Assistant Director, Meetings, Travel & Events in Washington, District of Columbia at SEIU

SEIU (Service Employees International Union)

Job Title: Assistant Director, Meetings, Travel & Events

Grade: MGT F
Location: Remote
Travel: Up to 40–60% depending on governance meetings and major union events.

Organizational Overview: We are the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a union of about 2 million diverse members in healthcare, the public sector, and property services. We believe in and fight for our Vision for a Just Society: where all workers are valued, and all people are respected—no matter where we come from or what color we are; where all families and communities can thrive; and where we leave a better, more equitable world for generations to come. We are an anti-racist union determined to check corporate power and uproot structural racism through unions—worker power and collective action—and government—legislative and political action. We fight for Unions for All and a Government that Works for All so that all of us, across race and place, can have power together in unions and participate fully in our democracy.

The Meetings, Travel & Events (MTE) Department supports the union’s governance, campaigns, and programmatic work by delivering operational excellence in meeting planning, travel administration, vendor management, and meetings and travel technology across the organization. The department supports approximately 130–150 meetings annually, including major governance convenings, and administers a travel program serving roughly 6,000 travelers and guests across SEIU and affiliated local unions. MTE operates within a structured meetings and travel program environment that includes enterprise technology platforms, strategic vendor partnerships, and program governance standards designed to ensure consistent operations and responsible stewardship of union resources.

PURPOSE: The Assistant Director supports the Director in administering and strengthening SEIU’s enterprise meetings and travel program, ensuring the effective execution of meetings and travel activities that support the union’s governance, campaigns, and organizational priorities.

This role provides operational leadership for vendor management, technology and systems (both travel and meeting technology), staff supervision, financial stewardship, and program governance. The Assistant Director helps ensure meetings and travel activities across the organization align with established program standards, union policies, and responsible stewardship of SEIU resources.

The position plays a key role in supporting the successful delivery of major union governance meetings and large-scale travel deployments, while helping departments effectively plan and execute meetings and travel in accordance with program guidance and operational best practices.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: (Any one position may not include all of the duties listed. The examples provided are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and are not an exhaustive list of responsibilities.)

Operational Leadership

• Provide operational leadership and execution for SEIU’s meetings and travel program, ensuring consistent service delivery across departments and major union events.
• Coordinate operational planning for major union governance meetings and large-scale travel deployments, including the Convention, Executive Boards, Executive Committees, and other leadership convenings.
• Identify operational risks, lead issue resolution, and maintain continuity planning for high-profile meetings and travel activities.

Program Administration

• Administer and support SEIU’s Strategic Meetings Management Program (SMMP) and corporate travel program, ensuring consistent program governance, policy compliance, and operational standards.
• Monitor compliance with meeting intake processes, sourcing protocols, travel policies, and program requirements across departments.
• Review operational data and meeting- and travel-related reporting to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for program improvement.
• Support coordination with meeting vendors, travel partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure consistent application of program standards.
• Assist in maintaining program documentation, policies, reporting frameworks, and operational processes supporting the meetings and travel program.

Vendor Management

• Oversee day-to-day performance of Travel Management Companies (TMCs), third-party meeting management firms, and meetings and travel service consultants.
• Monitor vendor performance against contractual obligations and service-level agreements (SLAs), ensuring compliance with program standards and procurement policies.
• Support contract management activities, including performance monitoring, issue escalation, and documentation of vendor compliance.
• Review operational data, service metrics, and spend reporting to ensure vendor accountability and program performance.
• Support the Director in vendor evaluations, contract renewals, and performance reviews.

Financial Stewardship

• Monitor travel and meeting program spending and financial exposure (e.g., attrition risk, cancellation penalties, or unused ticket liability).
• Ensure financial controls and stewardship practices for meetings and travel programs are consistently followed across departments.
• Support vendor evaluations and contract renewals through operational performance reporting and spend analysis.
• Maintain documentation and processes that support audit readiness, compliance, and responsible stewardship of SEIU resources.

