Employment Type: Fixed Term
Location: London
Work Site Type: Hybrid
Building a Brand Starts with a Story
FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency serving clients in various industries, including financial services, technology, new & traditional media, aerospace, healthcare, and professional services. FIRST has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the Top 150 Event Organizers & Agencies in the USA by Eventex, being listed among the "200 Top Marketing Agencies" in 2023, 2022 & 2021 by Chief Marketer, being recognised as one of the "50 Top Event Companies" by Special Events, being included in the Top 100 "Best Places to Work in NYC" by Crain's New York Business, and being listed as one of the "1000 Companies to Inspire Britain" by The London Stock Exchange Group.
FIRST also understands that businesses worldwide, including us, need to adopt more sustainable and socially responsible practices. Our vision of sustainability at FIRST is about fostering a People centric, Purpose driven & Planet conscious culture.
Learn more at www.firstagency.com
Our story started over 25 years ago growing through collaboration, innovation, strong culture, and a focus on people, specifically our people. Our people inspired, developed, and grew FIRST to the incredible brand experience creator it is today.
And our hope is that you become the next page of our story in developing how our agency connects more people beyond what they thought was possible.
A welcoming, creative and ambitious workplace that offers personal and professional growth for all individuals. At FIRST, you'll find:
- A welcoming workplace that fosters diversity and belonging with a focus on team members feeling valued, respected, and supported.
- Creative teams that enjoy challenging work with an ability to make an impact on those around them.
- An experiential organization that cares about the development and career experience of each employee, focusing on excellence and flexibility with the right balance of structure to thrive.
*PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A 12-MONTH FIXED TERM CONTRACT*
The ideal candidate would represent the FIRST brand as a dedicated resource within our Solutions division and assume the role of Project Manager.
The Project Manager will consistently deliver exceptional service to our clients through excellent project management and will be responsible for managing, supporting and/or executing the coordination of conferences and events. They will be responsible for managing several client-facing programs at a time.
WHAT YOU WOULD GET TO DO
- End-to-end delivery of all assigned conferences, events, and on-campus events from inception through execution to on-site delivery and post-event debrief
- Full management responsibility for assigned project budget creation, budget approval process enquiries, costs and contract negotiations with suppliers, timely invoice processing, final reconciliation and database reporting
- Creation and management of project timeline and reporting to internal clients as required on progress, key milestones, and any client team deliverable deadlines
- Working closely with Event Tech Coordinators/ Managers to ensure the event website, registration and reporting process runs smoothly and efficiently and tech updates are communicated to event hosts in a timely manner
- Management as well as knowledge and understanding of audio-visual requirements, internal and external speaker management, collection and program order collation of all presentations, food and beverage requirements including menu tastings when appropriate
- Preparation of all detailed on-site event management documentation as well as verbal briefing of support staff, venue, and all suppliers directly responsible for delivering the event or conference
- Domestic and International travel for site inspections as well as on-site management of live events
- Contribute to the creation and deepening of a knowledge bank of venues, hotels, destinations and services that ensure the FIRST team are providing expert advice and recommendations to clients;
QUALIFICATIONS, KEY SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
- Extensive event management, project planning, leadership and negotiation skills
- Demonstrated first-hand knowledge and experience of venues and destinations in EMEA
- Strong network of supplier contacts and established working relationships
- Strong knowledge of registration, conferences, meetings, F&B, and production management
- Experience in working with and managing Senior clients
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Good/advanced working knowledge of the MS Office Suite
- Experience with Cvent desirable
ADMINISTRATION & GENERAL
- Build excellent relations with clients and colleagues through positive communications
- Work intelligently and ensure that the Team Manager is aware of problems or issues which negatively affect productivity
- Adhere to, meet, and exceed SLA’s and KPIs consistently across all work
- Flexible and willing to work long hours (evenings, weekends) and travel
- Strict and accurate adherence to company’s time tracking policies and systems
- FIRST ambassador; participate and engage with FIRST initiatives and extracurriculars where possible
- Assume responsibility for own environment, ensuring adherence to health and safety policies while having clean smart surrounding
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
- Experience or background in regulated/financial services would be advantageous
#LI-KM1
FIRST is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. FIRST is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We stand firm: FIRST will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. If any candidate feels that they are unable to meet the requirements of the role, please get in touch to discuss adjustments or other suitable roles.