Associate Director, Meetings & Events

The Associate Director Meetings & Events is responsible for leading the execution and administration of corporate meeting and events and HCP programs as assigned across all divisions and companies of Otsuka. This role ensures seamless logistics planning and coordination, financial management, compliance tracking, and reporting of all managed programs. The role will hold primary responsibility to build and manage relationships with the sales, marketing, training, Market Access and medical teams, with a strong focus in Cvent management and overseeing congress meeting support. The Associate Director will identify meeting support needs, make recommendations, and oversee planning and execution while acting as liaison between M&E suppliers and cross functional teams. Responsibilities include planning and coordination inclusive but not limited to: Cvent point of contact for Otsuka, review, and management of all aspects of Cvent billing and reporting, meeting app management, managing 3rd party logistic suppliers, assistance with deck review and build for large meetings, budget management and other responsibilities that may arise in our changing landscape. The Associate Director will also have oversight of the meeting logistics team’s execution of HCP programs, including their presence at national and regional meetings and medical events, as well as oversight of Congress needs such as accommodations and meeting space. This position requires a high degree of agility to quickly learn and take on new responsibilities as they arise. Working Relationships Internal and External Contacts: Manages overall assigned programs within assigned budget, reviews, and audits all program related billing for accuracy. Works with clients and third-party suppliers. Interacts with internal departments including, but not limited to, Project Managers, Marketing & Sales Operations, Brand Marketing, Communications, Travel, Finance, Training, and PRC. Major Accountabilities 40% MEETING MANAGEMENT Act as main point of contact for assigned program’s Meeting Owners and ensure all milestones elements are communicated and met. Lead weekly client status calls for assigned meetings to discuss progress. Works with sourcing team and clients on finalizing venue selection. Depending on workload, oversees Sourcing and Contracting process. Work with the registration team to build, QC, and launch registration websites. Consistently assess stakeholders’ satisfaction with the services delivered by the dedicated and designated teams. Ensure successful attendee experience. 30% FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Manages overall project financials and communicates changes to client, while creating cost savings ideas. Manages and negotiates items such as hotel contracts, supplier relationships, audio-visual, general service contracting, hotel, destination management company (DMC), and all third-party contracts. Initiates supplier payments, client invoices, and provides updates to clients in a timely manner. 30% PROJECT MANAGEMENT Collaborate with internal teams and stakeholders to ensure timely deliverables, accurate planning and forecasting, and proper allocation of resources. Act as an expert problem solver and manage multiple priorities at once. Stay calm under pressure, while educating stakeholders about the risks involved in meeting logistics and guiding towards productive solutions. Primary Responsibilities Program Coordination & Execution Leading and managing assigned meetings & events, operating with a high degree of detail to ensure flawless execution and high-impact experience. Provide thought leadership and sales support to drive adoption of the Events Management application Work with meeting logistics teams to support Congress strategy and meeting management Support venue contracting, payment processing and event documentation for internal events and HCP meetings. Conduct site inspections to determine if locations are applicable for assigned complex meetings. Act as main point of contact to stakeholders for assigned meetings & events to ensure all milestone elements are communicated and met. Lead weekly logistics team status calls for assigned meetings to discuss and review status, and work through challenges encountered. Ensure all program-related data is accurately captured and reported in Cvent. Collaboration with Cross-Functional Partners Collaborate with cross functional team members, business partners and vendors to ensure all program needs are reviewed, discussed and ensure alignment, resolving unplanned factors in a timely manner. Partner with the Brand Teams, Medical, Legal, Regulatory and HCP Program Operations to ensure smooth coordination of HCP, Patient and Caregivers involvement in events and activities. Share best practices and demonstrate continues dedication to improving existing meetings & events processes. Creates and manages logistical communication between third-party logistics partners and Otsuka attendees for assigned events, ensuring all details are included for seamless participation. Partner with finance and procurement to manage contracts, SOW, budget and invoice reconciliations and payments. Partner with Otsuka Stakeholders and Requestors of Service to support, plan, and execute corporate, departmental, and field meetings and events logistics. Compliance & Documentation Maintain contracts, SOWs, event records, and compliance documentation. Ensure all engagements comply with company policies and industry regulations. Assist in the preparation of compliance audits and reporting. Work with Compliance in the development of any future revisions of meeting guidelines, including a focus on HCP meetings. Reporting & Insights Manages and tracks event budgets, ensuring expenses stay within allocated funds and generate financial reports. Creates and analyzes post event reports, creating a comprehensive debrief report. Support the development of dashboards and analytics tools to measure program success. Identify opportunities for process improvements in meeting and events execution. Work with Director to define standard event management data and processes Minimum Requirements (state the minimum / preferred education and experience level) Experience: At least 7-10 years professional meeting planning experience in the pharma or biotech industry, ideally with both planning/sourcing experience Deep experience in end-to-end event lifecycle in life sciences meetings Ability to understand and contract/ negotiation and bid comparisons Strategic meeting logistics management, budget controls, and reconciliation management Strong experience building relationships with internal stakeholders, external partners and a network of resources. Ability to think critically to develop a strategy and execution plan across all areas of business (Marketing, Sales, Medical, Market Access and Training) Ability to multi-task when managing multiple events simultaneously Confident in presenting to senior leadership Experienced in leading cross functional teams in strategic meeting management process Cvent experience creating registrations sites, managing Meeting Request Forms, and Cvent Budget Reporting Demonstrated effective oral and written communication skills Demonstrated collaborative and influencing skills working with cross-functional teams Knowledge of OIG, FDA, and experience with healthcare compliance Must be able to travel for management of onsite meeting operations and program execution which includes some weekends as needed Must be able to work well in a fast-paced environment and respond to changes with ease Excellent problem solving, decision-making and trouble-shooting skills Experience with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook, PowerPoint Ability to work independently, as well as in a collaborative and dynamic team environment Ability to communicate orally and in writing in a clear and straightforward manner Education (minimum/desirable): Bachelor’s Degree Cvent Certified User Location: Travel: Languages: Remote 30% English

Created: 2026-03-04