Technology & Program Systems

• Lead administration of travel and meetings technology platforms, including online booking tools (OBTs) and strategic meetings management systems (e.g., Concur, Cvent, or comparable platforms).
• Coordinate departmental technology resources responsible for supporting system administration and ensure travel and meeting technologies are properly configured, maintained, and aligned with program policies.
• Configure and maintain system policies, approval workflows, user roles, and reporting to support program compliance and operational effectiveness.
• Maintain data integrity across travel, HR, and financial systems in coordination with Finance and Human Resources.
• Review system-generated reporting to monitor program performance, compliance, and operational effectiveness.

Staff Leadership

• Supervise, coach, and develop a team of meetings, travel, and operations professionals.
• Establish clear performance expectations and support staff in solving operational challenges and improving program outcomes.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, problem-solving, and continuous improvement aligned with SEIU values.
• Encourage staff to proactively identify operational challenges, develop practical solutions, and escalate issues when appropriate.

Operational Processes

• Lead documentation, cross-department sharing, implementation, and continuous improvement of standardized operating procedures (SOPs).
• Ensure workflows align with union policies and cross-departmental requirements.
• Collaborate across departments to maintain operational clarity and compliance.

Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned to support the MTE Department and broader union priorities.

CONTACTS:

Internal:

• Director, Meetings, Travel & Events
• SEIU Department (including but not limited to Executive Office, Finance,
• Operations, Information Technology (IT), and Human Resources (HR))
• Department managers and Staff across SEIU
• Local Union leadership and administrative staff

External:

• Travel Management Companies (TMCs)
• Third-party meeting management firms
• Meetings and travel service consultants
• Production and technology vendors
• Hotel and venue partners
• Strategic suppliers

DIRECTION AND DECISION-MAKING:

This position reports to the Director, Meetings, Travel & Events.

The Assistant Director operates independently within a defined operational scope and manages day-to-day administration and execution of the meetings and travel program, including vendor oversight, staff supervision, and technology platforms.

Strategic direction, enterprise vendor strategy, sourcing decisions, and final budget authority remain with the Director.

Material financial, legal, compliance, or reputational issues are escalated to the Director.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience managing meetings and travel programs within a complex organization, including work within a Strategic Meetings Management Program (SMMP) environment. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience administering both corporate travel booking platforms and strategic meetings management systems, including configuring policies, workflows, reporting, and user administration.

Education or equivalent professional experience in meetings management, hospitality, travel administration, business administration, or a related field is valued.

We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply, even if they do not meet all the listed qualifications.

Program and Operational Experience

• Supervising and developing professional staff
• Managing travel or meetings, vendors, and service-level agreements
• Monitoring contractual compliance and financial controls
• Administrator-level experience managing online booking tools (OBTs) such as Concur Travel or comparable corporate travel platforms.
• Administrator-level experience with strategic meetings management technology (e.g., Cvent or comparable systems), including registration management, reporting, and program administration.
• Configuring travel and meeting policies, approval workflows, reporting structures, and system controls.
• Using program reporting and system data to monitor policy compliance and program performance.
• Analyzing program data and reporting to support operational decisions

Additional Skills and Qualifications

• Strong operational management and organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Experience with project management and procurement or vendor sourcing
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience in mission-driven, nonprofit, labor, or advocacy environments preferred
• Commitment to equity, anti-racism, and responsible stewardship of organizational resources
• Any of the following Professional Certifications: Professional certifications demonstrating expertise in meetings, travel program management, sourcing/procurement governance, or event technology are valued indicators of industry knowledge. Relevant certifications may include:
• CMP (Certified Meeting Professional)
• GTP (Global Travel Professional)
• GLP (Global Leadership Professional)
• CMM (Certificate in Meeting Management)
• CGMP (Certified Government Meeting Professional)
• Cvent Certification(s)
• CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management)
• CSP (Certified Sourcing Professional)
• CSMP (Certified Supplier Management Professional)

Equivalent combinations of education, training, and professional experience will be considered. We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply, even if they do not meet all the listed qualifications.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must have the ability to work in an office (or similar) setting with or without reasonable accommodation. Travel, in addition to long and extended work hours, is required to support governance meetings and union events.