The successful candidate’s starting pay will fall within the pay range listed below. Base salary is localized according to an employee’s work location. Ranges are market-dependent and may be modified in the future.

For candidates living in Boston, MA, Denver, CO, New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Diego, CA, and Washington, DC, the pay range is $69,300 – $80,550.

This position requires that the employee reside within the DC, Maryland or Northern Virginia area.

The Specialist, Conferences & Events (C&E) is an important member of the APHL C&E Team. The Specialist will be responsible for a variety of event planning support functions for conferences, meetings and events ranging from a small group to over 1,500 participants at signature events. This position involves communication and facilitation around conferences and events, outreach, marketing, website review, program analysis, research, review of standard operating procedures, writing and project coordination. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to multitask and be responsive to customer needs. The Specialist will report directly to the Director, Conference & Events and will work closely with the Lead Specialist, Conferences & Events as well as work collaboratively with other APHL program staff and leadership.

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) works to strengthen laboratory systems serving the public’s health in the U.S. and globally. APHL’s member laboratories protect the public’s health by monitoring and detecting infectious and foodborne diseases, environmental contaminants, terrorist agents, genetic disorders in newborns and other diverse health threats.

The Specialist participates and coordinates with the C&E Team on all functions essential to addressing customer needs while maintaining event production schedule timelines. The Specialist will be a key point of contact for APHL members, committee members, governmental and non-governmental collaborators, as well as a variety of internal APHL staff teams, to keep information updated, address immediate needs for event-related services, and contribute to essential C&E needs for metrics, reporting, financial tracking, hotel room blocks, and other duties as assigned.

• Supports the promotion of the APHL conferences and events including relationships with collaborating with public health laboratory fellowship and internship opportunities and with state and/or local public health laboratory personnel.
• Strengthens partnerships and collaborates with organizations who prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Supports interim and long-term project plans in support of APHL strategic goals and initiatives pertaining to conferences and events.
• Contributes to presentations about APHL conference and event activities to be shared at conferences, seminars, committee meetings and other venues.
• Contributes to meetings, both virtual and in person, in collaboration with team members to establish meeting agendas, meeting evaluations, periodic program updates and committee reports.
• Manages the Conferences & Events email communication.
• Maintains the APHL event technology systems for event registration, abstract management, exhibit management, content management and related systems.
• Assists and supports the maintenance of the Conferences & Events SharePoint area and ticketing system.
• Provides regular updates and timely reports on project status.
• Provides support to various committees, teams, workgroups, partners and affiliates, as designated.
• Supports the activities of contractors and consultants including project development, contract negotiations, payments/invoices, and accounting records.
• Assists with tracking and monitoring outreach activities such as conferences and meetings. This includes upkeep of tracking tools, calendars, and after-event action items (e.g., event tracking forms).

Administrative Responsibilities - 

• Contributes to SharePoint sites and webpages for activities and specific projects related to Conferences & Events.
• Maintains the inventory management of event-related resources and tools in the Member Resource Center.
• Oversees speaker management for annual conferences and meetings including abstract submissions and presentations.
• Tracks expenditures, maintains financial records for program and event projects and reviews monthly summary statements as appropriate. On a routine basis, be prepared to report on program status to the Director, Conferences & Events.

Marketing and Communication Responsibilities - 

• Interfaces with APHL Marketing and Communications (MarCom) staff to enhance marketing, promotional and branding materials to promote conferences and events in public health laboratory science.
• Ensures compliance with APHL branding, program packaging and marketing practices.
• Contributes to the development of effective messages to promote event- related products and services.
• Collaborates with other APHL departments to market the APHL conferences and events.

Supervisory Responsibilities - 

This position does not supervise staff but has ownership over essential event planning timelines and may periodically supervise an intern.

Qualifications - 

• Incumbents at this level typically have a specialty gained through a college degree.
• Two to five years of relevant on-the-job experience. An advanced degree may be substituted for work experience.
• Experience in public health and/or laboratory science-related fields preferred.
• Proficient in database administration/data management experience preferred (e.g., Excel, AMS, Access, and SharePoint).
• Experience in fostering and establishing collaborative relationships preferred.
• Flexibility to travel less than 30% of the time.

Competencies - 

• Work requires excellent command of English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation, in addition to mathematical computations
• Office administrative procedures requiring organization and record keeping, and operation of standard office equipment
• Proficient with Office 365 (e.g., Word, Excel, Outlook), Microsoft Teams, OneDrive and Zoom
• Proficient with internet search engines and SharePoint
• Excellent reviewing, writing and editing skills

Knowledge - 

• Work at this level requires that the specialist possess a basic knowledge of the principles, practices, and procedures of communication as well as proven analytical, research and project management capabilities
• Knowledge and experience in managing projects
• Knowledge and experience using social media platforms
• Knowledge and experience in marketing and organizational promotion
• Knowledge of academic and laboratory science professional associations ideal
• Knowledge of work processes in a higher education environment preferred

Skills - 

• The incumbent will have strong project management and communication skills and be able to prioritize work with limited supervision
• The incumbent must be highly organized, flexible, can thrive in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple projects with tight deadlines
• Commitment to the provision of quality customer service
• Handling multiple priorities in periods of heavy workloads and tight deadlines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Attention to detail in organization
• Writing, report preparation, proofreading and copyediting skills
• Grant writing experience ideal but not required

Abilities - 

• Ability to foster diverse thinking and a culture that is inclusive of every voice
• Work independently as well as in a team setting, organize work tasks and complete tasks within assigned timeframes
• Compare and/or judge readily observable, functional, or structural characteristics in documents, files, accounts and equipment
• Communicate with a broad array of individuals from various professional backgrounds
• Apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret a variety of inquiries either written or oral
• Record and deliver information, explain procedures, and follow instructions
• Perform under moderate levels of stress, imposed by deadlines, peak workloads, or customer contact
• Responds positively to direction and takes initiative in planning a timely course to project completion
• Identifies problems and solutions and adjusts to changing environments in project operations
• Interacts professionally with internal and external contacts at all organizational levels
• Committed to delivering the highest level of customer service

Special Requirements - 

• Flexibility to travel when required – less than 30% of the time. Events are held within the United States
• Some travel by air required
• Attendance at APHL week(s) is required in person
• Some overnight stays required

APHL Week is a Conference/Convention that is held at the APHL Home Office Bethesda, MD. This event is mandatory for all employees to attend. Travel and lodging will be reimbursed by APHL.

Please Note: Reimbursement for travel and lodging may not be possible for employees that are local to the APHL Home Office.

The duties and responsibilities listed in this job description are illustrative ones anticipated for this position. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned as required. Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) reserves the right to amend or change this job description to meet the needs of its programs. This job description and any attachments do not constitute or represent a contract.

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made for known physical or mental limitations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a colleague to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made for known physical or mental limitations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.

During the job, the colleague may need to sit for extended periods, use a computer keyboard to type, read information visually, and communicate orally through a computer monitor.

APHL welcomes applications from all qualified candidates without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law.