Senior Conference Producer

Ethara; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 350,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

Ethara is seeking a Senior Conference Producer to lead the research, development and delivery of high-level sessions for a government-led international summit programme in Abu Dhabi. You will own the full programme lifecycle from sector research to top-level speaker briefing and on-site delivery.

The role requires coordinating with ministers, senior officials and international stakeholders, while supporting the Head of Programming in day-to-day operations and reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Public Policy, Communications, Business or related field.
• Postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
• Proven experience securing and briefing ministers and senior officials.
• Strong research, programme development and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Research, develop and deliver high-level government and leadership sessions.
• Identify and map high-level speakers across government, IGOs, NGOs, academia and industry.
• Manage speaker acquisition including invitations, follow-up and confirmation.
• Prepare briefing materials and manage on-site speaker briefings and delivery.
• Provide daily/weekly progress reporting on risks, gaps and actions.
• Support Head of Programming in meetings and partnerships to strengthen credibility.

Skills

Speaker acquisition

Stakeholder management

Program development

Research

Briefing

On-site delivery

Education

Bachelor’s degree in International Relations

Postgraduate qualification

Tools

Excel

CRM systems

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Senior Conference Producer to join our team immediately and lead the research, development and delivery of high-level sessions for a major government-led international summit programme in Abu Dhabi.

The role will take ownership of the full programme lifecycle, from sector research and programme development through to senior speaker identification, acquisition, briefing and on-site delivery. The successful candidate will work closely with senior government, institutional and international stakeholders and support the Head of Programming in the day-to-day running of the programme.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Research, develop and deliver high-level government, ministerial and leadership sessions to the standards expected by senior government and international audiences.
• Develop session concepts, discussion frameworks, guiding questions and running orders.
• Maintain structured research covering sector intelligence, policy developments, emerging priorities and stakeholder insights.
• Translate research into relevant, evidence-based institutional programming.
• Identify, assess and map high-level speakers and participants across government, IGOs, NGOs, academia, science, industry and other relevant sectors.
• Manage the full speaker acquisition process, including prioritisation, outreach, invitations, follow-up, confirmation and ongoing speaker management.
• Secure, brief and manage ministers, senior officials, heads of international organisations and other high-level speakers through appropriate protocol and diplomatic channels.
• Support the Head of Programming in client, government and institutional meetings, including briefing materials and follow-up actions.
• Identify relevant non-commercial and in-kind institutional partnerships that can strengthen programme credibility, expertise, reach or participation.
• Own run-of-show, speaker and moderator briefings and on-site delivery for assigned stages.
• Maintain rigorous programme, speaker and stakeholder tracking and reporting.
• Develop programme and stakeholder analytics across sector, geography, organisation type, seniority, diversity and confirmation status.
• Provide clear daily and weekly reporting on progress, risks, gaps, dependencies and required actions.
• Act as deputy to the Head of Programming in the day-to-day running of the programme when required

Job Specifications:

• 8–10 years’ experience producing high-level institutional summits or conferences at a senior level.
• Direct experience with government-to-government, UN, COP-level or ministerial programming.
• Proven track record of securing and briefing ministers, senior officials and heads of international organisations.
• Strong experience in institutional programme development, with a solid understanding of government, policy and international stakeholder environments.
• Experience delivering government summits, COP-level events or diplomatic conferences in the UAE is highly desirable.
• Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Public Policy, Communications, Business or a related discipline; postgraduate qualification is an advantage.
• Strong experience in speaker acquisition and protocol-led invitation and confirmation processes.
• Strong research, programme development, stakeholder management and reporting capabilities.
• Experience with programme, speaker and stakeholder tracking using Excel or CRM systems.
• Excellent written English; Arabic is an advantage.
• Strong judgement, discretion and cultural awareness when engaging with ministers, diplomats and senior institutional stakeholders.