Senior Manager II, Market Events

American Cancer Society; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Retirement benefits

Wellness programs

Professional development

Job summary

The American Cancer Society is seeking a donor relations and event fundraising professional to lead a broad portfolio, drive revenue growth, and engage high-impact donors and volunteers through strategic engagement.

You will manage complex event portfolios, develop growth strategies, and align partners with cultivation plans, with travel as needed and evening/weekend availability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 2 years successful experience in fundraising and relationship development.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Builds and elevates relationships with high-impact donors, sponsors, and volunteer leaders to drive increased revenue and retention.
• Leads complex event portfolios, ensuring strong execution, financial performance, and participant experience.
• Develops and implements strategies to grow revenue, expand donor pipelines, and increase long-term engagement.
• Aligns event partners and participants to broader cultivation strategies, advancing movement through the donor pipeline.
• Analyzes performance trends and identifies opportunities for growth and optimization.
• Provides guidance and leadership to peers or project teams as needed.

Skills

Fundraising

Relationship management

Analytics

Strategic thinking

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

At the American Cancer Society, we're working to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Our employees and 1.3 million volunteers are raising the bar every single day. We are a culture comprised of diverse backgrounds and experience, to better serve our communities.

The people who work at the American Cancer Society focus their diverse talents on our lifesaving mission. It is a calling. And the people who answer it are fulfilled.

Responsible for leading the strategy, planning, and execution of a seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars + event fundraising portfolio. Drives revenue growth through advanced relationship management, strategic donor engagement, and volunteer leadership development. Expands impact by strengthening pipelines and aligning event fundraising with broader organizational priorities.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Builds and elevates relationships with high-impact donors, sponsors, and volunteer leaders to drive increased revenue and retention. 35%
• Leads complex event portfolios, ensuring strong execution, financial performance, and participant experience. 20%
• Develops and implements strategies to grow revenue, expand donor pipelines, and increase long-term engagement. 20%
• Aligns event partners and participants to broader cultivation strategies, advancing movement through the donor pipeline. 10%
• Analyzes performance trends and identifies opportunities for growth and optimization. 10%
• Provides guidance and leadership to peers or project teams as needed. 5%

EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum Degree Required: Bachelors in related field and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Years of experience: 2 years successful experience in fundraising and relationship development.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITY:

• Demonstrated success managing larger, more complex fundraising portfolios.
• Advanced relationship-building and donor engagement skills.
• Ability to develop and implement growth strategies.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to influence without authority and lead through others.
• Strong financial and performance management skills.
• Ability to identify and act on opportunities to expand impact.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

• Travel varies depending on the portfolio assignment and event staffing model.
• Must be able to attend evening and weekend meetings, events and programs either remotely or in-person depending on the portfolio assignment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Some lifting may be needed as part of event set up activities.

The starting rate is $80,000 to $90,000. The final candidate's relevant experience/skills will be considered before an offer is extended. Actual starting pay will vary based on non-discriminatory factors including, but not limited to, geographic location, experience, skills, specialty, and education.

ACS provides staff a generous paid time off policy; medical, dental, retirement benefits, wellness programs, and professional development programs to enhance staff skills. Further details on our benefits can be found on our careers site at: jobs.cancer.org/benefits. We are a proud equal opportunity employer.