Convention Center Director

City of Santa Fe Springs; Ocean City (MD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Ocean City Government is seeking a Convention Center Director to supervise division managers and staff, driving operations for the Ocean City Convention Center and related facilities. You will work under the Director of Tourism and Economic Development, shaping budgets, contracts, and facility programs.

The role requires extensive public administration experience, strong leadership, and the ability to coordinate with civic and business partners to support conventions, events, and city growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration and six (6) years of management experience directing the operation and maintenance of a convention center, theater, or similar public assembly facility (strongly preferred).
• Ten (10) or more years of directly related experience will be considered in lieu of bachelor’s degree.
• Valid driver’s license; appropriate professional association memberships.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and direct staff and activities of the Ocean City Convention Center.
• Oversee leasing, operation, and maintenance of convention center, parking, and theatrical facilities.
• Supervise the Ocean City Lifesavings Museum operations.
• Coordinate with various business organizations and the Ocean City Convention and Visitors Bureau for conventions, trade shows, and events.
• Direct budget preparation, justification, and monitoring for operational efficiency.
• Perform contract administration, bid evaluation, negotiation, and compliance.
• Prepare comprehensive management reports and drive process improvements.
• Provide strategic business growth, education, safety compliance, and logistics for events.
• Oversee event supervision of maintenance and operations during events.
• Understand convention software such as Simpleview, Momentus, Convention Suites, etc.

Skills

Public administration

Municipal budgeting

Finance

Supervision

Public building management

Facility maintenance

Convention center operations

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration

Job description

Job Summary

The Convention Center Director exercises direct supervision over division managers and supervisors, and indirect supervision over supervisors, professional, skilled, unskilled, and administrative support staff. Work is performed with independence, initiative, and wide latitude for judgment under the administrative review of the Director of Tourism and Economic Development.

Job Summary

The Convention Center Director exercises direct supervision over division managers and supervisors, and indirect supervision over supervisors, professional, skilled, unskilled, and administrative support staff. Work is performed with independence, initiative, and wide latitude for judgment under the administrative review of the Director of Tourism and Economic Development.

Job Duties

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Plans, organizes, and directs staff and activities of the Ocean City Convention Center.
• Assists with the Director of Sales and team members, directly responsible for the leasing, operation, and maintenance of convention center, parking, and theatrical facilities.
• Oversees the Ocean City Lifesavings Museum operations.
• Communicates and works with representatives of various businesses, business organizations, citizen boards, community agencies, advisory committees, arts organizations, or promoters regarding facility accommodations for conventions, trade shows, exhibitions, entertainment productions, or development, redevelopment, or business assistance programs.
• Communicates and works closely with representatives of various business organizations and the Ocean City Convention and Visitors Bureau in conjunction with the Director of Sales, Sales and Partner Relations Manager and other team members regarding facility accommodations and promotions for conventions, trade shows, exhibitions, entertainment productions, and other programs.
• Plans, assigns, and directs, through supervisory personnel, unskilled, semiskilled, skilled, and professional employees.
• Along with the Director of Tourism and Economic Development, oversees budget preparation, presents justification for budget requests, and monitors budget expenditures and revenue for operational efficiency.
• Performs contract administration duties, including evaluating proposals and bids, negotiating and recommending contract terms, evaluating performance, and ensuring compliance to contract agreements prior to its approval by the Director of Tourism and Business Development and the City Manager.
• Writes or directs the preparation of comprehensive management reports.
• Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless customer service.
• Provide strategic business growth, education, safety compliance, logistics.
• Provides event supervision of both maintenance and operations during events.
• Understands convention related software such as Simpleview, Momentus, Convention Suites, etc.
• Supervises contractual performance of inhouse Food and Beverage operator.
• Responsible for general housekeeping including interior, exterior perimeter and parking lots. Requires coordination with transportation and clients.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Manages subordinate supervisors who supervise employees in the Administration, Operations, and Museum. Is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of these units.
• Directly supervises non-supervisory employees.
• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.
• Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION And/or EXPERIENCE

• A bachelor’s degree in business administration, or a related field, and six (6) years of management experience directing the operation and maintenance of a convention center, theater, or similar public assembly facility, is strongly preferred.
• Ten (10) or more years of directly related experience will be considered in lieu of bachelor’s degree.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Valid driver's license.
• Appropriateprofessional association memberships.

Supplemental Information

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of business and civic leaders, elected officials, other managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Knowledge Of

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Principles and practices of public administration, municipal budgeting and finance, supervision, public building management, building and equipment maintenance.
• Operation and maintenance of a convention center or exposition center, and theatrical venues.
• Ability to negotiate in writing and in person with private and public agencies and with representatives of various citizen groups.
• Ability to perform a broad range of supervisory responsibilities over others.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Hours of work often outside "9 to 5" framework. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representativeofthoseanemployeeencounterswhileperformingtheessentialfunctionsof thisjob.Reasonableaccommodationsmaybemadetoenableindividualswithdisabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works in outside weather conditions. The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. We offer a competitive benefits package to full-time employees including medical, dental, vision, retirement (401a & 457b), flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability, thirteen paid holidays, vacation, personal and sick leave.

To Learn More Details, Visit Our Benefits Page

https://oceancitymd.gov/oc/departments/human-resources/benefits/