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 genera