Events Lead

Outreach and Events Lead

Employer

Grand Ground Enterprise, LLC

Place of performance

Remote/telework for planning, with on-site attendance required at outreach events and conferences, primarily in the Washington, DC area; on-site work at NIH, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817, as requested by the client

Travel

Regular local event travel; some overnight travel to HBCU campuses and national conferences

Employment type

Full-time, key personnel; contingent upon contract award

Anticipated start

December 2026

Background check

NIH background investigation required for badge and system access

About the program. GGE is pursuing a contract to support the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Program Office in growing the number of contracts, grants and cooperative agreements awarded to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) under the Path to Excellence and Innovation (PEI) Initiative and Executive Order 14283.

The role. The Outreach and Events Lead runs the program's engagement calendar — events that range from 20-person roundtables to conferences of more than 1,000 attendees — along with training logistics, webinars and the PEI podcast.

Responsibilities

•       Plan and execute outreach events, including White House Initiative on HBCUs Conference Week, the Congressional Black Caucus Workshop, HBCU campus visits and at least two roundtables per year.

•       Manage the full event cycle: planning, Government approvals, venues, registration, speakers, audiovisual and virtual platforms, on-site execution and post-event reports within 15 business days.

•       Coordinate logistics for 10 training sessions (virtual and on-site) and up to 8 webinars per year.

•       Oversee production of the existing PEI podcast (5 to 8 episodes per season) with the media producer.

•       Maintain the monthly HBCU events calendar and point-of-contact repository.

•       Lead and scale a team of event planners to match event size.

Required qualifications

•       Certified Event Planner designation (or equivalent professional event certification).

•       5+ years leading conference and event programs for Federal clients.

•       Experience with virtual, hybrid and in-person events, including Government approval packages.

•       Experience supporting senior leaders and distinguished visitors.

•       Ability to pass an NIH background investigation.

Preferred qualifications

•       Experience with HBCU, higher-education or small business outreach.

•       Experience running events on Government-furnished and contractor-provided webinar platforms.

•       Section 508 accessibility experience for event materials.