About the role
Location: UK or Netherlands (hybrid combination of remote work and on-site in our Amsterdam office)
Top Employers Institute is the global authority on recognising excellence in people practices. Through independent Certification, benchmarking and insight, we help organisations improve employee experience, strengthen organisational performance and demonstrate the impact of HR on business outcomes. For more than 30 years, we’ve worked with many of the world’s leading employers, including Accenture, Deloitte, Heineken, Mondelēz International and VodafoneThree. Today we certify nearly 2,500 organisations across 131 countries and regions, positively impacting more than 14 million employees worldwide.
Purpose and contribution
We are looking for an experienced freelance Conference Content & Programme Producer to take ownership of the content and speaker journey for the the Top Employers Global Conference 2027, our flagship event bringing together 1,000 to 1,200 senior HR decision-makers and C-level leaders in Amsterdam in spring 2027.
This is a hands-on role building the foundation of agenda setting, speakers, two core areas: programme development and speaker management on one side, and event production on the other. You’ll work closely with the CMO, the Global Marketing Director, the Global Head of Events, the Client Experience Director, the Global Events Manager, and our appointed creative agency to shape and deliver a conference that reflects the quality and ambition of the Top Employers brand. Filling this role is a top priority: we need to confirm our first conference themes, topics and speakers in September this year.
This role reports into the Global Head of Events as part of a 24-strong marketing team, for a period of three months full time, between September and December.
Key Responsibilities & Scope
Programme Development & Speaker Management
- Co-develop the conference programme structure and content themes alongside the Global Head of Events, CMO, Client Experience Director and creative agency
- Co-develop an executive/senior HR leaders VIP dinner the night before the conference and the programme that would be required
- Identify, invite and manage speakers (external keynotes, internal leaders, and client speakers)
- Translate conference theme into compelling, thought leadership led sessions and speaker line-up
- Own the full speaker journey end-to-end: outreach, briefing, logistics, content deadlines, on-the-day coordination; including all the follow-up this requires so nothing falls through the cracks between confirmation and delivery
- Proactviely manage speaker timelines and rehearsal schedules, chasing confirmations and content as needed
- Coordinate speaker requirements with the creative agency and production team
- Ensure programme content aligns with strategic objectives and audience expectations
Event Production
- Join the event production team alongside the Global Head of Events and Global Events Manager
- Support production planning across venue, staging, AV, technical requirements and on-site logistics
- Coordinate with the creative agency on production deliverables and timelines
- Contribute to run-of-show development and on-site event management
- Support the delivery of a VIP dinner (evening before the conference) and closing event elements
Experience & Background
- Proven experience producing thought leadership conferences for senior B2B audiences (1,000+ attendees), ideally within HR, the future of work, leadership or organisational transformation, with a proven ability to develop compelling conference programmes that attract attendees and deliver commercial success
- Strong track record producing and owning both programme content development and speaker management for B2B or industry events
- Experience working with creative and/or (event) production agencies
- Comfortable operating across both strategic planning and hands-on production
Skills & Qualities
- Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
- Strong communicator; confident engaging with senior stakeholders, speakers and agency partners
- Proactive, solutions-oriented and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
- Exceptional written English skills
- Familiar with event technology platforms (experience with Cvent is a plus)
Key Success Competencies
Company-wide:
- Collaboration
- Customer focus
- Global perspective
Role-specific:
- Driving results
- Financial acumen
- Tech savvy
- Effective communication
- Planning & alignment
- Accountability
Additional Details
- Tools used: Salesforce, Pardot, Microsoft Office, Monday.com, Canva, Google Analytics, Cvent, Claude
- Work model: Hybrid/remote-first, with regular in-region travel for events and in-person collaboration
- Team culture: highly collaborative, international, and mission-driven
Top Employers Institute Offers
- Competitive remuneration (monthly salary + variable pay)
- Solid benefits and flexible working conditions (human centric)
- Dynamic, open, international and professional business culture
- Plenty of room for initiative and own responsibility
- Work in a growing organisation with colleagues from all over the world
- Leader in HR, relied on by global clients such as DHL, Novartis, and PepsiCo
- Fast-growing company backed by HAL Investments, Netherlands
Top Employers Institute
Top Employers Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We respect and celebrate each other’s differences. We know that a diverse workforce enhances our success. We are conscious that having the freedom to be yourself is the basis of sustainable growth. To us, it doesn’t matter where you were born, what you believe in, how old you are, what you look like, or who you love. We actively promote and depend on the diversity of thought, skills, and capabilities in our project teams to serve our international consumer base in the best way possible. We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds actually lift Top Employers Institute to new heights and increase our way of thinking for a better world of work. Join us, as there is a place for you here!
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