Planner, National Alumni Events

The salary range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Pay Range: $58,000.00 - $87,000.00

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

**Qualified Internal applicants must apply by 9/12/2023 to be considered for this role**
 
About this role:

The Planner, National Alumni Events works closely with the Alumni leadership team to provide professional and engaging event experiences. This position ensures that our alumni foster an affinity for the university by helping them stay connected with individuals and the university at national events. They create, support, and deliver nation-wide experiences that are in alignment with WGU’s mission, cultural beliefs, and leadership principles as well as a continuation of the student experience. In addition, the role will include assisting national conferences or events as deemed appropriate.

What you'll do...

• Initiate and lead meetings with stakeholders to guide the development of effective practices for planning and executing Alumni Celebrations, Distinguished Graduate Awards, Night Owl Trot (virtual 5K), Kindness Quest (annual week of service) and other national alumni events.
• Procure and coordinate vendor production services.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external partners.
• Serve as a member of an events project team and contribute to a wide variety of functional areas including decisions around budget allocation, and a hands-on approach to managing technical, design and logistical elements.
• Assist other colleagues with events, coordinating teams that plan, implement, and manage all aspects of events.
• Assists with pre-event setups and post-event evaluations and budgets.
• Assists in managing and reconciling various event calendars.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities:

• Able to take on multiple projects, in varying domains, while leading through regular change.
• Have a vision and ability to deliver key results.
• An ambassador who embodies WGU’s leadership principles and cultural beliefs while representing WGU at any event.
• Thrive in a fast-moving position.
• Willing to try new ways to solve problems, with a keen sense of finding long and short-term solutions.
• Driven by understanding metrics, what they mean and how to continually improve.
• Willing to collaborate with others to brainstorm and implement new and better ways for showcasing WGU and its mission at any event.
• Thorough understanding of student/alumni journeys.
• Proficiency with Salesforce and social media platforms
• Strong creative and strategic mindset
• Ability to understand and identify underlying business needs and problems to deliver lasting solutions in a short timeline.
• Outstanding writing and verbal communication skills are required.

What you'll need...

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in related field and 2 years of experience working in event planning, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, or corporate communications; 6 years of experience in lieu of degree.

Physical Requirements:

• Travel: Up to 25-30%, including to event locations for site visits, event execution, and to the WGU office(s) in Salt Lake City Utah, other states in the US, and conference cites—including weekends.
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

As an equal opportunity employer, we recognize our strength lies in our people. We commit to creating an inclusive environment where all can excel, regardless of race, age, gender orientation, sexual orientation, religion, or disability.

Applicants with disabilities who need assistance with the hiring process may be entitled to reasonable accommodation. If you need assistance in completing an application or participating in an interview because of a disability, please contact our recruiting team [email protected]
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Disclaimer: This Job Description has been designed to indicate the general nature, essential duties, and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this classification. It does not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications that are required of the employee to do this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This Job Description does not constitute a contract of employment and the University may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.
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As an equal opportunity employer, WGU recognizes that our strength lies in our people. We are committed to diversity.