Associate Director, Meetings & Events - Job ID: 1874

Ascendis Pharma is a dynamic, fast-growing global biopharmaceutical company with locations in Denmark, Europe, and the United States. Today, we're advancing programs in Endocrinology Rare Disease and Oncology.

Here at Ascendis, we pride ourselves on exceptional science, visionary leadership, and skilled and passionate colleagues.

Guided by our core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, we use our TransCon® drug development platform to fulfill our mission of developing new and potentially best-in-class therapies to address unmet medical needs.

Our culture fosters a place where skilled, adaptable, and highly resourceful professionals can truly make their mark. We offer a dynamic workplace for employees to grow and develop their skills.

The Associate Director of Meetings & Events at Ascendis Pharma will be responsible for supporting the management and execution of Global Congresses and meetings for the organization. Additionally, the Associate Director will be tasked with working on strategic meeting planning for the M&E team and vendor assessment/sourcing initiatives alongside the Global Head.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Internal Stakeholder Collaboration: Meet with internal stakeholders to define events and congress goals, requirements, and budget as they align to the team’s strategic plans. Additionally, you will need to work closely with internal corporate functions like Legal, Compliance and Finance to ensure all event processes are followed.
• Logistics coordination: Working with our agency partners, you will arrange all logistical details for our global Tier 1 congresses, including, but not limited to, congress association management/contracting, venue management, catering, transportation, group housing management, etc.
• Budget management: Develop and manage event/congress budgets, track expenses, and process payments to ensure financial goals are met. Work closely alongside Finance to ensure all spending is tracked and reported in a timely and accurate manner.
• Vendor management: Research, solicit bids, and negotiate contracts with venues, caterers, audiovisual suppliers, and other service providers as it relates to managed events/congresses.
• Event preparation: Work alongside our agency partners to prepare meeting materials, agendas, name badges, and registration lists to ensure the team is well-prepared for on-site execution.
• On-site execution: Oversee events on-site alongside our congress vendors, that includes booth and meeting room setup, registration/housing management, and booth teardown, while resolving any issues that may arise. Additional ancillary events may also require management in tandem with congress activities.
• Marketing and promotion: Collaborate with our internal marketing stakeholders to promote events and manage attendee registration communications as required.
• Post-event evaluation: Conduct post-event assessments to gather feedback and analyze metrics for future improvements.
• Compliance: Work closely with Global HQ Compliance to monitor event activities and ensure adherence to relevant regulations, contracts, HCP spend caps and company policies are followed and reported as required.  

Requirements

Qualifications

• Education: A bachelor's degree in hospitality, communications, marketing, or a related field is preferred.
• Experience: A minimum of 15-20 years of relevant experience executing events within the US and globally is required. Experience working internally in a corporate pharmaceutical environment or working with pharmaceutical clients is preferred.  
• Certifications: Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Meeting Professional – Healthcare (CMP-HC) or Certified Meeting Manager (CMM) designations are preferred but not required.
• Technical skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience with event management software (e.g., Cvent, Exhibit Force) are required. 

Key skills and abilities

• Organizational skills: Exceptional ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and meet tight deadlines.
• Communication: Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills for interacting with clients, vendors, and internal teams.
• Problem-solving: Aptitude for creative, rapid problem-solving in high-pressure situations.
• Negotiation: Strong negotiation skills to secure favorable contracts or pricing with vendors and venues as it relates to event-related activities.
• Attention to detail: Meticulous attention to detail to ensure flawless event execution.
• Adaptability: Ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and manage last-minute adjustments.
• Customer service: A strong, service-oriented mindset with a commitment to internal stakeholder satisfaction. 
• Global Aptitude: Ability to work well with and understand the various working styles of vendors and colleagues outside the US. Must be comfortable managing events outside the US. 

The estimated salary range for this position is $180-190k DOE.  Actual salary determination is dependent on a variety of factors some of which include: experience, qualifications, and geographic location.  This position may be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus or an incentive compensation plan (eligibility varies based on role and position level), discretionary stock-based long-term incentives, paid time off, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with company match
• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• Company-offered Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
• Company-provided short and long-term disability benefits
• Unique offerings of Pet Insurance and Legal Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Discounts
• Professional Development
• Health Saving Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various incentive compensation plans
• Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance  
• Mental Health resources
• Paid leave benefits for new parents

Ascendis Pharma is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

A note to recruiters:

We do not allow external search party solicitation.  Presentation of candidates without written permission from the Ascendis Pharma Inc Human Resources team (specifically from: Talent Acquisition Partner or Human Resources Director) is not allowed.  If this occurs your ownership of these candidates will not be acknowledged.