Houston First

IN-PERSON - HOUSTON, TX.

Houston First recognizes and appreciates the importance of cultivating an environment that nurtures talent; that is equitable and values different perspectives and backgrounds; and, above all, is respectful to everyone.

We are seeking a highly analytical and detail-oriented Associate Director who is organized and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment while building and maintaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Associate Director, Enterprise Intelligence & Commercial Operations serves as the Commercial Enterprise Department's strategic lead for enterprise intelligence, State funding administration, commercial analytics, vendor program management, and operational reporting. This position is responsible for Houston First's enterprise-wide administration of State of Texas event reimbursement programs while supporting data-driven decision-making and strategic commercial initiatives across the organization.

The position is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day activities related to the State of Texas Events Trust Fund (ETF), Major Events Reimbursement Program (MERP), and other applicable reimbursement programs, including application preparation, submission, compliance management, reporting, audit support, stakeholder coordination, and tracking. The role ensures Houston First and its clients maximize eligible reimbursements while maintaining full compliance with all applicable state statutes, administrative rules, and reporting requirements.

In addition, the role supports the Commercial Enterprise Department by leading data collection, analytics, research, reporting, vendor programs, and commercial service initiatives designed to drive revenue growth, improve operational efficiency, and support strategic decision-making across the organization.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• ☒ This position has no supervisory responsibilities 

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Event Reimbursement Program Administration & Compliance

• Serves as the primary administrator for Houston First's ETF, MERP, and related State of Texas event reimbursement programs.
• Manages the full lifecycle of reimbursement program activities, including application preparation, submission, documentation collection, compliance monitoring, reporting, reconciliation, and audit support.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable statutes, administrative rules, deadlines, and program requirements.
• Develops and maintains internal policies, procedures, calendars, and tracking systems to support timely and compliant program administration.
• Monitors legislative and regulatory developments impacting reimbursement programs and communicates updates to leadership and stakeholders.

Financial Analysis & Data Management

• Coordinates with Finance and internal stakeholders to collect, analyze, and reconcile event-related tax receipts, eligible expenditures, vendor data, and supporting financial documentation.
• Prepares reimbursement requests, financial reports, and related analyses.
• Monitors budgets, forecasts, and eligible expenditures to ensure alignment with reimbursement program guidelines.
• Develops, maintains, and enhances business intelligence tools, dashboards, and reporting systems to support executive decision-making.

• Supports the oversight and administration of Houston First's commercial vendor programs and strategic service initiatives.
• Assists in identifying, evaluating, and recommending strategic commercial partnerships and vendor opportunities.
• Maintains an active pipeline and comprehensive records of prospective commercial service partners and vendors.
• Supports the negotiation, execution, fulfillment, and performance tracking of vendor and service agreements.
• Develops KPI dashboards, executive summaries, business intelligence reports, and strategic analyses to support departmental planning, performance measurement, and revenue optimization.

Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborates with Commercial Enterprise, Finance, Legal, Operations, Convention Sales, Strategic Communications, and other internal departments to ensure alignment and successful execution of reimbursement programs and strategic initiatives.
• Coordinates with external stakeholders, consultants, clients, vendors, and partners to obtain required documentation and support project deliverables.
• Provides enterprise analytics, reporting, and strategic business support across the organization as needed.
• Delivers exceptional customer service while cultivating strong relationships with Houston First clients, partners, vendors, and community stakeholders.

Documentation, Reporting & Administrative Support

• Maintains accurate and organized records of all ETF, MERP, and related reimbursement program submissions, approvals, reimbursements, and supporting documentation.
• Drafts correspondence, reports, presentations, executive summaries, and briefing materials for senior leadership.
• Supports the preparation of post-event economic impact reports, financial reconciliations, and related analyses.

Other Duties

• Manages Houston First's vendor programs, commercial service initiatives, and other assigned strategic projects.
• Provides customer and vendor relationship management support to ensure exceptional service and successful program execution.
• Proactively develops commercial partnership strategies and recommendations through market research, industry trends, competitive analysis, and data-driven insights.
• Administers and monitors Houston First's subscription platforms, vendor programs, sponsorship initiatives, and assigned commercial agreements to ensure compliance and performance.
• Maintains and enhances business intelligence tools, dashboards, and reporting systems with accurate and actionable data.
• Develops forecasts, performance metrics, and KPI reports to support informed decision-making, collaboration, and continuous improvement across commercial initiatives.
• Collaborates with the Finance Department to process invoices, reconcile expenditure, track and maintain revenue sources, and support budget management activities and related requirements.
• Develops and implements standard operating procedures (SOPs), workflow automation solutions, reporting frameworks, and process improvements that enhance departmental efficiency, consistency, and operational effectiveness across the enterprise.
• Performs additional duties, strategic initiatives, and special projects as assigned by the Chief Commercial Officer.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in financial analysis, business intelligence, government reimbursement or grant administration, public finance, accounting, commercial operations, event management, or a related field.
• Experience administering governmental reimbursement programs, grants, compliance initiatives, audit support, or other public funding programs is preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated experience developing financial analyses, business intelligence reporting, KPI dashboards, executive presentations, and data-driven recommendations to support strategic decision-making.
• Experience managing cross-functional projects and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to successfully execute strategic initiatives.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Advanced knowledge of financial analysis, governmental reimbursement programs, compliance administration, audit support, business intelligence, and operational reporting.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex financial, operational, and market data and develop actionable business recommendations.
• Exceptional project management, organizational, and process improvement skills, with the ability to successfully manage multiple priorities, complex initiatives, and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex information to executive leadership, clients, government agencies, and diverse stakeholder groups.
• Proven ability to build collaborative relationships and work cross-functionally with internal departments, external partners, consultants, vendors, and public-sector stakeholders to achieve organizational objectives.
• Strong business acumen with experience developing executive dashboards, KPIs, forecasting models, business intelligence reports, and data-driven performance metrics that support strategic decision-making and revenue optimization.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook) and experience with CRM systems, financial reporting tools, business intelligence platforms, and data visualization software preferred.

MISCELLANEOUS 

• May be required to complete a variety of soft- and hard-skill assessments. 
• Candidates must be proficient in navigating Microsoft Office, specifically Word and Excel. This includes the ability to create, edit, and format documents; manage spreadsheets; use formulas; and organize data effectively.

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

The work environmental characteristics described here are representative of those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• ​​☒​ No major sources of discomfort; normal office environment 
• ☒ Occasional evening, weekend, and event-related work may be required in support of Houston First programs and initiatives

• ☒ Ability to travel to local/ tradeshows/conventions/ conferences/ training and development (less than 10% of the year)