Badger Challenge Events Manager

University of Wisconsin Madison•Madison, WI

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Human Oncology Event Manager will provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and hands-on execution of the Department’s signature fundraising and community engagement events that support cancer research at the University of Wisconsin. This position serves as the primary manager of the Badger Challenge event portfolio, including the annual Badger Challenge walk, run, and ride event, the Badger Challenge Ball, the Badger Challenge Champions Dinner, golf outings, partnering events, and other fundraising initiatives designed to advance the mission of accelerating cancer research and improving patient outcomes. The Event Manager will be responsible for all aspects of event planning, coordination, and execution, including project management, logistics, vendor relations, volunteer deployment, budgeting, contract and purchase order management, and event-day operations. The successful candidate will ensure exceptional experiences for donors, participants, sponsors, volunteers, cancer patients and families, and community partners while helping to grow the visibility, impact, and fundraising success of the Badger Challenge. The ideal candidate will be a highly organized, energetic, innovative, and self-motivated professional with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. They must be able to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including cancer patients and survivors, families, volunteers, sponsors, vendors, faculty, staff, and university leadership. The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and demonstrate a strong commitment to the mission of supporting cancer research through philanthropy and community engagement. The candidate will work closely with the Director of Volunteers and the Director of Sponsorship and Community Engagement.

Requirements

Proven experience (minimum 5+ years) in organizing endurance, fitness, or charity events, with a strong track record of managing logistics, timelines, and teams.
Experience planning events of 500+ participants.
Ability to handle multiple tasks, manage complex event details, and coordinate with various stakeholders like participants, volunteers, vendors, sponsors and local municipalities.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills to liaise with partners, sponsors, and participants, as well as to promote the event across various media platforms.
Experience in managing event budgets, ensuring costs are controlled while maximizing impact and quality of the event.
Understanding of safety standards for fitness events, including crowd control, medical preparedness, emergency action plans and road safety for cyclists.
Familiarity with event management software, registration platforms, mapping platforms, volunteer platforms and social media tools to ensure smooth participant engagement and event coordination.
Experience with permitting.
Bachelors Degree preferred ; focus in marketing, public relations or general business preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of the Badger Challenge event portfolio, including the annual Badger Challenge walk, run, and ride event, Badger Challenge Ball, Champions Dinner, golf outings, partner events, and other fundraising and stewardship activities.
Ensure exceptional participant, donor, sponsor, volunteer, and community experiences while advancing fundraising goals.
Manage all event logistics and operations, including venue selection and site inspections, event setup and teardown, course planning and support, aid station coordination, permitting and municipal approvals, transportation and parking logistics, safety planning, audiovisual needs, equipment rentals, signage, and vendor management.
Serve as the primary administrator of event registration and fundraising platforms, including development and maintenance of registration websites, participant communications, fundraising tools, reporting, and data management.
Partner with the UW Foundation and University stakeholders to ensure accurate donor, participant, and fundraising records.
Oversee event merchandise and apparel programs, including design coordination, vendor relations, purchasing, inventory management, fulfillment, and distribution of participant, volunteer, sponsor, and donor materials.
Serve as the primary point of contact for participant, donor, sponsor, volunteer, and community inquiries.
Develop and implement customer service strategies and resolve issues in a timely, professional, and mission-focused manner.
In collaboration with the Director of Volunteers, help recruit, coordinate, train, and manage more than 350 event volunteers annually.
Develop volunteer leadership structures, including volunteer captains, and create training materials and communication plans to support successful event execution.
Collaborate with development, marketing, and communications staff to support event promotion, sponsorship activation, participant recruitment, fundraising initiatives, stewardship activities, and social media engagement.
Develop and manage annual event budgets, financial forecasts, and expense tracking systems.
Oversee procurement processes, negotiate vendor contracts, process purchase orders and invoices, manage event-related donations, and ensure compliance with University financial policies and procedures.
Build and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, vendors, community organizations, university departments, and external partners to support the growth, sustainability, and long-term success of the Badger Challenge fundraising program.
Evaluate event performance through data collection, participant feedback, fundraising outcomes, and operational metrics, and implement continuous improvements to enhance event quality, efficiency, and impact.
Establishes and sustains relationships with internal and external stakeholders
Establishes and executes day-to-day operational functions and goals of events to align with existing strategy
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
Monitors the budget and approves expenditures