Associate Director, Enterprise Intelligence & Commercial Operations

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.

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.

• This position has no supervisory responsibilities

• 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.

• 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.

• Collaborates with Commercial Enterprise, Finance, Legal, Operations, Convention Sales, Strategic Communications, and…