Senior Program Manager, Awards & Executive Engagement

Crain Communications; Detroit (MI); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Automotive News, part of Crain Communications, seeks a Senior Program Manager to lead global awards programs and executive gatherings. You will own strategy, growth and end-to-end execution across editorial, sales and events, building engagement and revenue while maintaining independent judging integrity.

You will manage timelines, platforms and workflows, coordinate cross-functional teams, and drive continuous improvement with data-driven insights and AI-enabled efficiency.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in program management, awards or recognition programs, high-end events or executive engagement.
• Exceptional organization and project management skills with ability to manage multiple timelines and vendors.
• Executive presence and polish; comfortable with C-level executives, sponsors and judges.
• Experience administering program platforms, judging tools, RSVP or event platforms, CRM, and managing structured participant data with accuracy and discretion.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategy, growth and execution of global awards programs and executive gatherings.
• Develop annual roadmaps, timelines, growth priorities and cross-functional requirements while maintaining standards.
• Lead lifecycle from planning to post-program reporting, coordinating across editorial, sales, marketing, events and research teams.
• Manage award entry and judging platforms, categories, deadlines and data; ensure accurate participant records.
• Develop and safeguard credible, editorially independent judging processes; recruit judges and coordinate logistics.
• Partner with sales/marketing to grow entries, sponsorship revenue and participation; translate programs into market-ready opportunities.
• Own program management for private executive gatherings, manage invitation/RSVP workflows and sponsor relationships.
• Track participation, revenue, and sponsor fulfillment; create templates and workflows, leverage AI/automation to improve efficiency.

Skills

Program management

Organization & PM

Executive presence

Program platforms

Commercial instinct

AI tools usage

Strong written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience

Tools

CRM

Awards platforms

RSVP/event platforms

Job description

Senior Program Manager, Awards & Executive Engagement - Automotive News

About the Role

Automotive News is the leading source of news, analysis and data for the global automotive industry, serving dealers, automakers, suppliers and the executives who lead them for more than a century. Our awards programs and executive gatherings play an important role in Automotive News' broader growth strategy: recognizing excellence, connecting industry leaders and deepening their engagement with our brand.

We are seeking a highly organized, hands‑on program leader to own the strategy, growth and execution of our global awards programs and private executive gatherings. This individual will manage programs from initial planning through delivery and reporting, working closely with editorial, sales, marketing, events, research and senior leadership to grow their impact, participation and revenue. This is a senior-level individual-contributor role that combines strategic thinking with detailed execution. The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable recommending how a program should evolve and personally managing the platforms, communications, judging logistics, fulfillment and RSVP workflows required to deliver it. These are not side programs: the person in this role will build community and engagement infrastructure that Automotive News is investing in as core to its future.

Direct awards experience is welcome but not essential; relevant backgrounds may include program or project management, professional recognition, association programming, events or executive engagement.

What You Will Do:

Awards Strategy & Portfolio Development

• Own the performance, growth and ongoing evolution of Automotive News' global awards programs in partnership with senior leadership.
• Develop annual program roadmaps encompassing schedules, growth priorities, revenue opportunities and cross‑functional requirements, while maintaining consistent standards across programs and markets.
• Analyze program performance, industry trends and competitive offerings to recommend improvements, new categories, market extensions and potential new programs.

Awards Program Management & Execution

• Lead the complete lifecycle of each awards program, from planning and launch through entries, judging, recognition, event execution and post‑program reporting.
• Develop and manage detailed timelines and workflows, serving as the central point of coordination across editorial, sales, marketing, events, research and other participating teams.
• Directly administer the award entry and judging platform, including program setup, categories, deadlines, content, user access and data.
• Manage entries, participant questions, program correspondence and historical records, ensuring information remains complete and accurate throughout each program.
• Develop and safeguard credible, editorially independent judging processes in partnership with editorial - the integrity of our judging is what makes Automotive News recognition worth winning - including recruiting judges and coordinating assignments, materials, meetings, deliberations, communications, follow‑up and travel.
• Maintain accurate, consistently structured award entry and participant data using definitions agreed with the research and data team, supporting approved research and benchmarking uses while respecting confidentiality and data‑use restrictions.
• Manage program vendors, invoices and expenses; identify execution risks, resolve day‑to‑day issues and elevate larger strategic or resource decisions when necessary.

Commercial Growth, Recognition & Event Integration

• Partner with sales and marketing to develop strategies that increase award entries, sponsorship revenue and overall industry participation.
• Translate awards programs into clear commercial and promotional opportunities, providing the materials, insights and timelines needed to bring each program to market while monitoring entry pipelines, participation and revenue performance.
• Serve as a primary day‑to‑day contact for award sponsors, ensuring that commitments are documented and fulfilled while supporting strong renewal opportunities.
• Manage the entrant, finalist and winner experience, including communications, information collection, notifications, trophies, certificates, LinkedIn badges, licensing materials and fulfillment.
• Partner with the events team to integrate awards into Automotive News events, coordinating winner participation, scripts, presentation materials, award assets, sponsor deliverables and onsite execution.
• Partner with marketing and research to identify relevant opportunities for award participants, judges and event guests to engage with other Automotive News programs, and coordinate appropriate follow‑up consistent with communication preferences and confidentiality requirements.

