Technical Expert: Event Coordinator

**Job Information**:
Date Opened
- 12/10/2024

Number of Positions
- 1

Project/Activity
- USAID/South Africa TSS

Industry
- USAID

Job Type
- Short Term Technical (consultant)

City
- Pretoria

State/Province
- Gauteng

Country
- South Africa

Zip/Postal Code
- 0002

HIghest Level of Education
- A bachelor’s degree in management, organizational development, social science, or a related field or relevant experience.

Work Experience
- 5-7 years

**Background**:
The Technical Support Services (TSS) Activity helps USAID/Southern Africa and Regional Health Office (RHO) to address technical priorities and develop creative, innovative solutions to strategically allocate resources, strengthen connections with partners, and replicate best practices and effective program models. Through the TSS contract, Panagora Group augments capacity by providing technical, operational, and administrative support to USAID’s largest health portfolio. TSS deploys advisors in response to USAID requests for priority work with government stakeholders, implementing partners, and/or other entities. TSS supports Health Office staff and teams to integrate creative solutions into routine work. TSS also provides international and local expertise for surge support, as needed, for USAID Program Cycle requirements, planning, development, outreach, communications, and Health Office human resource functions.

**Description of Position**:
Panagora seeks a Technical Expert: Event Coordinator to support engagement practices for TSS as we support USAID and their implementing partners. TSS provides in-person, virtual, and hybrid events and meeting support, including team retreats, internal and external meetings, and technical workshops. This includes planning and preparation (program design, resourcing, preparing materials); event and meeting support (facilitation, events coordination, synthesizing knowledge, triaging challenges, liaising with providers, and administering in-person, hybrid, and virtual collaboration platforms); and follow-up and reporting (meeting documentation, satisfaction surveys). TSS also provides over 800 square meters of centrally located meeting/event and co-working space for use by USAID, implementing partners, and other key stakeholders in Pretoria, South Africa (called the Collaboration & Learning Hub). The Technical Expert: Event Coordinator will work closely within the Strategic Engagements team, as well as with the Operations and Finance teams, to ensure that events meet world-class standards.

**Position Responsibilities**:
The Technical Expert: Event Coordinator will coordinate in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, including the following:

- Execute tasks efficiently while guiding and motivating a team to deliver high-quality results under tight deadlines, adapting to ambiguous goals and evolving priorities.
- Work with TSS, USAID, and partner points of contact to determine their needs and objectives, and coordinate resources to deliver successful engagements held at the Collaboration & Learning Hub and at off-site venues for groups of between 25-150 people. These engagements are held throughout Southern Africa.
- Conduct weekly (or more frequent) stakeholder meetings from the point of engagement kick-off to event completion.
- Develop event proposals and progress updates, including venue and activity options, costs, and timelines (typically presented in Google Slides).
- Process event and meeting booking requests and respond to the client.
- Coordinate and event-manage in-person engagements, directing the TSS team and on-site venue staff to set up on the day, perform checks and regular room refreshes, ensure timely delivery of catering and IT/audiovisual implementation, and triage any challenges as they arise.
- Direct and organize a team to prepare required resources prior to and on the day of the event (e.g., name tags, attendance registers, agendas, and printing).
- Oversee TSS team completion of post-event reporting.
- Implement engagement best practices and tools.
- In addition to the responsibilities described above, the consultant may be assigned additional responsibilities to support overall TSS objectives.

**Requirements**:

- A bachelor’s degree in management, organizational development, social science, or a related field or relevant experience.
- A minimum of five years’ experience providing event management for medium and large events; could include working for event or catering organizations.
- Knowledge of and experience working with USAID programs and/or in international development is preferred.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a variety of multicultural audiences, including clients, colleagues, and senior management.
- Working knowledge of virtual conferencing technologies, including Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams.
- Demonstrated ability to efficiently manage complex and shifting priorities in a demanding, fast-paced environment.
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