Assistant Director, Meetings, Travel & Events

SEIU•Washington, DC

15h•Remote

About The Position

The Assistant Director, Meetings, Travel & Events supports the Director in administering and strengthening SEIU’s enterprise meetings and travel program. This role ensures the effective execution of meetings and travel activities that support the union’s governance, campaigns, and organizational priorities. The position provides operational leadership for vendor management, technology and systems (both travel and meeting technology), staff supervision, financial stewardship, and program governance. The Assistant Director helps ensure meetings and travel activities across the organization align with established program standards, union policies, and responsible stewardship of SEIU resources. This role plays a key part in supporting the successful delivery of major union governance meetings and large-scale travel deployments, while helping departments effectively plan and execute meetings and travel in accordance with program guidance and operational best practices.

Requirements

A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience managing meetings and travel programs within a complex organization, including work within a Strategic Meetings Management Program (SMMP) environment.
Hands-on experience administering both corporate travel booking platforms and strategic meetings management systems, including configuring policies, workflows, reporting, and user administration.
Supervising and developing professional staff
Managing travel or meetings, vendors, and service-level agreements
Monitoring contractual compliance and financial controls
Administrator-level experience managing online booking tools (OBTs) such as Concur Travel or comparable corporate travel platforms.
Administrator-level experience with strategic meetings management technology (e.g., Cvent or comparable systems), including registration management, reporting, and program administration.
Configuring travel and meeting policies, approval workflows, reporting structures, and system controls.
Using program reporting and system data to monitor policy compliance and program performance.
Analyzing program data and reporting to support operational decisions
Strong operational management and organizational skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
Experience with project management and procurement or vendor sourcing
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Commitment to equity, anti-racism, and responsible stewardship of organizational resources

Nice To Haves

Education or equivalent professional experience in meetings management, hospitality, travel administration, business administration, or a related field is valued.
Experience in mission-driven, nonprofit, labor, or advocacy environments preferred
Professional certifications demonstrating expertise in meetings, travel program management, sourcing/procurement governance, or event technology are valued indicators of industry knowledge. Relevant certifications may include: CMP (Certified Meeting Professional), GTP (Global Travel Professional), GLP (Global Leadership Professional), CMM (Certificate in Meeting Management), CGMP (Certified Government Meeting Professional), Cvent Certification(s), CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), CSP (Certified Sourcing Professional), CSMP (Certified Supplier Management Professional).
Equivalent combinations of education, training, and professional experience will be considered.
We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply, even if they do not meet all the listed qualifications.

Responsibilities

Provide operational leadership and execution for SEIU’s meetings and travel program, ensuring consistent service delivery across departments and major union events.
Coordinate operational planning for major union governance meetings and large-scale travel deployments, including the Convention, Executive Boards, Executive Committees, and other leadership convenings.
Identify operational risks, lead issue resolution, and maintain continuity planning for high-profile meetings and travel activities.
Administer and support SEIU’s Strategic Meetings Management Program (SMMP) and corporate travel program, ensuring consistent program governance, policy compliance, and operational standards.
Monitor compliance with meeting intake processes, sourcing protocols, travel policies, and program requirements across departments.
Review operational data and meeting- and travel-related reporting to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for program improvement.
Support coordination with meeting vendors, travel partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure consistent application of program standards.
Assist in maintaining program documentation, policies, reporting frameworks, and operational processes supporting the meetings and travel program.
Oversee day-to-day performance of Travel Management Companies (TMCs), third-party meeting management firms, and meetings and travel service consultants.
Monitor vendor performance against contractual obligations and service-level agreements (SLAs), ensuring compliance with program standards and procurement policies.
Support contract management activities, including performance monitoring, issue escalation, and documentation of vendor compliance.
Review operational data, service metrics, and spend reporting to ensure vendor accountability and program performance.
Support the Director in vendor evaluations, contract renewals, and performance reviews.
Monitor travel and meeting program spending and financial exposure (e.g., attrition risk, cancellation penalties, or unused ticket liability).
Ensure financial controls and stewardship practices for meetings and travel programs are consistently followed across departments.
Support vendor evaluations and contract renewals through operational performance reporting and spend analysis.
Maintain documentation and processes that support audit readiness, compliance, and responsible stewardship of SEIU resources.
Lead administration of travel and meetings technology platforms, including online booking tools (OBTs) and strategic meetings management systems (e.g., Concur, Cvent, or comparable platforms).
Coordinate departmental technology resources responsible for supporting system administration and ensure travel and meeting technologies are properly configured, maintained, and aligned with program policies.
Configure and maintain system policies, approval workflows, user roles, and reporting to support program compliance and operational effectiveness.
Maintain data integrity across travel, HR, and financial systems in coordination with Finance and Human Resources.
Review system-generated reporting to monitor program performance, compliance, and operational effectiveness.
Supervise, coach, and develop a team of meetings, travel, and operations professionals.
Establish clear performance expectations and support staff in solving operational challenges and improving program outcomes.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, problem-solving, and continuous improvement aligned with SEIU values.
Encourage staff to proactively identify operational challenges, develop practical solutions, and escalate issues when appropriate.
Lead documentation, cross-department sharing, implementation, and continuous improvement of standardized operating procedures (SOPs).
Ensure workflows align with union policies and cross-departmental requirements.
Collaborate across departments to maintain operational clarity and compliance.
Perform other duties as assigned to support the MTE Department and broader union priorities.