Event Manager

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee is seeking an experienced Event Manager in Milwaukee, WI. The role leads planning and execution of College of Business events, manages budgets and vendor relationships, and coordinates with Marketing and Dean's Office staff.

Responsibilities include calendar management, post-event surveys, and ensuring events reach targeted audiences across committees and external partners. Some early morning or weekend work may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum four years of professional experience in events or similar.
• Experience coordinating multiple events with tight deadlines.
• Experience with budgets, vendors, and on-site management.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute Lubar College events from start to finish.
• Manage budgets, allocations and reconciliations; prepare reports.
• Coordinate room reservations, catering, AV, and speaker contracts.
• Lead and collaborate with colleagues, marketing staff and external partners.

Skills

Budget management

Event planning

Vendor coordination

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

Asana

WordPress

Emma

Job description

Event Manager

Milwaukee, WI
Full Time
JR10015080

Current Employees

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.

Position Title

Event Manager

Job Category

Academic Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Event Manager

Job Duties

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is the flagship urban campus of the University of Wisconsin System and committed to academic excellence with enrollment of approximately 25,000 students. One of the nation's top research universities (R-1 status), the Lubar College is a metropolitan business school of national distinction, accredited by the AACSB, and offers BBA, MBA, Executive MBA, MS, and Ph.D. degree programs. Additionally, our MBA and undergraduate programs are ranked regionally and nationally for excellence and the Lubar College hosts one of only five SAP University Competence Centers worldwide. With doctorates from some of the country's leading universities, full-time faculty bring an impressive range of expertise and are recognized for outstanding achievement in their fields with broad experience in business organizations and governmental bodies. Opportunities for research are abundant in this vibrant metropolitan area with both a strong presence of manufacturing and service operations. Located in southeastern Wisconsin's commercial and industrial hub, Milwaukee is the third-ranked manufacturing center in the United States and home to 1300+ manufacturing firms and 400+ engineering firms with annual receipts of 24 billion dollars. Milwaukee is a vibrant and diverse area on the shores of Lake Michigan with easy access to beaches, a thriving cultural scene, championship sporting events, an expansive urban parks system, and hundreds of miles of bike lanes and paths. It is in the seventh most affordable metropolitan market in the country and offers a vibrant quality of life in a globally competitive region.

• Monitors the budget and approves expenditures
• Establishes and executes day-to-day operational functions and goals of events to align with existing strategy
• Establishes and sustains relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• 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
• Identifies, proposes, and implements new or revised unit operational policies and procedures

Duties and Key Job Responsibilities

Within the Office of Communications, Marketing and Administrative Affairs, the Event Manager is the lead person responsible for planning, organizing, managing, executing and evaluating the College of Business' events. Audiences for these activities include prospective, admitted, and current students, alumni, donors, members of industry, government, community, and faculty and staff. The person in this role primarily works with the Director of Communications and Administrative Affairs, the Marketing & Web Manager, and Dean's Office staff. This individual is also responsible for managing the administration of the College-supported student competitions.

The Event Manager manages all aspects of event planning and execution, including communication with colleagues, reservations, day-of event preparation, and post-event responsibilities. They will manage and reconcile budget allocations and expenditures, execute the approval process, and adhere to deadlines and fiscal policies.

Some early morning, evening, or weekend event work will be required (infrequent).

90% Planning and Execution of Lubar College of Business Events

The Event Manager supports faculty and staff with planning, executing and assessing a wide range of events across the college, including but not limited to, receptions, award programs, retreats, meetings, lectures, webinars, and social events.

