Description
The Donor Engagement Team within VP Development and Alumni is currently seeking a Full-time Staff Limited Term Manager, Events and Experiences for approximately 2 years.
Located in Canada's most enterprising city, the University of Calgary (UCalgary) is a global intellectual hub for teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and deep engagement with the community.
UCalgary is one of Canada's top comprehensive research universities, with more than 7,500 graduate students and 30,500 undergraduate students, 1,800 academic staff, and over 4,000 non-academic staff in 14 faculties, across five campuses. As one of Canada's leading research-intensive universities, UCalgary is home to 146 research chairs (75 Canada Research Chairs), and more than 50 research institutes and centres. The university is bolstered by the incredible philanthropic support of the community, including more than $1.4B Billion raised during Energize: The Campaign for Eyes High (the third-largest completed fundraising campaign in Canadian history). UCalgary has the fastest growth rate in attracting research funding among the 10 largest universities in Canada and for three years in a row was ranked the #1 start-up creator among Canadian research universities.
Through its strategic plan, Ahead of Tomorrow, UCalgary continues its remarkable growth trajectory, striving for inimitable excellence through innovative teaching and learning, cutting-edge exploration, and community linkage, through. The strategy is a bold vision that reflects our ambition to increase access to future-focused education, to maximize the impact of our research and innovation, to put the community at the centre of all that we do, and to make our operational processes clearer, simpler and better than any other university.
The Development and Alumni team serves as a bridge between the University of Calgary and its champions, including donors, alumni and community members. Supporting engagement, volunteerism and partnerships, it creates opportunities for impact in Calgary and beyond. The Office of Principal Gifts and Strategic Donor Engagement directly develops and implements focused, integrated fundraising strategies to drive donor engagement and advance philanthropic investment opportunities in support of UCalgary's strategic vision, plan and priorities.
Reporting to the Director, Donor Engagement, the Manager, Events and Experiences provides leadership and professional expertise in the strategic planning and delivery of donor-focused events and experiences. Collaborating with partners across the campus and broader community, the incumbent will ensure that every experience upholds high standards and strengthens relationships with key stakeholders.
This role requires a strong project manager with creative vision ¿ someone who can manage complex projects, inspire collaboration, and bring experiences to life with purpose and precision. The incumbent will regularly engage with diverse and distinguished guests, including donors, alumni, faculty, staff, students and community champions.
We dream big, take risks, and prototype bold ways to demonstrate why the University of Calgary matters ¿ and why our community should care.
The Manager, Events and Experiences plays a critical role in conceptualizing and delivering high-impact live experiences that showcase the University of Calgary's philanthropic priorities and strengthen its reputation among donors, prospective supporters, and community champions. This position is responsible for designing and executing exceptional donor-focused events ¿ ranging from intimate stewardship gatherings and tours to large-scale events and announcements ¿ that inspire connection, demonstrate impact, and deepen engagement at all levels of the donor journey.
With a strategic mindset and deep expertise in event planning, this individual will lead the development of experience-based engagement strategies, provide counsel on the most effective formats and touchpoints, and ensure flawless execution from ideation to post-event analysis. The role demands strong project and budget management skills, creativity, and the ability to mobilize and collaborate with cross-functional internal teams, external contractors, and high-profile volunteers and community partners.
The Manager, Events and Experiences will also serve as a key relationship-builder, working closely with faculty partners, senior leaders, and influential community champions to co-create meaningful programs that reflect shared values and maximize philanthropic potential. This position deals with highly confidential information that calls for discretion and requires sound judgment, exceptional communication skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic and deadline-driven environment.
This full-time, limited-term position follows a 35-hour work week, with occasional evening and weekend work required based on event schedules.
Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):
- The Manager, Events and Experiences is responsible for developing strategic experience plans and delivering best-in-class events that advance the University of Calgary's fundraising goals and institutional priorities. These experiences support donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and recognition at all levels, and empower leadership and fundraisers to communicate impact and inspire philanthropic investment.
