Career Center

Organizational Context: National Communication Association (NCA) is a scholarly society whose mission is to advance communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media, and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry.  The NCA serves the scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching.  NCA’s national office has a staff of fifteen and is located in Washington, D.C.

NCA holds one annual convention and several governance meetings each year. The NCA Annual Convention draws 4,500 attendees and features over 1,100 programmatic sessions, an exhibit hall, career center, graduate school open house, and networking events.

Reporting Structure:  The Director of Convention and Meetings reports to the Executive Director.

Essential Functions:

• Oversee all logistical aspects of NCA Annual Convention including, but not limited to, food and beverage, AV, and final invoice reconciliation;
• Oversee all aspects of the various vendor relationships management including, but not limited to, Attendee Interactive (submission/program site), ExpoBadge (badge printer), Impexium (AMS), Coleman and Associates (consultant), Shepard (drayage/decorator); event security, event photography, event interpreters;
• Create all room specification documentation (including but not limited to room sets, food and beverage orders, AV, internet, and floorplans) and review Banquet Event Orders;
• Determine location, site, space, transportation, administrative, and vendor support requirements for the Annual Convention;
• Provide on-site meeting management of the Annual Convention;
• Manage the convention and events budget;
• Oversee all aspects of the various vendor relationships and event contract management including the RFP process including, but not limited suppliers, transportation, caterers, decorators, and venues;
• Coordinate development of submission/program portal (currently Attendee Interactive) annually, to include testing, establishment of external and internal system deadlines, and convention program schedule;
• Develop and lead trainings for unit program planners;
• Develop and market sponsorship opportunities and serve as point of contact with sponsoring stakeholders
• Coordinate staff travel for convention including flights and hotel reservations
• Facilitate room upgrades for VIPs including key speakers and leadership;
• Market and manage ancillary convention products including, but not limited to advertising, exhibits, open house, and job fair;
• Serve as liaison to Convention Committee;
• Work with association leadership, specifically the First Vice President, on developing program content for the Annual Convention;
• Prepare and organize convention collateral including, but not limited to, convention program book and PowerPoint presentations;
• Produce, prepare, and distribute convention related newsletters;
• Produce, prepare, and distribute convention related emails;
• Prepare and update convention information in a timely manner for the convention section of the NCA website;
• In conjunction with the Meetings Associate, plan and execute board and other governance meetings as needed;
• Some travel for site visits in addition to travel to the annual convention;
• Foster and model civil discourse and open and ethical communication.

Work Mode

The NCA operates in a hybrid work mode, three days in the office, two days at telework. The work mode is regularly reviewed to meet the evolving needs of the association. Such review may necessitate changing a position’s mode of work designation.

Note: Several professional profiles may be well suited to this position. Should your qualifications be different from those described below but you believe this is the job for you, please do not hesitate to apply.

Benefits 
NCA offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, as well as retirement savings and tuition assistance for full-time staff. We offer benefits to same-sex and to different sex domestic partners. This institution offers benefits to spouses.  NCA provides the following trans-affirming healthcare coverage: trans masculine confirming surgeries, trans feminine confirming surgeries, hormone replacement therapy (with treatment code). NCA provides the following support: dependents have the same access to the healthcare described above.

COVID-19 Protocol and Vaccine Requirements 
NCA is committed to public health and the vital role of vaccines in contributing to the safety of its Association and broader communities. NCA requires students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the office to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and to have received all COVID-19 vaccine booster shots when eligible. This requirement applies to all staff, including teleworking employees.

To Apply: Please submit your resume and a one-page cover letter (a PDF) with salary requirement. We prefer cover letters that describe your interest in the position, what motivates you, and how you understand and relate to the NCA mission, rather than a narrative version of your resume. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Send toinbox@natcom.org with “Convention Director” in the subject line.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree;
• CMP certification preferred
• 5+ years of meeting planning experience; association event management preferred
• Familiarity with online submission sites/software;
• Knowledge of HTML coding;
• Strong PC skills;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines;
• Strong attention to detail;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Ability to work with minimum supervision;
• Ability to maintain good interpersonal relationships;
• A positive attitude and an earnest interest in providing good customer service to our members.

About National Communication Association

The National Communication Association (NCA) seeks three gifted professionals who can help lead a vibrant organization in the 21st century. A professional society with 5000+ members across the landscape of higher education, NCA advances research, teaching, and practice in the field of Communication. Headquartered in Washington, DC, NCA fosters and promotes free and ethical communication, the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems. Led by a dynamic executive director, NCA is committed to inclusiveness and diversity among faculty and members and in the workplace and the classroom.

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