NextGen at CERAWeek Operations Coordinator

***THIS IS NOT AN EVENT PLANNER ROLE***

NextGen at CERAWeek Operations Coordinator

CERAWeek Overview

CERAWeek by the Global annual energy conference in Houston, Texas brings together global leaders to advance new ideas, insight and solutions to the biggest challenges facing the future of energy, the environment, and climate. CERAWeek is widely considered to be the most prestigious annual gathering of CEOs and Ministers from global energy and utilities, as well as automotive, manufacturing, policy and financial communities, along with a growing presence of tech. It has been described by the Financial Times as the the Davos of energy, and by Politico as the industry s Super Bowl. CNBC called it the world s preeminent energy conference. CERAWeek was rated one of the top five overall corporate leader conferences in the world.

The Innovation Agora is a special program held at CERAWeek that focuses on the great new wave of innovation and disruptive technology and its impact on the energy future. Participants and speakers are a group of remarkable leaders and innovators from technology and energy companies, start-ups, universities, investors, and governments. The Agora features a range of sessions and experiences designed to stimulate new thinking and to explore disruptive technologies, models of innovation, and investment strategies. Sessions are dynamic and highly interactive, including dialogue and conversations with technologists, executives, and thought leaders, as well as presentations by entrepreneurs and innovators.

NextGen at CERAWeek is a strategic initiative designed to enhance collaboration between academia and industry and attract top talent to the energy sector. It offers a platform for corporations to showcase academic partnerships and engage with promising students for its workforce development, while faculty from universities can present critical research that requires funding. In addition to its networking opportunities, NextGen fosters private and public dialogue to advance purpose-driven research, connect students with employers, and convene senior officials to address the challenges of energy and climate.

Objective

The Operations Coordinator is responsible for providing logistical support to pre-plan and execute NextGen. As the ideal candidate, you have strong self-starting organization skills and skillfully manage multiple projects simultaneously to deliver a high-profile event in a demanding environment.

This role reports to the Director of Strategic Development with a primary focus on pre-planning and execution of NextGen at CERAWeek.

Required and Desired Skills:

• Bachelor s degree in a relevant field and/or 2-5 years of experience in event planning, with a preference for those experienced in academic events
• Proven organizational skills with a history of managing multiple projects to precise deadlines, within budget constraints
• A dynamic personality capable of building strong relationships at all levels, tailored to the NextGen community
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally to represent NextGen and CERAWeek
• Exceptional communication skills (written and oral), with an emphasis on engaging academic audiences
• Superior time management skills to succeed in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with registration and virtual event platforms, with a focus on educational and academic interfaces.
• A desire to work independently with minimal supervision in a demanding yet rewarding environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and cloud-based event applications (Airtable, Monday.com, RainFocus) relevant to event planning and project management
• Capable working in AI-enabled environments (Copilot, Notebook LLM, and Gemini)

Responsibilities include:

• Supporting Director of Strategic Development to plan, communicate, and execute NextGen initiatives

• Assisting all activities for the NextGen Cohort including selection, communications, accommodations, onsite engagement, and activity scheduling
• Orchestrating event details to ensure a seamless NextGen at CERAWeek experience
• Overseeing the allocation and management of meeting spaces for NextGen activities
• Ensuring all NextGen deadlines and dependencies are precisely met
• Coordinating catering, inventory, and deliverables specific to NextGen requirements
• Supporting registration tailored to NextGen participants
• Providing flexible support for additional NextGen tasks or events as needed