Senior Global Marketing Manager

Bloomsbury•Greenbelt, MD

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Bloomsbury's Academic Professional division is seeking a Senior Global Conferences Manager to lead the planning, execution, and optimization of our global conference program across Academic & Professional publishing. In this role, you will oversee Bloomsbury’s presence at up to 200 conferences annually, supporting both Books and Bloomsbury Digital Resources. You will drive strategy, ensure operational excellence, and enhance brand visibility, while managing budgets and leading a small international team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys continuous improvement, and wants to play a key role in elevating a global conference program.

Requirements

5–7 years of experience in conference or event management.
Extensive experience managing conference schedules, and organizing and attending conferences in an academic and/or professional publishing environment.
Experience managing global conferences and understanding regional differences.
An eye for design and brand (no hands-on design experience or skills required).
Strategic thinking with operational follow-through.
Experience budgeting, tracking, and maximizing ROI.
Demonstrable mindset of continuous improvement and solutions-based thinking, in line with business priorities.
Excellent attention to detail.
Leading a small team, assigning roles and delegating effectively.
Liaising with and communicating with a variety of internal stakeholders.
Training experience.
Excellent project and time management skills.
Works effectively across geographic and organizational boundaries.
Oral and written communication skills.
Ability to use systems and tools (e.g., AI, databases, Work Management System) for conference organization and presence.
Excel to at least an intermediate level.

Responsibilities

Manage a small international team, including an Associate Conferences Manager in the US and a Conferences Executive in the UK, and indirectly manage a Conferences Assistant in the US. Allocate and delegate work as appropriate across the team.
Communicate strategy and schedule to all A&P (Academic & Professional) staff.
Oversee and manage ExhibitDay (conferences database), including assigning due dates and tasks to stakeholders.
Oversee the training program for marketers, attendees, and other stakeholders to ensure understanding of roles and responsibilities, providing clear written guidelines.
Work with A&P colleagues to meet deadlines and achieve 100% submission of conference reports.
Manage the annual global conferences budget, collaborating with editorial and marketing staff to ensure a smooth budgeting process for all conference expenses (including T&E) that aligns with budget and supports A&P and company goals.
Provide monthly reports to senior management on budget, spend, and ROI at top-line, subject, and conference levels.
Negotiate with conference organizers to reserve exhibit space by required deadlines for optimal rates and stand locations.
Maintain contracts for 3rd party exhibitors and liaise with subject marketers on book selections and shipment arrangements.
Manage book program advertising, liaising with subject marketers on creation, design, and submission.
Schedule and lead planning meetings for larger conferences to ensure presence meets specific goals and objectives.
Maximize prominence of Bloomsbury brands in accordance with branding guidelines and ensure consistent branding across all conferences.
Work closely with marketing, stand builders, and the design team to optimize stand design and layout.
Oversee the booking of relevant furniture, AV/tech equipment as required, based on stand type and product volume.
Order conference supplies such as signage, table drapes, bookstands, and toolkits.
Provide support for marketing activities like receptions, sponsorships, and book signings as agreed with internal stakeholders.
Ensure editors/meeting attendees are fully briefed on conference details and logistics before attending.
Coordinate the ordering, delivery, and return shipment of Bloomsbury-owned equipment and products in a cost-effective manner, dealing with external vendors and conference organizers, and completing all related administration and paperwork by required deadlines.
Maintain tracking of all conference-related materials shipped to conferences.
Accurately maintain information on ExhibitDay to facilitate planning and management of the global conference schedule.
Ensure global stakeholders are kept informed on all aspects of the conference execution process, including product lists, out-of-stock titles, and price list production.
Provide insight and market intelligence to stay ahead of conference trends.
Contribute to projects related to continuous improvements in conference workflows and operations for global conferences.