliers to improve efficiencies.
• Develop a customer centric 360 operating model liaising with the content producers, sales and marketing, culminating in a streamlined process in delivering events globally.
• Enhance the customers perception of the event portfolio and delivery, differentiating us from our competitors
• Identify the right products that will meet and enhance the audience needs across the portfolio of events.

Deliver

• Develop a team who will lead, manage and deliver the events from conception to onsite delivery.
• Enhance key customer touch points that will differentiate us from competitors by delivering a professional registration process.
• Clear management and ownership of the customer journey, understanding and managing crowd dynamics with thorough walk-throughs to map out the customer journey, signage, branding and identify commercial opportunities. All will be adequately resourced with clarity of personal touch points and technology enabled.
• Accountable for all Health and Safety for the events in line with Informa Group compliance.
• Organize and lead debriefs post event, to continuously improve the events, and cascade to the operations teams setting future expectations.
• Celebrate the successes and development of the operations team with strong management.
• Clear reporting on the status of delivery of the events managing and escalating risks with clear resolutions for the challenges experienced.

• Set clear structures within the operations team for regular catch ups and performance reviews
• Effective management of the event schedule ensuring the operations team has adequate support and leadership to deliver the events to ensure successful delivery.
• Be in tune with internal relationships within the operations team and with the wider function teams to ensure smooth communication and synergy in project teams. Deal with any issues in a timely manner to ensure the events are never affected
• Encourage a collaborative, professional and fun environment within the team to ensure satisfaction and positivity within the team

Experience Required:

• An established track record of delivering world class events in the B2B or B2C space, conferences, exhibitions and awards.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, with a strong track record of setting accurate annual budgets and reporting accurate monthly forecasting inline with group deadlines, across large scale events and business plans.
• Previously worked closely with product, marketing, commercial, sales and finance.
• Proven collaborative capabilities with both internal stakeholders and external partners
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to flex as appropriate and build strong relationships
• Experience of developing and delivering new ideas, even in the face of long established status quo
• The ability to help create and amend short and medium-term strategies
• Experience in recruiting and managing high performing individuals, motivating and empowering teams.

Candidate Competencies:

• Ambitious, energetic and positive, constantly looking for the upside and ways of making things better
• Ideas generated, able to bring ideas to the table with confidence and deliver them through.
• Charismatic and passionate, able to inspire the operations team and others around them
• Determined and driven – happy to break through barriers and challenge the status quo
• Naturally operate within the values of the organization acting with integrity in order to achieve organizational goals.
• Proactively manage all aspects of the event, someone who is happy getting their hands dirty and takes time to listen to stakeholders.
• Enjoy travelling as global role with substantial travel to the US, and global events.