Event Manager

University of Wisconsin; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

The Office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE) at UW–Madison is seeking an experienced Event Manager to lead planning, coordination, and execution of professional learning and community engagement events. You will manage events end-to-end, liaising with internal and external partners, vendors, and attendees, ensuring professional delivery aligned with organizational goals.

Responsibilities include budgeting, vendor management, communications, and onsite support, with

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in in-person and event planning and management.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to think critically and strategically to solve problems.
• Thrives in a deadline-driven environment both independently and in a team.

Responsibilities

• Identify, propose, and implement new or revised unit operational policies and procedures.
• Monitor the budget and approve expenditures.
• Establish and sustain relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Execute day-to-day operational functions and goals of events to align with strategy.
• Supervise event planning staff as needed (may involve 2.0 FTE).

Skills

In-person event planning

Attention to detail

Written & verbal communication

Critical thinking

Deadline-driven

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's Degree Preferred

Tools

Registration management software

Project management software

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Event Manager

Job Summary:

The Office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE) in the UW-Madison School of Education is seeking an experienced Event Manager to lead the planning, coordination, and execution of a wide range of professional learning and community engagement events. This position independently manages events from conception through completion, serving as the primary liaison for internal and external partners, vendors, and attendees while ensuring events are delivered efficiently, professionally, and in alignment with organizational goals.

The Event Manager oversees all aspects of event operations, including planning timelines, logistics, budgeting, vendor management, attendee communications, and onsite event support. The position also contributes to the continuous improvement of event planning processes and may provide supervision to event planning staff. Occasional evening and weekend work is required to support event delivery.

About PLACE

The Office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE) facilitates engaging and impactful learning experiences that connect communities with UW-Madison School of Education research, expertise, and resources. Through partnerships with faculty, staff, and community stakeholders, PLACE develops and supports programs in the arts, health, and education that improve quality of life throughout Wisconsin and beyond.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Identifies, proposes, and implements new or revised unit operational policies and procedures

• Monitors the budget and approves expenditures

• Establishes and sustains relationships with internal and external stakeholders

• Establishes and executes day-to-day operational functions and goals of events to align with existing strategy

• May exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees

Department:

School of Education / PLACE

Compensation:

Minimum: $60,000

Commensurate with qualifications and experience. This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund.

Required Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in in-person and event planning and management

• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• The ability to think critically and strategically to solve problems

• The ability to thrive working in a deadline-driven environment both independently and as part of a team

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience planning for hybrid events

• Experience using registration management software

• Experience using project management software

• Experience following established policies and procedures to purchase goods and services

• An interest or background in the arts, health, and/or education

Education:

Bachelor's Degree Preferred

Contact Information:

Candace Patterson

Administrative Specialist

[e-mail]

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal OpportunityEmployer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgroundsand encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.