Description

Convention & Meetings Manager

About NCA 
Founded in 1914, the National Communication Association is a 501(c)(3) scholarly society representing over 6,000 scholars, teachers, practitioners, students, and affiliates worldwide. With an annual operating budget of approximately $4 million and a small, highly collaborative staff, NCA is a place where your work has direct, visible impact. Our office is located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., accessible from the Red Line. For more information about NCA, please visit our website at www.natcom.org. 

About This Role 
NCA is seeking an experienced, self-directed event professional to serve as our Convention & Meetings Manager. This is a high-visibility, high-ownership role at the center of NCA’s largest and most complex program — the Annual Convention, which draws over 4,000 attendees and features over 950 sessions, an exhibit hall, a career center, and a graduate school open house. 

Reporting to the Senior Director of Convention & Strategic Operations, the Manager serves as the primary operational lead for the Annual Convention and a portfolio of governance meetings, owning the full planning lifecycle from abstract submission management and program scheduling through registration, logistics, on-site execution, and post-event reporting. The Manager is also the primary point of contact for 120+ convention program planners across NCA’s academic units. 

This role requires exceptional judgment, genuine independence, and the ability to manage competing priorities across a long, complex planning cycle — all without close day-to-day supervision. It offers meaningful advancement opportunities within a growing, mission-driven team.       

To apply, please send a one-page cover letter and resume to convention@natcom.org.

Key Responsibilities 

Convention & Event Operations

• Serve as primary operational lead for the NCA Annual Convention and a portfolio of governance meetings, including the Leadership Retreat, Executive Committee Meetings, and Chairs’ Summer Institute — owning each event from planning through on-site execution and post-event reconciliation. 
• Build and manage the master convention project plan in Asana; create and maintain run-of-show documents, BEOs, signage plans, and staffing schedules across a multi-month planning cycle. 
• Coordinate with hotels, AV vendors, catering, transportation, security, and an external convention planning contractor to deliver a seamless convention experience. 
• Lead accessibility accommodations planning and inclusive space coordination; own operational risk assessment, including crowd flow, emergency preparedness, and safety briefings.

 Program & Abstract Management 

• Own and manage the full abstract submission and review process in X-CD Technologies — including system configuration, reviewer assignment, scheduling 950+ sessions across 40+ concurrent rooms, and conflict resolution. 
• Serve as the primary contact and accountability driver for 120+ convention program planners, tracking progress through every milestone of the submission lifecycle and proactively resolving issues. 
• Lead planner training, including monthly webinars and co-presenting the annual kickoff orientation alongside the Senior Director and First Vice President.

Registration & Financial Management 

• Own the full convention registration build and lifecycle in Fonteva, including all ticket types, pricing, policies, and special registration categories. 
• Manage ongoing financial tracking: code invoices to correct GL accounts, track actuals vs. budget across all convention cost workstreams, and contribute to the post-convention financial report.
• Manage independent purchasing authority up to $2,500 per transaction within approved budgets. 

Data, Reporting & Communications

• Track convention data throughout the planning cycle — submissions, registration trends, housing pickup, session attendance — and produce a post-convention report draft within 60 days of the convention. 
• Draft and distribute convention-wide email communications; manage the convention app and program book build; coordinate website updates, attendee resources, and CVB information. 
• Manage the convention inbox and voicemail, maintaining a same-day response standard. 

Requirements

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of progressively responsible experience in event or meeting management, preferably in an association environment. 
• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, event planning, business administration, or a related field; Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) preferred. 
• Demonstrated proficiency with abstract management software (X-CD Technologies preferred), Fonteva or similar AMS, Constant Contact, and Microsoft Office Suite. 
• Experience managing the full meeting planning function: developing BEOs, managing hotel staff relationships, and delivering multi-day conferences within budget. 
• Strong project management skills; track record of accuracy and independent execution in high-volume, deadline-driven environments. 
• Experience with GL coding, invoice processing, and financial reconciliation. 
• Willingness to travel several times per year and to be available outside standard business hours, including occasional evenings and weekends, for on-site event support. 
• Commitment to NCA’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) principles.

Compensation & Benefits 
Thrive, Grow, and Advance

• NCA offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your whole life: 
  Health & Flexibility: We provide 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision plans, as well as 80% employer-paid coverage for dependents, plus optional Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for health-related and dependent care expenses. 
• Financial Security & Growth: Receive a 7% employer contribution to your retirement plan based on your annual salary, as well as professional development opportunities. 
• Time Off: Benefit from flexible hybrid work schedules, three weeks of paid time off (increasing with your tenure), extended time off from December 24th through January 1st, nine federal holidays, and additional days off, including the day after the NCA Annual Convention and the day after Thanksgiving. 
• Monthly commuter stipend. 
• Connected Culture: Be part of a collaborative, supportive work culture focused on learning and connection through team-building activities, events, and retreats. 
   
  NCA offers benefits to same-sex and different-sex domestic partners, spouses, and dependents, and provides trans-affirming healthcare coverage. 
   
  Work Mode & Travel 
  NCA operates on a hybrid schedule: Tuesday and Wednesday in the office, with three days of telework. This position requires travel to the NCA Annual Convention in November and approximately 2–3 additional trips per year, including occasional evenings and weekends. In the weeks leading up to the Annual Convention (typically the final two weeks of October through early November), this position requires daily in-office presence to coordinate the preparation and shipment of convention materials. Additional in-office presence may be required based on operational needs during this period