The Opportunity
The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) is seeking an experienced and innovative Senior Manager, Conference & Events to lead one of Canada’s largest health professional conference portfolios, including the Annual Spring Meeting (ASM) — Canada’s premier dental conference. With over 12,000 attendees and hundreds of exhibitors, the ASM is both a flagship member benefit and a vital revenue generator for the ODA.
Reporting to the Director, Conference and Events and working closely with the Chief Communications and Events Officer, you will support event strategy and lead execution end-to-end — ensuring operational excellence, strengthening sponsor and exhibitor relationships, and piloting innovations that extend the impact of events year-round. This is a high-profile leadership role for a proven event professional ready to deliver today while shaping tomorrow. You will lead internal event management professionals, volunteers, temporary staff, and external vendors to support the team’s objectives.
Who We Are:
The Ontario Dental Association represents over 90% of the dentists in Ontario. We advocate for our members, promote optimal oral health, and support successful professional lives and general well-being. To achieve this, we:
- Promote the highest standards of dental care.
- Work with governments, the private sector, and other health-care professionals.
- Advocate on public policies that affect the practice of dentistry and the oral health of people in Ontario.
- Provide trusted lifelong learning and professional development for members and their teams. Raise public awareness of how important oral hygiene is and its connection to overall health.
- Provide our member-dentists with programs, services, and products to support their role as leaders of the oral health care team.
The ODA is committed to excellence, community impact, and continuous improvement. Our team values collaboration, integrity, and innovation as we strive to advance dental care and support our members’ needs.
What You Will Do:
As Senior Manager, Conference & Events, you are responsible for the successful delivery and ongoing development of ODA’s event portfolio in the following six areas.
Conference & Event Leadership
- Lead the planning, development, and execution of the ASM and other ODA events.
- Oversee program development, logistics, production, registration, speaker management, sponsorships, exhibits, marketing, food and beverage and vendor relationships.
- Ensure flawless delivery of high-profile conferences that uphold ODA’s reputation and member trust.
Operational Management & Financial Stewardship
- Manage multi-million-dollar event budgets; ensure financial accountability, transparency, and value delivery.
- Negotiate contracts with venues, suppliers, and vendors; identify, assess, and mitigate event-related risks.
- Establish clear operating plans, timelines, and playbooks; lead cross-functional readiness reviews.
Team Leadership
- Lead and mentor internal event professionals and temporary staff, fostering collaboration, professional development, and high performance.
- Engage and inspire volunteers, committees, and advisory groups who contribute to ODA events.
Sponsorship & Exhibitor Relations
- Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with exhibitors, sponsors, partners, and broader dental industry.
- Develop innovative sponsorship opportunities and exhibitor experiences that deliver measurable ROI.
Innovation & Technology
- Implement an integrated event-tech stack (registration, mobile app, speaker management, scouting, exhibits management, contract management, analytics) and automate high-volume workflows.
- Repurpose content and extend engagement year-round (digital sessions, on-demand CE, highlights).
Cross-ODA Collaboration
- Partner with Education, Communications, Membership, Advocacy and Component Society Relations to ensure events amplify organizational objectives.
- Position ASM and other events as strategic platforms for member engagement, education, advocacy, and visibility.
What We Are Looking For:
You are a seasoned event leader who thrives in complex, high-visibility environments. You bring:
- Undergraduate degree or College degree in business, event/hospitality management, communications, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in large-scale conference and event management.
- 5+ years demonstrated people-management experience (hiring, work planning, coaching, performance management, and building a healthy team culture).
- Proven success managing multi-million-dollar budgets including forecasting, revenue strategies (sponsorships, exhibits, ticketing) and reporting, complex logistics, risk, and vendor negotiations.
- Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with a track record of building engaged high-performing teams.
- Demonstrated expertise in sponsorship and exhibitor relations.
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Curiosity and creativity to explore new event models, formats, and technologies.
- Professional designation preferred (e.g., CMP, CMM, and/or CEM)
- Extensive vendor negotiation & contracting RFPs, SOWs, service-level agreements; venue and hotel blocks; understanding of attrition/indemnity/force majeure and insurance requirements.
Assets
- Experience with AI applications in event management and marketing; analytics and KPI dashboards.
- Prior experience in associations or non-profit settings.
What Success Looks Like (First 12–18 Months):
After 12 to 18 months in the role, you will be recognized for:
- Leading a confident and seamless transition into the role, supporting staff and leadership through change while maintaining continuity and stability, with minimal disruption to the planning and execution of the ASM.
- Building and sustaining strong relationships with vendors, sponsors, volunteers, speakers, and internal teams, positioning yourself as a trusted and visible leader for the profession’s flagship event
- Meaningfully contributing to the 2026 conference and delivering a flawlessly executed 2027 conference while ensuring member satisfaction, operational efficiency, and revenue objectives are met.
- Introducing fresh, creative approaches that enhance the participant experience and keep the conference relevant and engaging for diverse audiences, including younger members.
- Demonstrating comfort with technology and digital tools (including event management platforms and emerging applications such as AI) to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
Working at the ODA:
This is a full-time, permanent position. In addition to a competitive salary, you will have access to a comprehensive benefits plan that includes dental (of course!), a defined-benefit (DB) pension, as well as plenty of vacation days, personal days, and access to a health spending account.
The position is ideally suited for those living within commuting distance to our offices in downtown Toronto. The ODA offers flexible work arrangements, combining remote and onsite work (hybrid). Located in the heart of Yorkville, parks, transit, and everything downtown Toronto has to offer.
The ODA is proud to be one of the GTA’s Top Employers 2025 – we think that says a lot about the culture and work environment we’ve built over the last 150+ years. We are committed to growth and learning: every position in our organization presents both challenges and opportunities, and we encourage all our staff to develop themselves within and beyond their individual roles. Through our employee recognition program, we ensure that support and opportunities are always within reach.
This is a full-time, permanent position. Based in Toronto, the role offers a flexible hybrid arrangement, with travel required for site inspections, supplier meetings, and event delivery (4-6 times per year based on events).
To Apply:
Please take the time to tell us about yourself in a cover letter – we want to hear your story – your background, your accomplishments, and why this role is suitable for you based on the skills/competencies we have described. Please submit your cover letter and résumé to HR@ODA.ca by 5 p.m. EDT – Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
All applications will be acknowledged, and selected candidates will be contacted for a preliminary discovery interview, typically within seven (7) business days of applying. We know that suitability for a role goes both ways – You may have other questions, so feel free to connect with us in advance of applying. The posting will remain active on our website until our search process is complete. We anticipate the first round of formal interviews to be scheduled the weeks of November 3rd and November 10th.
The Ontario Dental Association is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.
We strive to build a team that reflects the diversity of the community we serve and encourage applications from traditionally underrepresented groups such as Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, people identifying as 2SLGBTQI+, veterans, women, and people with disabilities.
If we can make this easier through accommodation in the recruitment process, please contact us at HR@ODA.ca.
