Conference Center Operations Manager

PenBay Technology Group is seeking a Conference Center Operations Manager / Team Lead to support the Davis Conference Center (DCC) at MacDill Air Force Base Florida. This position serves as PenBays on-site contractor team lead and is responsible for coordinating the scheduling preparation readiness and daily operation of the conference centers meeting spaces distinguished visitor areas offices audiovisual capabilities information technology resources and related facility services.

This is not a traditional event-production position. The military or federal organization hosting an event retains responsibility for its program agenda speakers participants presentations and overall event objectives. The DCC team supports those organizations by ensuring the facility rooms technology access and supporting resources are properly scheduled configured tested and ready for use.

The Conference Center Operations Manager works directly with government Project Officers and organizational points of contact to understand their requirements and translate them into an executable facility-support plan. This includes determining appropriate meeting spaces and room configurations; scheduling conference rooms and Distinguished Visitor spaces; identifying audiovisual information technology communications security and access-control requirements; coordinating support across the DCC contract team; and ensuring spaces are fully prepared before the customer arrives.

The position also serves as the on-site leader for a small multidisciplinary contractor team supporting conference center operations. The successful candidate must be highly organized customer-focused comfortable managing multiple competing facility requirements and capable of enforcing DCC policies and operational limitations while maintaining a professional customer experience.

The DCC supports senior military leaders distinguished visitors federal agencies and other Department of Defense organizations. Accordingly this position requires professionalism discretion sound judgment attention to detail and the ability to remain composed in a high-visibility military environment.

This position is performed on-site at the Davis Conference Center at MacDill Air Force Base Florida.

The DCC is a large technology-enabled military conference facility containing multiple meeting rooms flexible conference spaces Distinguished Visitor suites and workspaces audiovisual control rooms secure communications capabilities and classified-capable meeting environments.

The position requires daily interaction with government personnel Project Officers contractor staff military organizations distinguished visitors and facility customers. The primary focus is maintaining an organized properly scheduled secure and event-ready conference center environment capable of supporting multiple concurrent and future requirements.

• Serve as the on-site Team Lead and Conference Center Operations Manager for the Davis Conference Center contract team.
• Supervise contractor personnel assign and monitor daily work establish workload priorities and ensure contract requirements are completed.
• Coordinate the daily use scheduling preparation and readiness of DCC conference rooms meeting spaces Distinguished Visitor areas and supporting facility resources.
• Work directly with government Project Officers and organizational points of contact to gather requirements for proposed conferences meetings training sessions and other DCC activities.
• Translate customer requirements into appropriate room reservations room configurations technology requirements access requirements and facility-support actions.
• Maintain the long-range DCC conference schedule and ensure room and resource conflicts are identified and addressed before they affect customers.
• Use EventPro or similar conference-center management software to schedule meeting spaces document requirements track room utilization and maintain event-support records.
• Coordinate meeting-room configurations including tables seating stages podiums presentation areas and other facility arrangements.
• Coordinate audiovisual information technology communications secure video teleconferencing and other technical support requirements with assigned DCC technicians.
• Ensure conference rooms and supporting spaces are fully event ready including required room configuration functioning technology customer materials lighting temperature and other identified requirements.
• Coordinate Distinguished Visitor suites conference rooms workspaces technology communications and access requirements based upon customer needs.
• Coordinate facility access and physical-security requirements with appropriate government personnel security representatives and DCC staff.
• Lead customer planning and facility-coordination meetings focused on identifying what the DCC must provide to support the customers event.
• Clearly communicate DCC capabilities limitations policies scheduling requirements and available technology to customers during the planning process.
• Help customers identify solutions that meet their requirements while remaining within DCC policies available resources security requirements and contract scope.
• Coordinate with audiovisual information technology security custodial catering transportation protocol and other supporting organizations when their services affect use of the facility.
• Maintain room setup sheets facility schedules Project Officer agreements checklists Distinguished Visitor requirements reports and other conference-center documentation.
• Ensure changes to customer requirements are communicated to affected DCC personnel and incorporated into facility and technical preparations.
• Monitor scheduled activities while they are occurring and coordinate rapid response to facility technology access or customer-support issues.
• Supervise post-event room reset cleanup coordination equipment accountability and preparation of spaces for subsequent customers.
• Maintain awareness of future facility requirements and balance preparation activities across multiple upcoming events.
• Support daily opening and closing requirements for the conference center and ensure government facilities equipment and materials are appropriately secured.
• Assist with reception scheduling-office administrative records-management and facility-support requirements as necessary.
• Maintain professional working relationships with military federal and contractor personnel while providing responsive customer service.
• Communicate performance issues operational risks staffing concerns scheduling conflicts and recommended solutions to PenBay and appropriate government representatives.
• Ensure contractor personnel comply with applicable DCC facility safety security access-control and operating procedures.
• Use Microsoft Outlook Word Excel and PowerPoint for scheduling correspondence documentation reports coordination and briefings.

The Conference Center Operations Manager is responsible for the environment in which the event takes placenot for producing the customers event itself.

The customers Project Officer or organizational point of contact determines the events purpose agenda speakers attendees presentations and mission objectives. The DCC Operations Manager works with that individual to determine:

• Where the event will be accommodated within the facility.
• When the required rooms and spaces will be reserved.
• How each room must be configured.
• What A/V IT communications and presentation technology is required.
• What Distinguished Visitor spaces or support are required.
• What security classification and access considerations affect use of the facility.
• What DCC personnel and resources must be coordinated to make the space ready.
• Whether the requested support is consistent with DCC capabilities policies and contract requirements.

Success in this position means that when the Project Officer and attendees arrive the appropriate space is reserved configured secure technically functional professionally presented and ready for the organization to conduct its event.

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must possess or be able to obtain a DoD Secret security clearance.
• Must be able to meet installation access and background screening requirements.
• Minimum of three years of progressively responsible management experience preferably supporting DoD military installation federal government conference center hospitality or event operations.
• Demonstrated experience planning coordinating and executing events meetings conferences or projects involving senior leaders executives distinguished visitors or government customers.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise and coordinate a multidisciplinary team preferably including audiovisual information technology facilities custodial customer service or administrative personnel.
• Strong customer-service mindset with the ability to anticipate customer needs resolve concerns and maintain professional relationships.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to prepare correspondence reports briefings and event documentation.
• Strong organizational analytical and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple events projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to remain calm and professional under pressure while resolving operational technical or logistical challenges.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Outlook Word Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience with EventPro or similar event scheduling/event management software is preferred.
• Familiarity with military protocol customs courtesies organizational structure distinguished visitor support and secure facility operations is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with force protection access control facility management and secure event coordination is preferred.

• Bachelors degree or three plus years of equivalent relevant experience in hospitality management Event Management Business Administration Communications or a related field is preferred.
• Professional certification in event or conference management such as CMP CEM or equivalent is preferred.
• Training or certification in DoD federal or military protocol procedures is highly desirable.
• Must complete all required installation access safety security and job-specific training prior to or upon assuming duties.
• Must complete required initial refresher or continuing training in applicable systems customer service procedures event operations security procedures and local conference center requirements.
• Must maintain currency in assigned areas through contractor-provided and government-directed training programs.