Meeting Planner

Raymond James Financial, Inc.; Saint Petersburg (FL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Raymond James Financial, Inc. is seeking an experienced Meetings & Events professional to oversee the planning and execution of corporate educational meetings and investor conferences in the United States.

You will manage budgets, coordinate travel, and ensure successful delivery of events from initiation to closure. The role requires strong project management, stakeholder communication, and contract negotiation skills, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Qualifications

• Experience planning large meetings and investor conferences.
• Ability to develop and manage budgets up to $1,000,000.
• Proven program management across end-to-end lifecycle.
• Strong vendor negotiation and contract management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and registration systems.
• Capacity to work independently and in teams.
• Ability to travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Consult with stakeholders on objectives and budget for meetings and conferences.
• Develop, maintain budgets up to $1M.
• Manage all lifecycle of programs up to 4,000 attendees.
• Build relationships with internal and external partners.
• Create communications for executives and attendees.
• Maintain post-meeting data in planning databases.
• Coordinate travel processes with in-house agency.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to stakeholders.
• Review and administer contracts with hotels and suppliers.
• Balance multiple events and timelines.
• Stay current with meeting planning methodologies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Event planning

Budget management

Vendor negotiation

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Presentations

Travel coordination

Contract management

Time management

Independent work

Team collaboration

Tools

Microsoft Office

Registration databases

Meeting planning software

Vendor management systems

Job description

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Consults with internal stakeholders on vision, budgetary requirements, and overall objectives of educational meetings and investor conferences to maximize return on investment.

• Responsible for developing, maintaining, and reporting budgets of up to 1 million dollars.

• Manages all aspects of medium to large, complex programs (up to 4,000 attendees) through their entire lifecycle (initiation, planning, execution, closure).

• Cultivates and develops relationships with key personnel in other business units, including procurement, marketing, accounting, office services, and risk operations, as well as a host of external vendors.

• Creates key communications, digital and print, for executives and attendees.

• Ensures that meeting expenditures and other post-meeting data are maintained in the meeting planning database.

• Manages air processes with an in-house travel agency to include lift analysis, approved travelers’ lists, manifest coordination, and overall trip approvals, as needed.

• Prepares and delivers written and oral presentations to stakeholders.

• Reviews, negotiates, and administers contracts with hotels and other suppliers.

• Manages time with the ability to effectively balance multiple events at different stages.

• Maintains currency in meeting planning methodologies.

• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Skills:

• Intermediate-level concepts, practices and procedures of meeting and event planning.

• Microsoft Office suite.

• Corporate travel policies.

• Online registration systems and database management.

• Strong reasoning and decision-making to compose recommendations on the direction and scope of meetings.

• Written and verbal communications in order to professionally address a wide and varied audience both internally and externally.

• Project management to successfully complete long term projects.

• Organizational and time management skills to best handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.

• Basic accounting principles.

• Providing a high level of customer service.

• Independently manage work projects.

• Negotiate with external vendors.

• Create, manage and adhere to budgets up to 1 million dollars.

• Handle multiple tasks and projects.

• Identify problems and create effective solutions.

• Quickly construct effective contingency plans.

• Articulate reasons behind decisions.

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

• Work independently as well as collaboratively within a team environment.

Licenses/Certifications:

• Certified Meeting Professional or ability to obtain certification.