- Working collaboratively across Development and Alumni, and with campus and community partners, the incumbent will ensure all events and experiences are executed to the highest standards and aligned with the university's brand and values.
- Lead the development of experience strategies that align with fundraising objectives and donor engagement goals.
- Translate strategic objectives into actionable plans with measurable outcomes.
- Identify and participate in strategic discussions and decisions about opportunities, potential conflicts, and cross-functional alignment related to events.Ensure campus-wide and unit-
- specific priorities are reflected in event design, execution, and follow-up.
- Provide leadership and professional oversight in the planning, coordination, and execution of a wide range of donor experiences and events, including high-profile cultivation opportunities, stewardship programs, milestone ceremonies and major philanthropic announcements.
- Manage end-to-end logistics of events, including venue selection, supplier contracts, run-of-show, catering, and staffing.
- Lead the planning and execution of bespoke events, activations and tours
- Develop and manage budgets, ensuring high-quality experiences are delivered within financial parameters.
- Lead program development for events, including recommending content and structure, recruiting and briefing speakers, and coordinating agendas and remarks.
- Liaise with internal stakeholders ¿ including Development and Alumni colleagues, faculties, and university leadership ¿ to ensure alignment and maximize event impact.
- Cultivate strong relationships with external vendors, community champions, and volunteers to support seamless event delivery.
- Serve as a key point of contact for distinguished guests, including donors, alumni, faculty, and senior leaders.
- Demonstrate the ability to lead through influence ¿ guiding cross-functional teams, engaging senior stakeholders, and aligning diverse perspectives without direct authority.
- Act as a connector and collaborator across the institution, building consensus and fostering a shared commitment to delivering exceptional donor and community experiences.
- Oversee the development and delivery of all event-related communications, including invitations, presentations, and briefing materials.
- Ensure the tone, visual identity, and messaging of all materials reflect UCalgary's standards and resonate with donor audiences.
- Lead invitation list development and manage registration processes to ensure optimal attendance and engagement.
- Prepare post-event reports, including evaluation of objectives, outcomes, feedback, and recommendations for future enhancements.
- Lead debriefs with event collaborators to capture learnings and apply insights to strengthen future programming.
- Ensure appropriate follow-up strategies are activated by fundraisers and engagement teams to build on event momentum.
- Contribute to broader donor engagement strategies and department-wide initiatives.
- Perform other duties as assigned to support the overall goals of the Development and Alumni portfolio.
Qualifications / Requirements:
- University degree with five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in managing successful events and engagement initiatives.
- Demonstrated success in developing and executing engagement strategies to communicate complex topics, ideally within a fundraising or donor engagement context.
- Previous experience planning and executing a wide range of events (large-scale, intimate, high profile, and informal) for diverse and distinguished guests.
- Ability to develop and manage multi-step projects from concept to completion within complex organizational structures.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey ideas clearly and persuasively to varied audiences.
- Strong interpersonal and listening skills; able to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders, senior leadership, donors, vendors, and other external partners.
- Diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgment when handling confidential or sensitive information.
- Ability to think critically, navigate complex issues, and arrive at thoughtful solutions quickly ¿ especially in fast-paced or high-pressure environments.
- Flexible and resilient; able to adapt to shifting priorities, troubleshoot challenges in real time, and remain calm under pressure.
- Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and follow-through.
- Self-motivated, innovative, and results-oriented.
- Collaborative mindset with a demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team.
- High level of professionalism, integrity, and work ethic.
- Experience within a post-secondary or similarly complex institutional environment is considered an asset.
- Knowledge of fundraising is an asset.
Application Deadline: May 29, 2025.
We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.
This position is classified in the Management Career Band, Level P4 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.
For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.
About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (equity@ucalgary.ca) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (hrhire@ucalgary.ca).
Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.
We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
