Description

Assistant Director, Conferences & Events
American Alliance of Museums
Arlington, Virginia, United States (Hybrid)

About the Alliance

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) supports all museums across the United States, including aquariums, zoos, historic sites, parks, and gardens. Serving over 30,000 members—museums, museum professionals, and companies that support the sector—the Alliance is the largest national museum organization in the U.S. We advance the field through four core pillars: Learning; Building and Connecting Community; Advocacy; and Practice Management.

AAM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with an annual operating budget of $10M and a staff of 35, headquartered in Arlington, VA. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

The Opportunity

The Assistant Director, Conferences & Events leads the planning, production, and execution of AAM’s flagship events—including the AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Museum Advocacy Day, and the virtual Museum Summit. This role ensures AAM programs inspire, educate, and connect museum professionals in the U.S. and abroad while advancing AAM’s strategic goals.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Learning, the Assistant Director oversees all aspects of AAM’s conferences and meetings with a focus on abstract management, presenter engagement and management, audiovisual (AV) production, and general session management. The position blends strategic vision with operational excellence and requires a passion for creating innovative, inclusive, and meaningful experiences that reflect AAM’s brand and mission.

Team size: 3
Direct reports: 1 (Sr. Manager, Meetings & Events)
Your Role in Action

Strategic Leadership

Lead the planning, design, and execution of AAM’s flagship and organizational conferences, meeting, and events.
Provide strategic guidance on program content management, speaker management, and participant experience.
Collaborate closely with colleagues across Membership, Development, Marketing/Communications, and other departments to align goals, logistics, timelines, and communications.
Build strong, trust-based relationships with executive leadership, members, partners, and vendors.
Abstract & Content Management

Manage the Annual Meeting online abstract submission and review process and communications with the Content Advisory Committee.
Ensure programs reflect diversity, accessibility, and inclusion principles.
Oversee project timelines, speaker communications, and program delivery.
Meeting Production & AV Management

Direct all aspects of event production for conferences and meetings, including AV, staging, rehearsals, session scheduling, and presenter communication for both virtual and in-person events.
Lead the AV Request for Proposal (RFP) process, including contract negotiation and technical coordination.
Demonstrate experience with AV contracts and production, ensuring seamless execution of presentations, recordings, streaming, and hybrid components in collaboration with AV vendors.
Provide supervision of Local Host Committee responsibilities.
Provide on-site leadership during events, resolving issues and ensuring an exceptional participant experience.
Budget, Metrics & Resource Management

Develop and manage event budgets, negotiate vendor contracts, and allocate resources for quality and sustainability.
Track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) related to attendee experience, budget performance, and attendance outcomes.
Identify opportunities to improve processes and enhance efficiency.
Risk & Compliance Oversight

Anticipate and mitigate risks related to health, safety, accessibility, and operations.
Develop event crisis plans in collaboration with internal partners.
Leadership & Supervision

Supervise the Sr. Manager, Meetings & Events, fostering professional growth and collaboration.
Serve as a brand ambassador, ensuring all conferences, meetings, and events reflect AAM’s mission and values.

Requirements

What You’ll Bring to the Team

Bachelor’s degree in conference/meeting management, hospitality, communications, or related field.
5+ years of progressively responsible experience in conference or event planning, with expertise in AV and meeting management.
Proven success managing large-scale, high-profile annual conferences and events with multiple stakeholders.
Experience with online abstract management systems, mobile event apps, and attendee engagement technologies.
Demonstrated experience in AV and other vender contracts and production.
Strong skills in contract negotiation, vendor management, and budget oversight.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and project management platforms (Asana preferred) and abstract management platforms.
Excellent organizational, communication, and project management skills.
Ability to travel up to 20% and work flexible hours during peak event periods.
Commitment to advancing diversity, accessibility, and inclusion in all aspects of event delivery.