Convention Coordinator

Convention Coordinator Location: Mettawa, IL Schedule: Hybrid (Tues-Thurs onsite, M&F remote) Duration: 6-Month Contract to start with potential extensions Pay Rate: Up to $37/hour Orion Group’s pharmaceutical client is seeking a highly organized Convention Coordinator to support the planning and execution of U.S. commercial conventions and congresses. This role is responsible for coordinating financial and operational activities, maintaining convention schedules and documentation, and supporting Convention Managers with day-to-day tactical execution. The ideal candidate is a strong project coordinator with exceptional communication and organizational skills who thrives in a fast-paced environment. Experience supporting conventions, meetings, or events is highly preferred. Key Responsibilities Manage financial activities related to conventions, including maintaining the department's Budget Tracker and coordinating with vendors and Finance. Request and track Statements of Work (SOWs), purchase-related documentation, and financial approvals. Partner with Finance and Purchasing to reconcile open invoices, resolve discrepancies, and ensure timely payment to vendors. Maintain and update the U.S. Conventions Master Calendar, ensuring all convention dates, locations, and key milestones remain accurate and current. Independently research and validate convention information to ensure calendar accuracy. Improve and organize convention tracking tools and documentation to increase efficiency and usability. Shadow Convention Managers to learn existing processes and provide tactical support across convention activities. Develop and maintain process documentation for key workflows. Support operational activities including sponsorship routing (SEM/MRF), ACR submissions, virtual booth setup, and other convention-related tasks. Communicate effectively with internal stakeholders, vendors, and cross-functional partners to ensure projects remain on schedule. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree required. Previous project management or project coordination experience. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities. Ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, and Outlook. Preferred Qualifications Convention, meeting, tradeshow, or event management experience. Experience working with budgets, invoices, purchase orders, or financial tracking. Smartsheet experience, including building or modifying sheets and workflows. Experience supporting cross-functional teams within a corporate environment. Pharmaceutical or healthcare industry experience is a plus. Ideal Candidate The successful candidate is detail-oriented, proactive, and enjoys keeping complex projects organized. They are comfortable coordinating across multiple stakeholders, managing operational details, and supporting the successful execution of large-scale conventions while maintaining a high level of accuracy and professionalism. People are our business worldwide Orion Group was founded in 1987 and is now one of the largest, independent, international recruitment companies. We have a network of 200 employees working from 24 offices, delivering a range of services – Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Outsourcing Services, Retained Search, Global Workforce Solutions, Completions & Commissioning and Materials Management – across 68 countries. As a global leader in workforce solutions, we recruit personnel across the Engineering & Technical, Office & Commercial, Scientific and Skilled Trades disciplines, for sectors including Oil & Gas, Life Science, Power & Utilities, Constructions & Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Renewables.