Senior Associate, Speaker Relations

Milken Institute; Santa Monica (CA); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 92,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Family Leave

Fertility Support

Disability Insurance

FSAs

Pet Insurance

Job summary

Milken Institute seeks a Senior Associate for Speaker Relations to plan and produce its global events calendar. You will be the primary liaison for speakers, partners, and VIP guests, ensuring a seamless experience before, during, and after events.

The role involves collaborating with programming and operations, managing timelines, and delivering high-touch registration and on-site support. Hybrid schedule in Santa Monica with travel to support events.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years in events, development or client relations.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and written/verbal communication with senior leaders.
• Experience engaging high-profile individuals and managing multiple projects.
• Proficiency in Salesforce, Cvent, and Microsoft Office; familiarity with PM tools.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contact for speakers with high-touch support.
• Maintain speaker registration workflows and data integrity.
• Collaborate across departments to align speaker logistics and programming.
• Manage timelines, deliverables, and on-site support.
• Develop on-site speaker experience and VIP touchpoints.
• Build relationships with C-suite executives and influencers.
• Use Salesforce, Cvent and PM tools to track speaker data.
• Identify opportunities to improve Speaker Relations processes.
• Duties as assigned.

Skills

Event coordination

Communication

Relationship management

Tools

Salesforce

Cvent

Microsoft Office

Job description

Senior Associate, Speaker Relations

Full-time Regular Santa Monica, CA, US

2 days ago Requisition ID: 1597

Salary Range: $80,000.00 To $92,000.00 Annually

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities, involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event.

About the Position

The Milken Institute is seeking an experienced and proactive professional to support the planning and production of its annual calendar of global events within the Speaker Relations arm of the Events Department. This individual will interact closely with the Institute’s programming, event technology teams, and internal stakeholders while serving as a liaison with speakers, partners, and VIP guests. The role emphasizes creating an exceptional and seamless speaker experience before, during, and after events, strengthening relationships, and ensuring ongoing engagement with the Milken Institute.

The Senior Associate will report to the Associate Director, Event Production and Speaker Relations. This full-time position provides opportunities for professional growth within a dynamic organization.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for speakers, providing high-touch support and maintaining clear and professional communication throughout the engagement process.
• Maintain the speaker registration process, including back-end workflows and data integrity.
• Collaborate across departments to ensure alignment of speaker logistics, programming objectives, and event operations.
• Manage speaker-related timelines, deliverables, and on-site support to ensure a seamless experience.
• Work with event production partners in the development of event run of shows and on-site management of the speaker ready room and public facing programming rooms.
• Further develop the on site speaker experience, VIP speaker touch points, and speaker networking and interactive opportunities.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with C-suite executives, thought leaders, and influencers, ensuring their needs and expectations are met with discretion and professionalism.
• Utilize tools such as Salesforce, Cvent, and other project management platforms to track and manage speaker-related data and deliverables.
• Support the continuous improvement of Speaker Relations processes, identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, creativity, and branding.
• Duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A minimum of 3 relevant experience in events, development or client relations, with a proven track record of working with high-profile individuals.
• Exceptional organizational skills and an acute attention to detail, with an understanding of logistics and process optimization.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including experience engaging confidently and positively with senior-level decision-makers and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to balance multiple projects in a fast-paced environment while maintaining high productivity and meeting deadlines.
• A creative, solution-oriented mindset with the ability to problem-solve and think critically under pressure.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), with familiarity in tools such as Salesforce, Cvent, and project management software considered a strong asset.
• A team-oriented individual who takes initiative, seeks out challenges, and supports team goals collaboratively.

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to the Santa Monica office location (Tuesday – Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute’s sole discretion.

This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. International along with domestic travel is possible. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world.

Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.

Every person at the Milken Institute is treated with respect, supported with resources and training, and exposed to a broad range of experiences. We foster a space for growth with opportunities to share knowledge and passion with both clients and colleagues. We are committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. Our leadership is actively involved in our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and fostering a culture that creates opportunities for everyone.

• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
• Fertility Support
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
• Pet Insurance Discount
• Training & Development:
• LinkedIn Learning –over 15,000 self-guided classes offered