Executive Gatherings & Convening

• Own the program‑management process for private sponsored dinners and other invitation‑only executive gatherings, from initial planning through execution and follow‑up.
• Develop and proactively maintain targeted lists of industry leaders, customers, prospects and other priority guests in partnership with sales, editorial and leadership.
• Directly manage high‑touch invitation and RSVP workflows, including personalized outreach, response tracking, follow‑up, guest information and last‑minute changes.
• Lead day‑to‑day sponsor relationships and partner with the events team on planning, guest experience, logistics, sponsorship fulfillment and onsite delivery, ensuring the event supports both Automotive News' and the sponsor's objectives.
• Support the development of new executive engagement formats - councils, roundtables and peer forums - as Automotive News expands its convening role in the industry.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Track participation, revenue, audience composition, sponsor fulfillment and the growth of qualified executive relationships - including repeat participation across programs - and produce internal and sponsor‑facing reports and post‑program reviews that inform future improvements.
• Build repeatable templates, checklists and workflows, and implement practical uses of AI and automation to reduce manual work, improve consistency and support program growth.

What We Are Looking For:

Required

• 5+ years of experience in program management, awards or recognition programs, association programming, high‑end events or executive engagement - with a track record of owning complex, deadline‑driven programs end to end.
• Exceptional organization and project management skills - you can run multiple overlapping program timelines, workflows and vendors without letting details slip.
• Executive presence and polish - comfortable corresponding with C‑level executives, sponsors and judges, and representing Automotive News in high‑touch settings.
• Experience administering program platforms - awards or submission systems, judging tools, RSVP or event platforms, CRM - and managing structured participant data with accuracy and discretion.
• Commercial instincts - experience supporting sponsorship fulfillment, revenue tracking, renewals or business development.
• Demonstrated comfort using AI tools (large language models, workflow automation or similar) to reduce manual work and improve program quality and consistency.
• Strong writing and communication skills, from executive‑level invitations to sponsor‑facing reports.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred

• Direct experience running awards or recognition programs, including judging operations.
• Experience with invitation‑only executive events, councils or membership communities.
• Experience working with CRM and audience data or marketing automation to build and maintain targeted contact lists.
• Familiarity with media or publishing environments, or with the automotive industry.

Why This Role:

Automotive News' awards and executive gatherings sit at the center of a company‑wide investment in community, convening and membership. This role offers hands‑on ownership of established programs that matter to the automotive industry, close collaboration with senior leadership and the opportunity to improve how those programs operate and grow. You will help shape their future while personally delivering the work that makes them successful. Automotive News is a division of Crain Communications. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.

Pay Transparency Disclosure:

The estimated base salary range for this position is $90,000 to $110,000.

The final salary offering will considera wide range of factors, including experience, accomplishments and location. The salary range provided should not be considered as a salary limit or cap. In addition to base salary, Crain also offers competitive benefits including retirement plan savings contributions and bonus opportunities based on individual and company performance.

Brand Overview:

Since 1925, Automotive News has been the go‑to place for all the news that is happening among automotive retailers, suppliers and manufacturers. Whether it is breaking news sent to a phone, digital editions and web products delivered to a desktop, or stories in the award‑winning print edition, Automotive News covers the news everywhere it happens around the world. Breaking news, data, daily newscasts, webinars, conferences and events are just some of the offerings. Automotive News, Automotive News Europe and Automotive News China are created locally and are backed by a global team of 50 editors and reporters, as well as a commitment to journalistic excellence.

About Crain Communications:

Crain Communications is a leading business news and information company with a portfolio of 24 media brands that provide indispensable coverage and data for professionals globally and across sectors, including advertising, automotive, finance, healthcare, staffing, and workforce solutions. Many of Crain's brands are the most influential media properties in the industries and communities they serve, including Ad Age, Automotive News, Pensions & Investments, Modern Healthcare, Staffing Industry Analysts, as well as Crain's regional business brands. For more than a century, our dedication to deep sector expertise and journalistic integrity has enabled us to provide trusted insights across all our platforms, empowering today's business leaders to make industry‑shaping decisions. To learn more about Crain Communications, visitcrain.com.

Environmental Demands

Where you work matters. The job posting will provide specific information on where and when your amazing work would be performed. Employee work location is determined by the needs of the specific team and may include on‑site, hybrid or remote. Employee work location is subject to change.

• An "in‑office" role would require the employee to come into the office most days with occasional flexibility to work remotely if tasks can be performed elsewhere and if the manager approves.
• A "remote" role would allow an employee to work from a home office that is in one of the states Crain does business in. We can only employ a remote / "work from home" employee if they reside in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, and Washington, DC.
• A "hybrid" role would be a mix of in‑office and remote work. There may be a specified schedule for coming into the office or it could be at the discretion of the employee with the manager's approval, subject to change.
• Employees who live within a reasonable commute distance from a Crain office are expected to work on‑site 3 days per week.

Many positions will also include work done in "the field." Depending on the role, this may include conducting in‑person interviews, attending work‑related events, meeting with sources or clients. Specifics will be noted in the job posting but are subject to change as a role evolves.

Travel to cover news stories/events, meetings with clients, and to our geographically separated offices may be required. It is the nature of many positions to experience non‑standard working hours and be on‑call when needed for responding to email, meeting with clients, attending work‑related events, story development or breaking news. Most employees perform work Monday through Friday, albeit early‑morning, evening or weekend shifts may be required. Work schedule and travel requirements are subject to change as a role and needs evolve over time.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of many Crain jobs and are subject to change.

Physical activities will include frequent in‑person or virtual interactions. For most positions, it is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer‑related tasks, and create/maintain documents within filing systems.

Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading.

The typical physical requirements are light work‑exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion. Some positions will have additional physical requirements, including exerting up to 50lbs of force to move and/or carry equipment, supplies, files, or other materials as the role requires.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions and meet the environmental and physical demands of the role.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants to the extent part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60‑1.35(c)