Program Manager - Industry Conference Strategy

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston (TX)

On-site

USD 93,000 - 139,000

Full time

8 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage from day one

PTO & Holidays

Tuition Assistance

Pension & retirement plans

Job summary

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is seeking a Program Manager for Industry Conference Strategy in Houston. You will plan, execute, and evaluate strategic conference engagement initiatives, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to align resources and ensure strong brand representation at key oncology meetings.

This full-time hybrid role requires six years in public relations or communications, a bachelor's in a related field, and travel to 6–8 conferences

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in English, Journalism, Public Relations, Communications or related field.
Six years of experience in public relations, communications, writing/editing or related field; or four years with Master's.
May substitute degree with additional years of equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead conference-specific strategies to position UT MD Anderson at priority industry conferences.
Collaborate with stakeholders to create integrated onsite and digital engagement plans.
Manage timelines, deliverables, collateral and giveaways for conferences.
Lead onsite activation and brand ambassador participation during shows.
Build partnerships with Institutional Affairs, faculty, leadership and vendors.

Skills

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Event management

Brand management

Communication

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's Degree in English, Journalism, Public Relations, Communications or related field

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Program Manager – Industry Conference Strategy

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a leading institution focused on cancer care, research, education, and prevention. The Program Manager role within the Industry Conference Strategy team supports the planning, execution, and evaluation of strategic conference engagement initiatives that enhance institutional visibility and stakeholder engagement. The Program Manager collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to align resources, execute conference strategies, and measure outcomes. The Program Manager also serves as a key liaison across teams to ensure successful conference participation and brand representation.

UT MD Anderson participates in major industry conferences to showcase its leadership in cancer research, education, and patient care. The Program Manager reports to Director, Communications (Industry Conference Strategy), and helps leads the planning, execution and evaluation of UT MD Anderson's strategic positioning at key industry conferences, including but not limited to the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting and the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition. This position serves as the primary liaison across Institutional Affairs and to key stakeholders to develop communications strategies, align resources, manage logistics and measure impact. Working closely with the Director, Communications (Industry Conference Strategy) and cross-functional teams, the role is responsible for identifying opportunities to strengthen brand visibility, providing insights to optimize conference engagement strategies and building stakeholder buy in.

Salary: Minimum $92,500 - Midpoint $115,500 - Maximum $138,500

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday. Evening and weekend hours will be required as needed to support conference attendance, event coordination, and related activities.

Work Location: Houston, Tx. This is a remote position that will require onsite presence as needed, including attendance at various conferences.

This position requires travel to approximately 6 to 8 conferences annually, with each event typically involving 4 to 5 nights of travel.

The ideal candidate will be based in the Houston metropolitan area and demonstrate strong deadline-driven execution, strategic thinking, and exceptional communication skills. Preferred experience includes conference planning and coordination, booth staffing, and event marketing. Candidates with communications or public relations experience within a healthcare organization, or a background in events and events marketing are especially desirable.

Why Us?

UT MD Anderson offers the opportunity to contribute to meaningful work that supports the institution's mission of ending cancer while collaborating with leaders in communications, research, and healthcare. This role provides exposure to large-scale strategic initiatives, opportunities for professional growth, and participation in high-profile industry events that advance institutional visibility and impact.

Employer-paid medical coverage starting day one for employees working 30+ hours/week, plus optional group dental, vision, life, AD&D, and disability insurance.
Accruals for PTO and Extended Illness Bank, plus paid holidays, wellness, childcare, and other leave options.
Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service and access to extensive wellness, fitness, and employee resource groups.
Defined-benefit pension through the Teachers Retirement System, voluntary retirement plans, and employer-paid life and reduced salary protection programs.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, paid time off, retirement, tuition benefits, educational opportunities, and individual and team recognition.

Responsibilities

In partnership with Director, Communications (Industry Conference Strategy), contribute to the development of and lead execution of conference-specific strategies to position UT MD Anderson as the leading cancer care and research institution at priority industry conferences.
Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop an integrated engagement strategy for onsite execution as well as a complementary digital content approach
Serve as the primary project lead for conference-related workflows, establishing timelines and managing deliverables, including collateral and giveaways.
Lead onsite activation of strategy during conferences, including leading booth opening and closing and modeling as brand ambassador to other staff during the shows.
Build and maintain effective partnerships with stakeholders, including Institutional Affairs colleagues, faculty, executive leadership and external vendors.

Planning and execution of special events

Drive event experience by supporting the planning and onsite execution of special events (e.g., the UT MD Anderson Reception), including identification of vendors, support of administration processes and day-of execution.
Provide administrative support for process-oriented tasks required for planning and purchase of conference-related events.

Metrics and tracking

Coordinate the collection and analysis of metrics across teams to track, measure and report results for each conference; Maintenance of dashboards for each conference.
Analyze engagement, visibility and impact of metrics to assess effectiveness and identify opportunities for optimization.
Conduct competitive landscape analyses and monitor industry trends to inform future conference strategies.

Content strategy and creation

Facilitate cross-functional Institutional Affairs working group to develop content strategies for each conference and engagement strategies.
Facilitate strategic planning and debrief discussions to drive cross-functional alignment around conference priorities.
Guide development of and contribute to integrated content plans, including but not limited to the development of social media assets, blog posts and web content.
Ensure brand consistency and appropriate brand representation across conference-related communications.

Other duties as assigned

EDUCATION

Required: Bachelor's Degree English, Journalism, Public Relations, Communications or related field.
Preferred: Master's Degree English, Journalism, Public Relations, Communications or related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required: Six years Experience in public relations, communications, writing/editing or related field. or
Required: Four years Required experience with Master's degree.
May substitute required education degree with additional years of equivalent experience on a one to one basis.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Must pass pre-employment skills test as required and administered by Human Resources.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state, or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html

Additional Information