Director, Global Congress and Events

Edwards Lifesciences • Irvine, CA

1d • $159,000 - $226,000

About The Position

Innovation starts from the heart. Heart valve disease impact millions of lives, spanning all ages and geographies. As communities globally address the opportunities and challenges of cardiovascular care, telling a compelling and authentic story is more crucial than ever. Beyond raising awareness, our Marketing teams build lasting, trusted relationships with medical professionals and industry stakeholders to ensure patients can receive the treatments they need. Aortic stenosis impacts millions of people globally, yet it often remains under-diagnosed and under-treated. Edwards’ groundbreaking work in transcatheter aortic heart valve replacement (TAVR) pioneered an innovative, life-changing solution for patients by offering heart valve replacement without the need for open heart surgery. Our Transcatheter Heart Valve (THV) business unit continues to partner with cardiologists and clinical teams to transform patient care with devices supported by clinical evidence. It’s our driving force to help patients live longer and healthier lives. Join us and be part of our inspiring journey. How you'll make an impact: The Director of Congress & Events is a senior leader responsible for the strategic direction, executional excellence, and continuous improvement of the organization’s Congress and Events functions. This role leads two distinct, high‑performing teams and ensures seamless planning, delivery, and measurement of all congresses, internal, and special events. Set the vision and long‑term strategy for Congress and Events, ensuring alignment with brand, downstream marketing, and business functions. Identify opportunities to enhance congresses and events in driving brand presence, engagement, and organizational impact. Anticipate risks and proactively develop mitigation plans across complex, multi‑event portfolios. Serve as the senior global brand steward at congresses, ensuring consistent, compelling, and differentiated brand representation across all touchpoints, including booths, symposia, presentations, executive engagements, and experiential activations. Lead, mentor, and inspire two distinct teams (Congress and Events), fostering collaboration, accountability, and high performance. Provide direct line management, including goal setting, performance management, coaching, and cross-training planning. Oversee end‑to‑end operational planning and execution for all congresses and events, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and scalability. Enhance operational processes, workflows, and tools to improve execution quality, timelines, and cost effectiveness. Establish best practices and standardized frameworks for planning, vendor management, compliance, and execution. Ensure all congress and event experiences are cohesive, differentiated, and fully aligned with brand standards and strategic positioning. Champion a high‑quality attendee experience across all touchpoints, from pre‑event engagement through on‑site execution and post‑event follow‑up. Define success metrics and KPIs for congresses and events aligned to business objectives. Use insights and data to refine future strategies, improve performance, and inform senior leadership decision‑making. Manage and oversee budgets across multiple congresses and events, ensuring fiscal responsibility and optimized resource allocation. Partner with brand, medical, sales, communications, compliance, and external agencies to deliver integrated and compliant programs. Ensure all congress and event activities comply with internal policies, industry regulations, and legal requirements. Perform other incidental duties as required to support departmental and organizational objectives.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
• 12 years of experience of work experience or Master's Degree or equivalent with 10 years of experience of related experience working in sales, marketing, or healthcare industry based on Edwards criteria

Nice To Haves

• 10+ years of experience in congress, events, and/or experiential marketing, with progressive leadership responsibility.
• Proven leadership in complex project and program management, with the ability to drive multiple large‑scale initiatives concurrently while meeting timelines, budget, and quality standards.
• Proven experience leading multi‑team or multi‑function organizations.
• Strong operational, financial, and project management expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate across complex, matrixed organizations.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and decision‑making skills.
• Advanced problem‑solving, analytical, and critical‑thinking capabilities, applying sound judgment and discretion to make informed decisions in high‑visibility and high‑impact situations.
• Expert financial acumen within a marketing environment, including forecasting, budget planning and stewardship, expense management, purchase order compliance, and third‑party vendor oversight.
• Demonstrated people‑management excellence, with experience leading and developing high‑performing teams through coaching, feedback, performance management, and close partnership with HR on talent acquisition, development, and retention.
• Deep expertise in marketing content approval processes, systems, and governance, with a strong working knowledge of regulatory requirements, legal constraints, and compliance standards.
• Strong executive presence and interpersonal effectiveness, with the ability to interact professionally across all organizational levels and escalate issues proactively and appropriately.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, matrixed, and evolving environment, maintaining composure, prioritization, and momentum amid shifting priorities.
• Clear and compelling communicator, able to articulate the vision, strategy, and value of the business unit and function to internal and external stakeholders.
• Highly collaborative relationship builder, fostering peer, cross‑functional, and cross‑business partnerships to share best practices and enhance team effectiveness.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross‑functional teams, driving alignment and successful implementation of systems, processes, and operational solutions.

Responsibilities

• Set the vision and long‑term strategy for Congress and Events, ensuring alignment with brand, downstream marketing, and business functions.
• Identify opportunities to enhance congresses and events in driving brand presence, engagement, and organizational impact.
• Anticipate risks and proactively develop mitigation plans across complex, multi‑event portfolios.
• Serve as the senior global brand steward at congresses, ensuring consistent, compelling, and differentiated brand representation across all touchpoints, including booths, symposia, presentations, executive engagements, and experiential activations.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire two distinct teams (Congress and Events), fostering collaboration, accountability, and high performance.
• Provide direct line management, including goal setting, performance management, coaching, and cross-training planning.
• Oversee end‑to‑end operational planning and execution for all congresses and events, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and scalability.
• Enhance operational processes, workflows, and tools to improve execution quality, timelines, and cost effectiveness.
• Establish best practices and standardized frameworks for planning, vendor management, compliance, and execution.
• Ensure all congress and event experiences are cohesive, differentiated, and fully aligned with brand standards and strategic positioning.
• Champion a high‑quality attendee experience across all touchpoints, from pre‑event engagement through on‑site execution and post‑event follow‑up.
• Define success metrics and KPIs for congresses and events aligned to business objectives.
• Use insights and data to refine future strategies, improve performance, and inform senior leadership decision‑making.
• Manage and oversee budgets across multiple congresses and events, ensuring fiscal responsibility and optimized resource allocation.
• Partner with brand, medical, sales, communications, compliance, and external agencies to deliver integrated and compliant programs.
• Ensure all congress and event activities comply with internal policies, industry regulations, and legal requirements.
• Perform other incidental duties as required to support departmental and organizational objectives.

Benefits

• Aligning our overall business objectives with performance, we offer competitive salaries, performance-based incentives, and a wide variety of benefits programs to address the diverse individual needs of our employees and their families.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees