Bilingual Events Specialist (12-month contract)

At McCarthy Tétrault, we offer challenging and rewarding career opportunities and are delighted to have been selected for the eleventh consecutive year in 2023 as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers and one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers. Our culture is built on professional excellence, collaboration, innovation, thought leadership and entrepreneurialism. We embrace inclusion in all its forms and we provide the tools and opportunities to help our people develop to their full potential.

Bilingualism is required as this is a collaborative role at the national level and the candidate will be handling and following up on various requests from clients and third parties who only understand and communicate in English. This position also requires the candidate to be able to interact seamlessly with colleagues in our offices across Canada, where English is the predominant language. As we estimate that more than 60% of the work required for this position must be performed in English, and in order to ensure that the employee in this position can perform their duties autonomously and effectively, candidates for this position must be able to communicate appropriately in French and English both orally and in writing.

This position is based out of Montréal. McCarthy Tétrault employees benefit from a hybrid work environment.

As an Bilingual Events Specialist, you will be:

• Researching, developing, planning and executing business development client events that are in line with the firm's strategic direction.
• Providing the firm with a "one-stop approach" to event planning, including:
  • Liaising with stakeholders, management and vendors;
  • Negotiating contracts;
  • Selecting venues or virtual event platforms - Zoom, WebEx, Teams;
  • Managing budgets and project managing events;
  • Developing timelines and workback schedules.
    
    
• Managing materials, invitations, RSVPs, onsite staffing, AV requirements, vendor/supplier relationships, registration, catering, gifts and entertainment.
• Providing high-level strategic event planning advice (hospitality and content) on topics, venues, technology, pacing, targeting, contacting, dates, trends, formats, and presentations.
• Working closely with the lawyers, legal assistants and Clients & Markets stakeholders to develop well-targeted guest lists comprised of clients and prospects.
• Developing and maintaining detailed and comprehensive event summaries to monitor the health of each program; compiling all details and ensuring a seamless execution.
• Producing detailed and comprehensive event reports (pre and post), tracking attendance, budget, opportunities and successes. Making recommendations for future events: analyzing ROI, scheduling post-mortem meetings with responsible lawyers to discuss "best practices", "lessons learned", and leveraging our events for business development purposes.
• Providing stakeholders and Clients and Markets professionals across the firm with regular event updates: providing updates to the Communications team for the firm's intranet and the firm's external website with details of upcoming events.
• Maintain event campaigns in Salesforce, on a real-time basis.
• Working closely with lawyers, internal service teams and marketing professionals across the firm.
• Contributing to the Clients and Markets department initiatives and special projects, as required.
• Contributing to National Events team special projects, as required.
• Supporting the planning and execution of client-facing conferences, professional development seminars, and special events that are in-person, virtual, or hybrid.
• Supporting national events with a focus on the Ontario region. The administrative side of the role is predominantly in English.
• Supporting events tied to strategic sponsorships.
• Supporting additional regional marketing and business development projects.

As our ideal candidate, you will distinguish yourself by the following profile:

• Bilingualism (French and English) required.
• Post-secondary education in business, marketing, communications, and/or a diploma in event planning an asset.
• Four years experience in full cycle event planning in corporate, hospitality and/or not-for-profit environments.
• Professional designation an asset (CMP, DES, VEMM, PMP).
• Experience with virtual event platforms an asset.
• Experience in legal or professional services firms an asset.
• Superior organizational skills and ability to handle many projects concurrently.
• Ability to convey professional maturity and a "business oriented" approach.
• Ability to develop strong professional relationships.
• High level of initiative, attention to detail, and excellent follow-up skills.
• Strong client service approach with creative vision to deliver enhanced experiences.
• Flexibility to work extra hours during peak periods, and regularly outside of normal business hours.
• Ability to work onsite.
• Experience using Salesforce or other CRM software.

As a member of the McCarthy team, you will have access to:

• Outstanding benefits from day one, including insurance premiums paid by the Firm and wellness and technology reimbursements.
• Competitive compensation, paid overtime and generous time off, including a day off to volunteer and a day off for your birthday.
• A commitment to professional development and growth opportunities for our people at all levels, supported by a culture that fully embraces and encourages two-way feedback.
• Strong community involvement and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• A collaborative, cohesive culture that connects lawyers and business teams through collective purpose.

We thank all applicants for their interest in McCarthy Tétrault; however, only chosen applicants will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status. McCarthy Tétrault is an equal opportunity employer that fosters an inclusive, equitable, and accessible environment. Please notify us if you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process.