Conference Assistant

**About the IAS**:
**IAS - the International AIDS Society - convenes, educates and advocates for a world in which HIV no longer presents a threat to public health and individual well-being. **After the emergence of HIV and AIDS, concerned scientists created the IAS to bring together experts from across the world and disciplines to promote a concerted HIV response. Today, the IAS and its members unite scientists, policy makers and activists to galvanize the scientific response, build global solidarity and enhance human dignity for all those living with and affected by HIV. The IAS is also the steward of the world’s most prestigious HIV conferences: the International AIDS Conference, the IAS Conference on HIV Science, and the HIV Research for Prevention Conference.

**Details of Employment**:
The Conference Assistant will be based in Geneva, Switzerland, and the IAS offers the possibility for Swiss-based employees to work up to 50% from their legal residence. The Conference Assistant will report to the Director, Conferences. The position is open-ended and full-time to start as soon as possible.

**Purpose of the Position**:
The Conference Assistant will provide administrative, logistic and project management support to the Conferences department; and provides administrative support to the Director, Conferences. This position is 50% administrative - drafting and sending correspondence, processing reimbursements, and organizing meetings (in-person, virtual and hybrid); and is 50% project management - supporting the Conferences department on event management and side projects.

**Main Responsibilities**:
**Administrative tasks (50%)**:

- Lead the planning, coordination, write minutes and follow up of conference committee and department meetings and other meetings with external stakeholders
- Provide support to conference partners, committee members, etc. with logistics for the conference
- Draft and maintain up-to-date department documents and materials
- Manage the inboxes related to the conference and assigned projects
- Coordinate the collation of the post-conference project reports
- Manage the technology set-up for tele
- or video-conferences and in-person meetings
- Perform administrative tasks for the Director, Conferences, such as calendar management, travel arrangements, expenses claims
- Act as the AC Forum liaison for the Conferences department: keep track of the AC Forum posts and reply on behalf of the Conferences department to ensure that IAS remains on the network radar
- Support the Director, Conferences in monitoring the Conference budget; detailed tracking of meeting expenditures
- Support the Director, Conferences in maintaining an up to date project management tool and key dates
- Serve as backup for other assistants and office administrator as needed.

**Conferences related projects (50%)**:

- Manage the organization of in-person committee meetings, which includes the logistics, committee member’s support in booking hotels, flights and per-diem distribution.
- Working closely with outside providers related to the in-person meetings such as venue provider, restaurants etc.
- Draft, coordinate and monitor project plans for event management and side projects for both in-person and/or virtual conferences, liaise with relevant stakeholders to ensure timely submission, delivery and budget management (i.e. Affiliated Independent Event project, Abstract Mentor Programme)
- Support the conference team with drafting invited speakers invitation letters
- Perform any other duties that are requested

**Academic Qualifications**:

- A degree in business, events or hospitality management, or a related field is favorable.

**Work Experience**:

- A least 2 years’ experience in an administrative or support position
- Experience in working with meetings/events or in communications, a plus
- Experience working for international organizations or abroad, a plus

**Skills/Competencies**:

- Well organized, systematic and flexible, with attention to details
- Ability to work independently and handle many time-bound tasks simultaneously with limited supervision
- Ability to work efficiently under pressure, meet deadlines and occasionally work overtime
- Excellent cross-cultural communication and customer service skills, strong team player with positive attitude
- Excellent computer skills in the Windows environment (MS Office); familiarity with databases a plus
- Familiarity with tele
- and video-conferencing services (Zoom, Teams).

**Languages**:

- Fluent in written and spoken English, knowledge of other languages is an asset.

**Work Environment**:
The IAS Secretariat in Geneva is a dynamic and diverse workplace that brings together public health, HIV science, conferencing, programme management and other specialists who all share the IAS’s vision of a world in which HIV no longer presents a threat to public health and individual well-being. We thrive on an exceptional team spirit, put trust in our col