In the Event Manager role, this person will:

• Maintain an event calendar and detailed planning system.
• Organize and lead primary program planning and debrief meetings.
• Create event plans and templates for all events, using Asana project management software.
• Create and distribute post-event surveys, analyze and share survey findings with all stakeholders.
• Oversee and execute all event details, including but not limited to room/venue reservations, set-up tear down on site, participant and volunteer coordination, catering, parking, ordering of audio/visual, prepare speaker contracts, secure photographer/videographer, communicate to stakeholders about web updates and complete the initial round of Emma email updates.
• Coordinate with the Marketing Manager to ensure events are properly marketed to targeted audiences.
• Function as the point person for the collection of RSVPs and update event stakeholders weekly.
• Execute communications to event personnel including confirmations, reminders, and any follow up as needed.
• Manage and reconcile budget allocations and expenditures; recommend allocations based on expenditure history and anticipated needs; prepare summary reports and provide recommendations for funding and overall improvements.
• Maintain updated contact lists for targeted audiences in SharePoint.
• In a support role for other units' events (e.g., faculty-led events) as time and schedule permits, this individual will:
• Participate in secondary program planning and debrief meetings with colleagues.
• Coordinate with Marketing & Web Manager to ensure events are properly marketed to the targeted audiences.
• Coordinate room reservations and catering orders. Billing for these activities will also be handled by the Event Manager.
• 10% Management of College-Supported Student Competitions
• Manage aspects of La Macchia New Venture Business Plan Competition, Scheinfeld Awards, and Business Ethics Case Competition, including:
• Plan competition scheduling, including associated workshops, events, deadlines, and final competition dates.
• Author annual update of competition details on the Lubar College website; promote the competitions in conjunction with Lubar marketing.
• Suggest and, with approval of competition director, confirm competition judges and mentors.
• Manage and communicate event details for all workshops and final competitions, including venue reservation, catering, parking, setup, materials, photography, and confirmations. Day-of activities will be shared between the event manager and the competition director.
• Obtain necessary information from competition winners and process their award payments.
• Manage and reconcile budget allocations and expenditures; recommend allocations based on expenditure history and anticipated needs; prepare summary reports and provide recommendations for funding and overall improvements.
• Compile detailed information upon request to assist the Office of University Advancement in their development of reports to private donors supporting the competitions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum of four years of professional experience planning and coordinating events, programs, executive-level meetings, or similar activities.
• Demonstrated evidence of independently coordinating events or projects from initial planning through implementation and follow-up.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple events, projects, or priorities with overlapping timelines and deadlines.
• Coordinated event logistics, including vendors, facilities, technology, schedules, participants, or other event-related resources.
• Provided on-site event management and responded to event-related issues or changing circumstances.
• Experience communicating and working effectively with a variety of stakeholders, such as clients, colleagues, vendors, speakers, guests, or event participants.
• Developed event-related communications, reports, assessments, or other materials requiring accuracy and attention to detail.
• Experience using webinar, virtual meeting, and/or presentation technologies to support events or programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5-10 years of event management experience.
• Experience managing budgets and adhering to fiscal policies.
• Experience with Workday, Asana, WordPress, and Emma (or similar html email software).

Target Salary Range

Starting pay: $55,000. (Final salary offer will be determined based on qualifications and experience)

Deadline

10/15/2026 at 11:59 PM

Reasonable Accommodations

Pursuant to university policy, UWM provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact [e-mail] or 414-229-4463. This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability.

Confidentiality of Applicant Materials

UWM is a State agency and subject to Wisconsin's Open Records Law. UWM will not, however, reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except as may be required by Wisconsin's Open Records law. In certain circumstances, the identities of "final candidates" and/or the identity of the appointed applicant must be revealed upon request.

CBC and Reference Check Policy

Employment will require a criminal background check. UWM takes the prevention of sexual misconduct seriously. As such, you and your references will be required to answer questions regarding any past findings of sexual violence and sexual harassment or any pending allegations of sexual violence or sexual harassment.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)

For the UWM Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see http://www.cleryact.uwm.edu/, or call UWM's Dean of Students Office, Student Union 345 at [phone] for a paper copy.

Employment Authorization

In compliance with federal law, all persons at the time of their start date will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

UW is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.