Employment Opportunities
If there are no currently job listings posted here, please send your resume to Shannon McLaughlin, Vice President of Operations & Administration, at smclaughlin@mrla.org to be kept on file for future openings.
Grassroots & Event Coordinator
Department: Government Affairs
Reports To: Vice President, Government Affairs
Job Summary: Provide planning, management, and promotion of meetings and events; and provide grassroots and local advocacy management for the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA). Please send resume and cover letter to John McNamara, Vice President of Government Affairs, at jmcnamara@mrla.org.
Essential Job Functions
Event Planning & Management:
Grassroots and Local Advocacy Management
Education, Experience & Skills
Key Competencies
Working Conditions & Physical Requirements
Office work will be performed indoors in a generally comfortable office environment. Event Management may require employee to be on-site at meeting venue whether indoors or outdoors. Employees must possess the following physical requirements:
Professional/Technical Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Reports To: Vice President, Government Affairs
Job Summary: Provide planning, management, and promotion of meetings and events; and provide grassroots and local advocacy management for the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA). Please send resume and cover letter to John McNamara, Vice President of Government Affairs, at jmcnamara@mrla.org.
Essential Job Functions
Event Planning & Management:
- Provide event management for the MRLA to include meetings and events for the Board of Directors, Government Affairs, and Membership Department as needed.
- Government Affairs: Plan and execute annual Political Action Committee (PAC) fundraising events as well as legislative days under the direction of the Vice President, Government Affairs
- Membership Department: Plan and execute various regional events to promote membership with MRLA under the direction of Vice President, Marketing & Membership Strategy
- Women In Hospitality Leadership (WIHL): Plan and execute annual WIHL Conference and regional Chapter events under the direction of Vice President, Marketing & Membership Strategy
- MRLA Board of Directors: Plan and execute event logistics for Board of Directors events including quarterly meetings, strategic planning meetings, and others as needed
- Maintain meetings calendar, timelines, and checklists for events
- Responsible for staffing registration and set up for events
- Create and maintain events and records in MRLA’s database
- Responsible for selling event-specific sponsorships for all MRLA events and associated administrative tasks (excludes MRLA Corporate Sponsors and Michigan Hospitality Foundation/Education events)
- Maintain MRLA Banquet Room rental schedule and coordinate setup
- Negotiate contracts, including room blocks, food & beverage, and audio/visual
- Verify contractual obligations are met
- Work with department heads to ensure events are within budget
Grassroots and Local Advocacy Management
- Monitor, track, and report introductions at the municipal level
- When necessary, travel to attend committee hearings/meetings
- Serve as a liaison between MRLA and local hospitality groups including Detroit Restaurant & Lodging Association (DRLA)
- Attend relevant coalition meetings that align advocacy goals at local and state level
- Research and draft legislative summaries for weekly newsletter updates & quarterly articles
- Assist the Vice President, Government Affairs in preparing materials for meetings
- Manage schedule for Vice President, Government Affairs
- Other tasks as assigned
Education, Experience & Skills
- Associate degree required; Bachelor’s degree preferred
- Minimum two years administrative or meeting planning experience required
- Working knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office Suite
- Experience with Association Management Systems databases preferred
- Ability to interpret Banquet Event Orders (BEOs)
- Ability to negotiate contracts
- Legislative experience preferred
- Familiarity with Michigan Campaign Finance Law preferred
Key Competencies
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent customer service skills
- Ability to multi-task and quickly adapt
- Ability to prioritize tasks and manage time
- Comfortable performing in a high-pressure and fast-paced environment
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- Able to take instruction and direction
Working Conditions & Physical Requirements
Office work will be performed indoors in a generally comfortable office environment. Event Management may require employee to be on-site at meeting venue whether indoors or outdoors. Employees must possess the following physical requirements:
- Able to communicate on a telephone and hear and speak clearly to MRLA members and others served “in-person”
- Sufficient vision to read printed documents, computer screens, forms and other communications with or without corrective lenses
- Able to sit or stand for long periods of time.
- Able to reach above shoulder level, bend, squat, sit, stand, crouch, reach, kneel, twist, and turn.
- Able to travel locally and out-of-town using private or commercial transportation and staying in public accommodations.
- Able to attend meetings, conventions, outings and other events, which may be held in large convention facilities with various accessibility, and maneuver through such facilities to perform a broad variety of duties.
- Able to work outside of the regular hours of 8-5, Monday – Friday to include early mornings, later nights and some weekends from time to time depending on events scheduled.
Professional/Technical Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Computer skills, including the ability to prepare correspondence and reports in Microsoft Office Suites
- Experience with Atlas membership management software preferred, but not required
- Ability to prioritize work, manage time and work independently and responsibly
- Demonstrate sound judgment in exhibiting behavior that may impact the organization
- Demonstrate positive interactions with employees, as well as existing and prospective MRLA members
- Demonstrate professional image, maturity, self-confidence and positive attitude
- Excellent phone etiquette