Position Description:

We are seeking an experienced Event Coordinator / Virtual Event Specialist to support the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Acquisitions in planning and running large-scale virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. The primary focus is HHS's inaugural two-day Industry Day/Summit in the Washington, DC metro area, with about 500 on-site attendees and 1,200 virtual attendees. The role may also support other OA events, such as the Acquisition Workforce Training Conference, leadership forums, and town halls. This role owns the virtual and hybrid parts of the attendee experience. That includes platform setup and registration, live streaming, virtual engagement, day-of technical troubleshooting, and post-event data. The ideal candidate has personally run large virtual audiences and stays calm when technology fails in real time.

Location:  This position requires candidates who live within commuting distance of Washington, DC. Relocation and local travel expenses will not be reimbursed. 

Key Responsibilities:

Virtual and Hybrid Event Platform Management 

• Configure, administer, and maintain the online event management platform (Stova preferred) for virtual, hybrid, and in-person attendees, including the branded event site, mobile app (iOS/Android), and email campaigns.
• Build and manage registration for all participant types (attendees, speakers, staff, volunteers), and track registration, session interest, and attendance accurately.
• Manage the speaker and session submission, review, and approval workflow within the platform.
• Set up and run live streaming of plenary and breakout sessions for virtual attendees in real time.
• Configure two-way engagement tools, including polls, chat, and Q&A, and monitor them during sessions as directed.
• Coordinate in-room cameras, microphones, virtual meeting links, and dedicated bandwidth with AV and production vendors and Government IT.
• Make sure all plenary sessions are recorded, and the recordings are delivered to the Government.
• Set up and deploy post-event surveys and evaluations, and track engagement hours for continuous learning documentation. Pre-Event Planning and Readiness
• Contribute to the integrated event plan, run-of-show, and operations plan, especially the virtual and hybrid workstreams, milestones, dependencies, and risks.
• Take part in kickoff and planning meetings and maintain action-item and decision logs.
• Plan and lead technical rehearsals, dry runs, platform tests, and speaker tech checks before each virtual or hybrid event.
• Develop and maintain contingency procedures for platform or AV outages, speaker changes, registration problems, and schedule changes.
• Coordinate with Government event leads, facilities, security, AV/IT staff, speakers, and vendors on technical and logistical readiness.
• Make sure virtual event materials and communications are accessible and conform to Section 508. Day-of Event Execution
• Serve as the primary virtual and hybrid operations lead during live events. Manage platform operations, participant access, breakout sessions, screen sharing, presentation sequencing, and session timing.
• Troubleshoot technical issues for virtual attendees and speakers in real time.
• Support on-site coordination as needed, including registration and check-in, badge troubleshooting, speaker transitions, room readiness, and attendee flow.
• Act as liaison between HHS staff, speakers, the emcee, and the AV/production team so the in-room and virtual experiences stay in sync.
• Escalate decisions, changes, security concerns, and anything requiring Government direction to the designated Government point of contact (COR or event lead).

Responsibilities and/or Success Factors:

Post-Event Support (continued from above)

• Compile attendance, registration, engagement, and survey data from the platform to support post-event summaries and briefings.
• Contribute to lessons learned and after-action reports, focusing on virtual and hybrid performance and recommendations.
• Organize final event files, recordings, and records so they are editable by the Government and transferred to the Government-designated repository.

Required Qualifications: 

• At least 3 years of hands-on experience planning and running virtual and hybrid events, including at least one event with 1,000 or more concurrent virtual attendees.
• Experience supporting federal agency events, especially HHS or other civilian agencies.
• Direct experience with Stova (formerly Aventri). Demonstrated hands-on administration of enterprise event platform, Stova, including registration setup, mobile apps, email campaigns, and attendee reporting.
• Proven experience running live streaming, virtual breakout sessions, and audience engagement tools such as polls, chat, and moderated Q&A.
• Advanced proficiency with virtual meeting platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom/Zoom for Government, and Webex.
• Experience working with AV and production vendors on hybrid setups (cameras, microphones, encoders, streaming feeds).
• Ability to troubleshoot technical issues calmly and quickly under live-event pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, and the ability to work with senior executives, speakers, vendors, and attendees.
• Must live in the Washington, DC metro area and be able to work on-site in DC or nearby locations as events require.
• Must be legally eligible to work in the United States.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain the required federal background investigation.
• Must be available for occasional early-morning, evening, or extended hours around event dates.

Minimum Qualifications Including Certificates:

• Bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of event coordination or event management experience, or a high school diploma and at least 8 years of related experience.

Desired Qualifications:

• Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Digital Event Strategist (DES), or similar certification.
• Working knowledge of Section 508 accessibility requirements for virtual events and digital materials, including captioning and accessible presentation formats.
• Experience with Industry Days, acquisition or procurement conferences, or Government-industry engagement events.
• Familiarity with tracking engagement or continuing education hours through event platforms.