Senior Conference Manager

About the role

The Senior Conference Manager will lead the end‑to‑end planning, coordination and execution of high‑profile conferences and summits that support the organisation’s strategic objectives. This role requires strong project management, stakeholder engagement and budget oversight.

Key responsibilities

• Design and deliver large‑scale conferences and summits, developing content‑rich programmes, themes and session formats.
• Collaborate with steering committees, advisory boards and clients to shape programme direction and curate speakers.
• Lead, mentor and manage a cross‑functional team of producers, coordinators and support staff, ensuring clear delegation and timely delivery.
• Serve as the primary contact for high‑level clients, government entities, strategic partners and sponsors, building long‑term relationships.
• Source, invite and manage top‑tier speakers, moderators and VIPs, handling all logistics and communications.
• Identify new business opportunities through market research and support proposal development, bid submissions and pitches.
• Oversee on‑site event operations, including speaker logistics, stage management and production coordination.

Required profile

• 10–15+ years of experience in conference management, large‑scale events or content‑led summits.
• Proven experience managing high‑level stakeholders, preferably in government, semi‑government or large corporate environments.
• Strong leadership and team management abilities.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple workstreams and meet tight deadlines.
• Immediate availability or short notice preferred.