International Conference Director

About:

Our client, based in Cape Town is Africa's leading investment platforms for the energy industry and is hiring a Portfolio Director:

We connect governments, investors, and industry leaders through high-level conferences and exhibitions, investment reports, and strategic advisory and communications. Our international, passionate, and ambitious team works at the forefront of Africa's energy transformation – an industry with growth, purpose, and impact.

The role:

We are seeking a results-driven Portfolio Director to lead and optimise a selected portfolio of events, ensuring strategic alignment, operational excellence, and measurable impact across these events. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, enjoys strategic planning, and is passionate about driving growth through effective portfolio management.

French language and international experience in Europe/US are strong advantages.

The Portfolio Director will take ownership of portfolio performance, directly oversee projects, and work collaboratively with all departments, including the Executive team, Event Managers, and Commercial teams, to ensure seamless delivery of events and initiatives on time, on budget, and to the highest quality. You will set and monitor KPIs, identify growth opportunities, implement scalable processes, and provide strategic guidance that contributes to the long-term success and profitability of the organisation.

This role involves driving investor outreach in target markets, attracting stakeholders interested in investing in Africa. The ideal candidate will have an international outlook, proven experience managing complex projects, and the ability to lead teams across multiple markets while maintaining a clear focus on operational and financial success.

Key Responsibilities

Developing and Managing Business and Stakeholders

• Identifying, validating, and launching new event and product ideas to increase revenue streams.
• Managing and leading initiatives to generate topics and new forums and publishing products.
• Building relationships with key stakeholders throughout the value chain.
• Generate new sales leads and opportunities necessary to advancing the Company's cause, including but not limited to, sponsorships, advertisements and developing business for the Company's Advisory Practice.

Leadership/Management

• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders throughout the value chain.
• Oversee the unit/team P&L's, budgeting, scheduling, and resourcing in coordination with the portfolio director.
• Accurately forecast and maximize revenues across the portfolio.
• Ensure that the in-territory/ground team receives ample support with travel arrangements, marketing materials, and other administrative requirements.
• Create and execute ideas to launch and develop new products, services, platforms, and networks to generate additional revenue.

Programming and Content: Events, Forum and Publications

• Understand the key internal market drivers and work with programming department to develop agendas, programs, and publishing products for all divisions, ensuring they are content driven, timely, and focused.
• Monitor research, set up meetings with industry leaders to be featured in the publications, attend forums, and share the gathered information with internal teams.
• Produce coherent brand strategies to maintain and increase market relevance.
• Work with Commercial Director to develop comprehensive profiles of both the buyers and sellers, collaborate with the sales team to ensure every category is properly targeted, and construct high-quality value propositions, sales plans, sales briefs, and launch meetings.
• Utilize the sales pipeline tool and pipeline meetings in the business unit efficiently to ensure accurate forecasting and optimize revenue performance.

Marketing

• Create clear briefs and collaborate with marketing teams to ensure campaigns are on schedule and cost-effective.
• Conduct market research in order to oversee copy creation for all promotional literature, including the Forum agenda, website homepage, and all electronic promotional campaigns. Identify new ways to market and widen the scope of the brand.
• Partner with media and association groups to supplement messaging and marketing efforts.

Project Manager

• Ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of projects.
• Lead the management and development of events and projects before, during, and after their execution.
• Ensure the team fulfils all expectations set by exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, and delegates.
• Oversee post-event reports and analysis.

Operations/Logistics

• Manage staff to ensure all aspects of customer service and onsite delivery are high quality and meet company branding and customer experience standards
• Manage operational functions to ensure the event meets market expectations while maintaining cost efficiency

Reporting

• Prepare reports as required.
• Generate forecasts.
• Contribute to Monthly Management Reporting.
• Assist in annual budgeting and commentary.
• Create on-the-day event reports (attendance) for CEO, ICDs and Shareholders/Board.
• Generate post-campaign reports, analysis, and summaries and recommendations.

KPA's PD

• Foster exceptional collaboration with the team, with success metrics defined at the project's outset.
• Work with functional teams to negotiate costs and manage spending
• Work with Commercial Director to ensure that sales team have been allocated key customers and that there is a strategy to grow spend and profiles for each event
• Develop a strategy and briefing plan ensuring all functions of the team are appropriately briefed.
• Achievement of budgets.
• Innovation and creativity within the team.
• Ensure that all project collateral remains updated and recent.
• Ensure budget trackers remain updated, and forecasts are submitted at the indicated deadlines.
• Work with functional teams to achieve milestone and deadlines as per the milestone tracker.

Requirements

• 3+ years' experience in portfolio, program or project management, preferably in events, conferences, or a related industry.
• Understanding of hydrocarbons is advantageous
• Fluency in French is advantageous

Skills & Competencies

Strategic Planning

Project Management

Budgeting and Financial Management

Cross-Cultural Communication

Stakeholder Engagement

Industry

• Human Resources

Employment Type

Full-time

Package

50-60K Rands / month