Events & Engagement Specialist

UWMSN University of Wisconsin Madison; United States; On-site; USD 54,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

UW‑Madison’s College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence seeks an Events & Engagement Specialist to expand our alumni network. You will plan and execute major alumni events, coordinate volunteers, manage donor communications, and align programs with strategic goals.

The role requires strong organizational skills, the ability to handle logistics and timelines, and professional engagement with alumni, donors, parents, and guests.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of professional experience planning and executing events.
• Experience managing multiple projects or events simultaneously with strong organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication abilities.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and travel for events, including overnight stays.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a unit liaison for internal and external stakeholders.
• Plan and lead major alumni events, volunteer committees, and activities.
• Monitor and update donor records; implement policies and procedures.
• Direct alumni visits and discovery calls; pass leads to major gift officers.
• Identify data trends and report variances as required.
• Lead development and dissemination of communications and branding materials.

Skills

Event planning

Project management

Communication skills

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM systems

Event platforms

PM tools

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: Alumni Relations Officer Job Summary: The College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence (CAI) is expanding our team with an Events & Engagement Specialist. While the college is new on campus, our departments and programs have a longstanding history and decades of passionate alumni and friends. The Events & Engagement Specialist will help us expand our reach and create new events and opportunities for the CAI community to engage. This is a role for someone who can turn ideas into exceptional experiences, from the first concept through the final follow-up. You will manage event logistics including catering, audiovisual needs, and setup, as well as speaker coordination, event promotion, and thinking strategically about our audiences and their interests. You will plan and deliver programs that connect the CAI community and bring CAI’s thought leadership to audiences both in Madison and around the country. The ideal candidate will have experience managing events from idea through execution and the initiative to take a concept and run with it. The right person will see possibilities, bring ideas forward, and be comfortable figuring things out when there isn’t an established playbook. The work requires someone who is highly organized and able to manage complex logistics and timelines, while also representing CAI professionally and engaging confidently with alumni, donors, parents, and other guests. Because many of our events take place outside of regular business hours and in other cities, this role will occasionally require evening work and overnight travel. Travel typically occurs about 10 times per year, with overnight trips generally limited to one or two nights at a time.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Serves as a unit liaison for internal and external stakeholders, answers questions, and provides information about established programs based on set material or standards
• Plans and leads the implementation of major alumni events, volunteer committees, and activities in alignment with strategic initiatives and objectives
• Monitors, organizes, and updates donor records, and implements operating policies and procedures
• Plans, directs, and executes alumni visits and discovery calls, passing leads to the appropriate major gift officers to cultivate relationships to assist in achieving established donor goals
• Identifies data trends, errors, and insufficient data; and reports variances according to established policies and procedures
• Leads the development, production, and dissemination of communication and branding strategies and materials for the unit

Department

UW‑Madison, College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Alumni Relations

Compensation

The expected starting salary ranges from $53,515 - $76,000, depending on qualifications and experience. There may be flexibility for highly qualified candidates.

Benefits

• Generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off
• Competitive insurances and savings accounts
• Retirement benefits

More Benefits information can be found here.

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience planning and executing events
• Experience managing multiple projects or events simultaneously, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work occasional evenings and travel for events, including overnight travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with event registration platforms, CRM systems, and project management tools
• Experience developing or contributing to event marketing, promotional strategies, or communications
• Experience working in higher education, alumni relations, advancement, nonprofit or a related field

Education

Bachelor’s degree required

Conditions of Appointment

This is a 100% Academic Staff appointment. Salary will be assigned within the appropriate range, commensurate with the candidate's qualifications and experience. An excellent benefits package is also included. Successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.

Contact Information

Kayla Weisensel at [e-mail] Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

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 Opportunity Employer. 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 backgrounds and 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.