Events, Sr Manager

Senior Events Manager Remote - United States About the Role The Sr. Manager, Events owns Blackboard's global events strategy and execution from end to end. This is not a logistics coordination role. It is a pipeline-accountable, commercially-oriented function responsible for translating Blackboard's GTM priorities into event programs that generate measurable business outcomes across the full customer lifecycle - from new logo acquisition to retention and expansion. Sitting within GTM Marketing and reporting directly to the VP, GTM Marketing, you will own the global events calendar, budget, and execution infrastructure. You will set the strategic prioritization framework for where Blackboard shows up, why, and with what goals - and you will build the pre-, during-, and post-event engagement systems that make each investment convert. You work in close partnership with Revenue Marketing to ensure events contribute directly to new logo pipeline, and with Customer Marketing to ensure customer-facing events accelerate retention, adoption, and cross-sell. You partner with GTM Marketing's PMM function to ensure every event tells a coherent, market-focused story. This is a senior individual contributor role. You will not manage a standing internal team, but you will direct local and contract staff as needed to execute events at scale. More importantly, you will build and manage the Sales, CSM, and Sales Enablement relationships that determine whether events convert - and you will be accountable for that conversion. Responsibilities Global Events Strategy & Portfolio Prioritization - Own the global events calendar and prioritization framework - determining which conferences, owned events, and partner activations Blackboard invests in, at what level, and in service of which GTM objectives - Build and maintain a structured events taxonomy that distinguishes pipeline generation events (targeting new logos in Higher Ed and Business & Government) from retention and expansion events (targeting existing customers), and allocate budget accordingly - Partner with VP, GTM Marketing to set annual events strategy aligned to Blackboard's commercial priorities, segment growth targets, and competitive positioning - Maintain a living prioritization model that scores events against pipeline potential, audience alignment, competitive presence, and past performance - and use it to make explicit trade-off decisions when budgets are constrained Budget Ownership & Financial Management - Own the global events budget with full accountability for spend, forecasting, and ROI measurement - from initial planning through post-event reconciliation - Build and manage vendor relationships, contract negotiations, and agency or contract staff engagements to deliver events efficiently without compromising quality - Track cost-per-opportunity and cost-per-customer-engagement metrics across the events portfolio, and use them to continuously rationalize the calendar - Report budget status and forecast variance to VP, GTM Marketing on a regular cadence Event Logistics & Execution - Own all logistics for global events - venue and vendor selection, registration infrastructure, booth and experience design, staffing, shipping, on-site coordination, and post-event wrap-up - Build scalable execution playbooks that can be applied across event types and geographies, reducing reliance on bespoke coordination for each activation - Manage and direct local and contract staff as needed to execute events in markets where Blackboard does not have dedicated headcount - Ensure every event delivers a brand-consistent, audience-appropriate experience that reflects Blackboard's market position Pre-, During-, & Post-Event Communications & Planning - Build and own the full communications infrastructure surrounding every event: pre-event outreach and registration campaigns, during-event engagement programming, and post-event follow-up sequences designed to convert attendee interest into pipeline - Partner with Revenue Marketing on pre-event demand generation and targeted outreach to priority accounts, ensuring events are surrounded by integrated digital programs, not treated as standalone activations - Work with Customer Marketing to design post-event nurture tracks for existing customers that connect event participation to specific adoption, retention, or cross-sell outcomes - Ensure all event-related communications are aligned with current GTM positioning and PMM-approved messaging Sales, CSM & GTM Team Engagement - Build and own the operational relationship with Sales, CSMs, Sales Enablement, and Solution Engineering for every event - from pre-event briefing and account targeting to on-site role clarity and post-event follow-up accountability - Design and deliver event-specific Sales and CSM enablement materials: target account lists, suggested talking points, competitive context, and meeting scheduling infrastructure - Create structured feedback loops with Sales and CSM teams to capture what is working, what deals events are influencing, and where engagement programs need to improve - Partner with Sales Enablement to embed events into broader Sales readiness programs, ensuring field teams know how to maximize every Blackboard event investment Goal Setting & Measurement - Set quantitative goals for every event in the portfolio: pipeline sourced, pipeline influenced, meetings held, customer engagements, and net new contacts acquired - Build and maintain an events performance dashboard