Associate Director, Middle East and Africa, Global Programming

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London, England, GB
6 days ago
Requisition ID: 1322
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.
About the Position
The Milken Institute seeks an Associate Director to join our dynamic Global Programming team within the Events Department. Members of this team oversee the content development and stakeholder engagement throughout all of the Milken Institute’s marquee events, including our flagship Global Conference. Successful candidates will apply their regional expertise, professional working knowledge, and on-the-ground experience working in the Middle East and/or Africa to the the program’s development. They will bring organization, attention to detail, and creativity to bear, adding value to the Institute’s programmatic reputation and event execution.
Working closely with and reporting to the Senior Director of Global Programming, the incoming Associate Director will lead the development of our annual Middle East and Africa Summit as well as support functions of the broader Global Programming team, including our global portfolio of convenings connected to the Milken Institute’s research centers and our flagship Global Conference.
Responsibilities
Topical Research and Content Development:
Contribute to creative ideation between programming colleagues, business development, and research-focused pillars to ensure the most relevant, innovative, and action-oriented content is highlighted at our events.
Staying abreast of important trends connected to the Milken Institute’s mission and conduct research on timely global challenges, priorities, and trends to help inform program development, session descriptions, thought leadership, and talking points within speaker briefing materials.
Research and identify prominent and emerging leaders, including social entrepreneurs, innovative corporate executives, leading researchers, and public influencers to complement the existing high-level Milken Institute network.
Drive content curation and session development, draft session descriptions and briefing documents, ensure program materials have mission-aligned narratives and clear, timely objectives.
Relationship Management and Stakeholder Engagement:
Contribute to an increasingly inclusive pool of thought leaders to ensure that all Milken Institute programs reflect a diversity of both perspective and peoples.
Cultivate new meaningful relationships for the Institute and collaborating on enhancing engagement for existing relationships.
Support speaker outreach and relationship management when drafting speaker invitations, researching principal expertise, and identifying direct/secondary paths of communication to principal offices.
Develop strategic engagement plans for high-level principals to have meaningful and productive experiences onsite at Milken Institute events.
Prepare and design supporting documents sent to speakers to support a seamless engagement experience – including session-specific briefing materials, bespoke itineraries, etc.
Internal Coordination:
Support inter- and intradepartmental communications to ensure smooth collaboration, effective processes, and deadlines are met for relevant deliverables.
Keep relevant databases and Institute CRM up to date with accurate and thorough information. Ensure internal processes are followed and enforce process adherence by program contributors.
Maintain collaborative working documents within the programming department and across other teams as necessary/relevant.
Event Execution:
Travel should be anticipated to attend and staff regional events as needed to support Global Programming team and assist with speaker greeting, escorting, and the successful execution of a timely program.
60% of time will be focused on Middle East and Africa Summit
MEA Summit Project Management and Program Development
Serve as the primary project manager on the annual Milken Institute MEA Summit, working with and supporting a cross-functional, international team on an ongoing basis to ensure successful execution of the event.
Ensure a strong understanding of the region and current world events is evident across session descriptions, talking points, briefing documents, etc.
Contribute heavily to the content creation and session development of the entire MEA program, working collaboratively with internal Institute experts to ideate and craft program components.
Serve as main point of contact for Institute staff, advisors, and contractors regarding their queries and contributions related to the MEA Summit program.
Oversee the MEA Summit program framework, structure, and formats.
Engage in the programming process by actively identifying trends, seeking out emerging topics, potential speakers, and relevant experts to remain up-to-date with the latest advancements in chosen thematic areas and turn them into forward-thinking sessions to include in the program
Organize and facilitate interdepartmental meetings, contribute to relevant event timelines, lead programmatic decisions related to the MEA Summit, in collaboration with Global Programming senior staff.
Oversee program execution, including speaker confirmations, and ensure wider team is meeting event goals, deadlines, and objectives.
Serve as primary liaison between the Global Programming team and research centers regarding content curation, session development, and speaker recruitment.
Serve as primary point of contact between the Global Programming team, Business Development team, and regionally-based consultants regarding programmatic suggestions and contributions to Summit agenda.
Ensure content is regionally relevant, while still appealing to a global audience of Milken Institute stakeholders and has international media appeal.
40% of time will be focused on supporting Global Conference (and other year-round events)
Global Conference
Contribute to the diverse tapestry that makes the Global Conference program what it is – a collection of more than 200 public and private session, 800 speakers, and 4,000 participants discussing the most critical issues of the day.
Advise on MEA-based/relevant stakeholder positioning across the Global Conference program in collaboration with business development and regionally-based colleagues,
Act as a liaison between the HQ Programming Team and regionally-based staff, relaying updates about our global programming initiatives and program development in lead-up to Global Conference.
Qualifications
A generalist by nature, but with interest in, and working knowledge of, topics such as: international affairs, financial markets, geopolitics, artificial intelligence, innovative technology, and global business trends.
Regional expertise, professional working knowledge, and on-the-ground experience working in the Middle East and/or Africa.
The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, and to work collaboratively across colleagues throughout the 300+ person Milken Institute.
The confidence to interact professionally and competently with corporate leaders, public figures, government officials, dignitaries, and other global policy leaders.
An appreciation of, and respect for, the unique role the Milken Institute has in convening the best minds in any field to further global solutions.
Team-oriented. Individuals who seek out tasks when work is completed and assist colleagues to ensure goals, requirements, and deadlines are achieved.
Multitaskers able to handle complex projects with numerous stakeholders, requiring ability to effectively prioritize and respond promptly to internal requests.
Motivated self-starters and hard workers displaying high productivity and follow-through in all areas of responsibility.
Exceptional interpersonal and soft skills, with a positive, collaborative personality.
Able to embrace an attitude of "no job is too small,”, with laser-sharp attention to detail and high standards of excellence.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred, with a concentration in one or more of the following: public affairs, political science, economics, finance, international affairs, and/or nonprofit management.
A minimum of five to eight (5-8) years of relevant experience with increasing responsibility and/or management in one or more of the following fields: finance, journalism, think-tanks, research, relevant nonprofit institutions, or government entities.
Experience with program curation and event operations in the Middle East and Africa region.
Interest and ability to travel to regional Milken Institute offices in lead-up to the Middle East and Africa Summit.
Ability to adapt to fluctuating business hours based on workflows and relevant time zones across Milken Institute offices.
Excellent writing, editing, and analytical skills. Effective communicator, both oral and written.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word required. Experience with Salesforce preferred.
Excellent organizational skills and the willingness and ability to organize multiple, ongoing projects is critical.
Fluency in English required. Fluency in Arabic is preferred. Preference for candidates that speak additional languages of critical importance to the Middle East and African regions.
Note, this position will require the hire to be based in London, UK. This is not a remote position.
Working Conditions & Travel Requirements
This position will work in a
professional office environment. 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
We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United Kingdom. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the United Kingdom is a precondition of employment.
This position will be working a hybrid model, where you will be expected to report to your respective office location 3-days per week (Tuesday - Thursday), this is subject to change.
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.
Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected.
Our Culture
The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, 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.
Contribution towards private medical insurance
Paid Time Off (25 days per year plus UK bank holidays)
Statutory Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
Training & Development:
LinkedIn Learning –over 10,000 classes offered, self-guided.
Mentor Program
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