Meeting & Event Planner

Position Summary

The Meeting & Event Planner oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of NAIS events, helping to deliver consistent, high-quality experiences across a broad range of programs. This role manages assigned event logistics projects from timeline development through on-site or virtual execution, coordinating tasks, vendors, budgets, and cross-team communication to ensure events are delivered on time, on budget, and aligned with program goals and audience needs.

Responsibilities

• Lead project management efforts for assigned programs, including timeline development, task tracking, cross-team coordination, and ensuring successful on-time, on-budget delivery.
• Partner with program leads to align logistics execution with content goals and audience needs.
• Support the Director, Event Logistics with the site selection, price negations, and contract process for institutes, workshops, and specialty meetings (Board Meetings, Leadership Retreats).
• Assist the Vice President, Event Logistics and Director, Event Logistics with planning, coordinating, and executing all large-scale conferences, ensuring high-quality attendee experiences and seamless operational delivery.
• Provide input into event budgets and financial forecasting to ensure responsible planning and resource allocation.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of event planning standards, industry best practices, and emerging trends through professional development, seminars, peer networking, and trade publications.
• Ensure consistency and quality across all event experiences, including conferences, institutes, workshops, board meetings, and virtual programming. 
• Contribute to a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement across NAIS. 
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred. 
• 5+ years of progressive experience in event logistics, meeting planning, or related fields. 
• Strong strategic thinking skills with the capacity to develop, communicate, and execute complex tasks across multiple projects, while maintaining a high standard of quality and accuracy.
• Demonstrated knowledge of event-related contracts, including experience leading RFP processes and negotiating contracts with event vendors and venues.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a collaborative team environment.
• Proficiency in event management platforms, Zoom, and Microsoft Office Suite; ability to learn new technologies quickly
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. 

Core Competencies

• Communication: Understand and communicate effectively with others using a variety of contexts and formats, which include writing, speaking, reading, listening and interpersonal skills. 
• Creativity: Generates new ideas, supports change, provides innovative solutions, solves problems creatively. 
• Flexibility: Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to modify one’s preferred way of doing things. 
• Interpersonal Awareness: The ability to notice, interpret, and anticipate others’ concerns and feelings, and to communicate this awareness empathetically to others. 
• Managing Conflict: Listens well, diffuses conflict before it starts, finds solutions to problems in a constructive manner.
• Organization: Sets priorities, creates goals and timetables to complete required tasks or projects. Tracks progress and make necessary adjustments to efficiently complete work. 
• Problem Solving: Breaks down problems into smaller components, can simplify and process complex issues, can identify and understand root cause. 
• Quality: Is attentive to detail and accuracy, is committed to excellence, looks for improvements continuously, monitors quality levels, finds root cause of quality problems, owns/acts on quality problems.

Position Attributes

• HR Role: Individual Contributor
• Status & Classification: Regular, Full-time, Exempt
• Business Unit: Event Logistics
• Supervisor: Director, Event Logistics
• Location: Washington, DC, Remote
• Physical Requirements: Standard office environment. Long periods of sitting; ability to lift 20 pounds.
• Travel: Extensive travel to a variety of events and conferences

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, personal appearance, marital status, family responsibilities, political affiliation, matriculation, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Disclaimer: This document describes the position currently available. It is not an employment contract. NAIS reserves the right to modify job duties or job descriptions at any time, as determined by the needs of the organization.