that tracks results against goals in real time, integrated with Salesforce and HubSpot where applicable - Conduct structured post-event debriefs that capture pipeline outcomes, attendee conversion rates, Sales feedback, and cost efficiency - and use findings to improve future events - Present events performance and ROI analysis to VP, GTM Marketing and broader Marketing leadership on a regular cadence Cross-Functional Alignment - Partner with GTM Marketing's PMM team to ensure all events reflect current market positioning, competitive differentiation, and segment-specific messaging - Collaborate with Revenue Marketing to align events to new logo pipeline goals, ensuring event programs and digital demand generation programs are coordinated, not siloed - Work with Customer Marketing to connect events to customer lifecycle goals, including product adoption campaigns, renewal programs, and cross-sell initiatives - Coordinate with Marketing Operations to ensure accurate event attribution, lead routing from event registrations, and clean data capture across all event programs How You Fit Into the Team Events sits within GTM Marketing - the function responsible for Blackboard's go-to-market positioning, product marketing, and field activation. The VP, GTM Marketing co-owns pipeline contribution alongside Revenue Marketing and is directly accountable for how Blackboard shows up in the market. As Sr. Manager of Events, you are the operational owner of that market presence at every in-person and virtual touchpoint. You will work closely with: - GTM Marketing PMM for strategic alignment - they define the market narrative and segment positioning; you translate it into event programming, speaking submissions, and on-site messaging that lands with target audiences - Revenue Marketing for new logo pipeline creation - events are a pipeline channel, and you will coordinate with Revenue Marketing on account targeting, pre-event outreach, and post-event follow-up to ensure event investments show up in the new bookings number - Customer Marketing for retention, adoption, and cross-sell alignment - customer-facing events must connect to active campaign workstreams, not operate as one-off engagements - Sales, CSMs, Sales Enablement, and Solution Engineering for field activation - your operational relationship with these teams determines whether events convert, and you are accountable for building and maintaining it Required Skills and Experience - 8-10 years of event marketing experience, with a track record of owning global events programs that contribute measurable pipeline - not just well-executed logistics - Demonstrated experience building and managing events that generate new logo pipeline, ideally in the Higher Education and/or Business & Government sectors - Deep familiarity with the Higher Ed market calendar - EDUCAUSE, regional consortia, government technology conferences, and sector-specific convenings - and the judgment to prioritize within it - Proven ability to build and manage structured working relationships with Sales, CSM, Sales Enablement, and Solution Engineering teams - including pre-event briefings, on-site role coordination, and post-event follow-up accountability - Budget ownership experience: you have managed six- or seven-figure events budgets, negotiated vendor contracts, and reported ROI to senior leadership - Strong project management instincts: you build playbooks, maintain calendars with precision, and manage multiple simultaneous events across geographies without losing execution quality - Data-driven approach to events measurement: you set goals before events run, track pipeline outcomes through the CRM, and conduct structured post-mortems that actually change what you do next - Experience directing contract and local event staff to deliver high-quality execution without a standing internal team - Excellent written and verbal communication skills - you can write a compelling attendee outreach sequence, a sharp Sales briefing document, and an executive-ready ROI report Preferred Skills and Experience - Experience marketing to both Higher Education institutions and Business & Government (federal, state, local, defense) audiences within the same portfolio - Familiarity with EdTech or SaaS competitive event landscapes, including how to position effectively at third-party conferences dominated by category leaders - Background working within a centralized marketing model after a period of distributed or regional field marketing - you understand what it takes to rebuild event infrastructure from the center - Experience integrating events into ABM programs - using event attendance data to trigger or accelerate account-level plays in partnership with Revenue Marketing - Exposure to AI-assisted event tools for attendee targeting, personalized communications, and post-event follow-up automation The expected salary range for this position is $105,200 - $130,000. The range reflects base salary only and does not include additional compensation such as company bonus, sales incentives, or benefits. Placement within the pay range will depend on a variety of factors, such as experience, skills, internal parity, and location Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country where the role is based at the time of hire and must maintain that authorization for the duration of employment. The company does not provide visa sponsorship or immigration support for this position. This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time.