Jobs › University of Wisconsin-Madison

Events & Engagement Specialist

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI · $53,515–$76,000 a year

Posted Oct 1, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Walk me through an event you managed from the first idea to the final follow-up.

What they are checking: End-to-end event ownership, which is the heart of this role.

Tell me about an idea you brought forward that wasn't asked for. What happened?

What they are checking: Whether they bring ideas forward on their own, since the posting asks for initiative and the team needs someone who shows it.

How do you handle several events in different stages at once?

What they are checking: Whether they keep several events on track at once, since this role juggles planning, promotion and follow-up on overlapping timelines.

What would you do

The College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence is new, but its departments have long histories. How would you get alumni engaged with a new college name?

What they are checking: Whether they can build a sense of belonging for a brand-new college, since alumni loyalty usually sits with older department names.

Your keynote speaker cancels the day before. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they stay calm and find a solution when plans collapse, since last-minute cancellations are part of event work.

How do you work with faculty speakers who are busy and hard to pin down?

What they are checking: Whether they can get commitments from busy faculty politely, since events depend on speakers who are often hard to reach.

About the work

How do you decide who an event is for and what they would want from it?

What they are checking: Whether they start events from the audience's needs, since the posting asks for strategic thinking, not just good logistics.

How do you manage catering, AV and setup for an event outside Madison?

What they are checking: Whether they can manage vendors and setup from a distance, since this role runs events around the country, not just on campus.

How do you promote an event so the right people show up?

What they are checking: Whether they promote events to reach the right people, since a full room of the wrong audience does not meet the event's goals.

How do you measure whether an event was worth the cost?

What they are checking: Whether they measure events by real outcomes, not head counts, since leaders need to know if spending on events pays off.

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The full job description

As published by University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as: - 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 How to Apply: For the best experience completing your application, we recommend using  Chrome  or  Firefox  as your web browser. To apply for this position, select either  “I am a current employee”  or  “I am not a current employee”  under  Apply Now . You will then be prompted to upload your application materials. Important:  The application has only  one  attachment field. Upload all required documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area. Upload required documents: • A cover letter detailing how your qualifications and experiences align with the responsibilities of the position. • Resume Please note that reference checks will be conducted for finalists. Applicants selected to proceed in the selection process will be notified directly. All applicants will receive notification once a final selection has been made and the search is complete. 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 krweisensel@wisc.edu 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 .

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