Director, Business and Program Development

Position description

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.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event. 
 

About the Position 

The Milken Institute is seeking a Director of Business and Program Development in the Santa Monica office to support the team’s operational and event program development needs. The successful candidate will bring industry expertise, attention to detail, and creativity to bear, adding value to the Institute’s financial acumen, programmatic reputation, and event execution.    

Program Development: The candidate will oversee the development and curation of a subset of panels from the Financial Markets Track at each event with a focus on finance sector topics and trends, such as credit markets, asset management, capital markets, and private markets. They will coordinate with the Business and Program Development team on placement of speakers nominated by sponsors and partners on Finance panels. They are expected to stay abreast of global current affairs, financial market trends, and key industry players for creative ideation followed by execution of compelling content across Milken Institute events. 

Operations Management: The candidate will oversee project management needs of the Business and Program Development team across events year-round. This includes shaping, designing and strategically thinking of all operational aspects of each given event or project. They are expected to lead strategic and high-profile projects with cross-functional and long-term impact. To this end, the candidate will be supported by and manage a Senior Associate focused on operations and project management. 

The candidate will report to a Senior Director, Business and Program Development, overseeing a Senior Associate focused on operations and project management.

Responsibilities

Program Development (50%)

• Develop and manage a subset of panels from the Financial Markets track at our annual Global Conference and other regional summits. Candidate should be fluent in finance sector topics and trends, such as credit markets, asset management, capital markets, and private markets
• Coordinate with the Business & Program Development team to prioritize nominated speaker placements that meet business needs while maintaining high-level content that resonates with issue-area experts, core Milken Institute stakeholders, media, and the general public
• Serve as primary liaison between Business and Program Development and the Global Programming teams; Support inter- and intra-departmental communications to ensure smooth collaboration, effective processes, and deadlines are met for relevant deliverables
• Collaborate on content development and session objectives with members of our MI Finance team 
• Leadership in researching, ideation, writing and editing communication materials including event narratives and panel descriptions which resonate with senior investment professionals and corporate leaders. 
• Oversee program execution, including speaker communications and prep calls 
• Maintain records and track historical trends in speakers and topics of interest to provide relevant recommendations for refreshing and compelling content across Milken Institute events year-round. 
• Keep relevant databases and Institute CRM up to date with accurate and thorough information.  
• Attend and staff Institute events as needed to support the Business and Program Development team and assist with speaker greeting, escorting, and the execution of a timely program.  

Operations Management (40%)

• Work closely with a Senior Director, Business and Program Development, overseeing a Senior Associate focused on operations and project management on full range of processes and deliverables for smooth and strong execution of events to ensure the best sponsor experiences. 
• Maintain a proactive leadership role within the Institute around ensuring that internal planning, communication and reporting systems are in place to effectively inform the Business and Program Development team for the planning of donor engagement and fundraising goals. 
• Support the design, implementation, and management of comprehensive project plans for key Institute events and special projects.

Business Development (10%)

• Create, maintain, and deepen a portfolio of relationships with a global donor base and key stakeholders in finance and business and close financial gifts. 
• Support end-to-end strategy development of product offerings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree is required; specialization in finance/asset management or journalism is a plus
• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience in finance, business development, project management and/or marketing. 
• Ability to manage complex projects and tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment, requiring ability to effectively prioritize and respond promptly to internal and external communications 
• Excellent analytical and synthesis skills; able to translate complex business issues into plain, easily digestible messages for stakeholders across different settings
• Must be intrinsically motivated with an excellence orientation; understand that no task is too big or too small
• Flexibility and motivation to take on new opportunities, expand portfolio and adapt to internal and external environment 
• Intellectually curious with a solid understanding of, or eagerness to learn, the financial services industry 
• The confidence to interact professionally and competently with corporate leaders, public figures, government officials, dignitaries, and other global policy leaders.   
• Strong oral and written communication skills 
• Possesses emotional intelligence in your ability to relate to others for collaboration and problem solving
• Technically savvy with proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); Salesforce is a plus 

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 States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

This position will work a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to your respective office location (Tuesday – Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely.  Please understand, this schedule is subject to change in the Institute’s sole discretion. 

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. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Our Culture

The Milken Institute is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, 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. 

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan – 403b (5%)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability 
• Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
• Training & Development:
  1. LinkedIn Learning – over 15,000 self-guided classes offered
  2. Mentor Program
• Wellness Resources:
  1. Employee Assistance Program
  2. CALM app membership

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on globalvacancies.org