Associate Director, Audio-Visual Management

Overview

Founded in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is a leading nonprofit membership organization, research center, and publisher, with headquarters in New York, an office in Washington, DC, and programs nationwide. It is dedicated to increasing America's understanding of the world and contributing ideas to U.S. foreign policy. CFR's 5,000+ members are leaders in international affairs and foreign policy. CFR also publishes Foreign Affairs, the preeminent magazine on global issues, and provides up-to-date information about the world and U.S. foreign policy on its award-winning website, CFR.org. 

Position Summary

The Audio-Visual Management team is seeking an Associate Director, AV Management to lead and oversee all aspects of audio/visual operations for all internal New York meetings and events as well as external rental events such as holiday parties, weddings, corporate conferences. We are looking for a strategic leader who combines deep technical expertise with strong project management skills, ensuring flawless event execution, innovative AV solutions, and efficient lifecycle management of AV equipment. The successful candidate will manage staff, coordinate complex projects, and drive continuous improvements while delivering best-in-class customer service and measurable operational results. 

The major responsibilities of this position will include (but are not limited to):

• Manage a portfolio of corporate member and prospect companies, serving as their primary point of contact with the Council and having responsibility for outreach and follow-up actions, stewardship, participation, and retention.
• Support Corporate Program’s business development efforts, including ensuring regular touchpoints with active prospects, writing pitch language, and engaging in outreach meetings with potential new members.
• Coordinate and track corporate member and prospect relationships, including stewardship opportunities, retention and relationship strategies, compiling information on member companies, and running regular reports.
• Support outreach by the Executive office and the Corporate Program’s senior staff, by tracking and scheduling stewardship meetings, preparing backgrounders and meeting materials, drafting correspondence to primary contacts and senior executives, and managing follow-up actions.
• Lead and/or support the planning process for the CFR President’s travel to major global gatherings, including arranging meetings and providing background information.
• Oversee and/or support the administration of the Corporate Leadership Development Network, an exclusive professional development opportunity for corporate members (working in conjunction with the Corporate Programming team and the CFR Term Member Program), including managing the nomination and orientation process, as well ongoing stewardship.
• Coordinate with the Corporate Programming team on content and speakers relevant to corporate member companies.
• Coordinate corporate member participation in NY and DC for special events, and meeting opportunities with Studies, the National Program, Foreign Affairs, and other departments as necessary.
• Extensive use of the membership database, including updating contact information and profiles, tracking relevant interactions, writing and executing queries, generating database reports, and tracking audience development for upcoming events.
• Provide occasional coverage for the email and phone line for the Corporate Program, serving as an initial point of contact for executives from corporate member companies.
• Work closely with all Corporate and CEO Programs team members and other departments in support of overall departmental and institutional priorities and provide assistance across departmental lines upon request.
• Staff New York Corporate Program and CFR-wide events, including early morning breakfasts and evening meetings outside of regular business hours as needed.
• Perform any other duties or tasks as assigned or required. 

Qualifications

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent is required 
• Bachelor’s degree or relevant certifications are preferred 

Experience

• 7+ years of managerial-level experience in AV integration, presentation, and project management within a corporate and/or fast paced event environment. 
• Demonstrated experience with AV hardware and systems (e.g., Q‑SYS, Crestron, Extron, Shure, videoconferencing solutions including Poly, Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams Rooms) with a strong aptitude for troubleshooting and resolving complex technical issues.  
• Proven ability to manage networked AV solutions, including familiarity in basic networking concepts such as TCP/IP, IP addressing, VLAN configuration, QoS,