(Hybrid) Special Events Coordinator Senior - WVU Cancer Institute

The WVU Cancer Institute at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a (Hybrid) Special Events Coordinator Senior.

About the Opportunity

The WVU Cancer Institute is a leading center for cancer care and research, dedicated to advancing education, treatment, and outreach programs that improve patient outcomes. The Project Manager will play a pivotal role in fostering the institute's mission to promote knowledge-sharing and professional growth within the medical community.

The Project Manager of Events and Continuing Medical Education provides strategic leadership, oversight, and execution management for the planning and delivery of institutional conferences, educational programs, continuing medical education (CME) activities, and high-profile special events.

This role is responsible for managing a comprehensive portfolio of academic and healthcare-related events from concept through post-event evaluation, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, accreditation requirements, financial stewardship, and operational excellence.

The Project Manager serves as the central leader for event strategy, stakeholder engagement, compliance oversight, budget management, and process improvement.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

• Strategic Event Leadership
  • Lead the strategic planning, development, and execution of institutional conferences, educational programs, lectures, symposiums, seminars, and special events.
  • Under the direction of WVUCI Senior Leadership Team, coordinate the logistics for site visits, external reviews, and faculty candidate visits.
  • Develop long-term event strategies aligned with organizational mission, educational goals, recruitment initiatives, and institutional priorities.
  • Manage a complex portfolio of concurrent events with varying audiences, objectives, and operational requirements.
    Identify opportunities to expand event impact, audience engagement, and program visibility.
• Project Management & Operational Oversight
  • Oversee full project lifecycle management for events from concept development through post-event completion.
  • Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, timelines, milestone tracking, and implementation strategies.
  • Delegate operational event logistics to support staff while maintaining accountability for successful delivery.
  • Monitor event progress, proactively identify risks, and implement solutions to ensure deadlines and deliverables are met.
  • Standardize event planning workflows, templates, and internal processes to improve efficiency and consistency.
• Continuing Medical Education (CME) Leadership & Compliance
  • Lead the planning and oversight of accredited continuing medical education activities in accordance with ACCME standards, institutional policies, and regulatory requirements.
  • Collaborate with faculty, educational planners, and institutional stakeholders to develop compliant educational programming.
  • Ensure accurate documentation, disclosure management, accreditation submissions, and post-activity reporting.
  • Serve as subject matter resource regarding CME compliance, commercial support guidelines, and educational governance.
• Financial Management & Resource Stewardship
  • Develop, manage, and monitor event budgets to ensure fiscal responsibility and alignment with organizational goals.
  • Oversee financial planning, expense tracking, forecasting, reconciliation, and post-event reporting.
  • Negotiate contracts and service agreements with venues, vendors, and service providers.
  • Evaluate resource allocation and implement cost-effective planning strategies
• Sponsorship, Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Cultivate and manage strategic relationships with faculty leadership, executive leadership, vendors, exhibitors, sponsors, community partners, and external collaborators.
  • Lead sponsorship development strategies in accordance with compliance and organizational guidelines.
  • Serve as the primary liaison for internal and external stakeholders regarding event planning, expectations, and execution.
  • Collaborate with marketing and communications teams to support promotional strategy, attendee engagement, and event visibility.
• Leadership & Team Supervision
  • Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to event coordination and administrative support staff.
  • Delegate responsibilities appropriately while maintaining accountability for overall event success.
  • Mentor and support team members in professional growth and performance development.
  • Establish clear workflows, roles, responsibilities, and communication expectations across event teams.
• Quality Improvement & Program Evaluation
  • Oversee post-event evaluation strategy, including attendee feedback analysis, outcomes measurement, and performance reporting.
  • Use data and stakeholder feedback to improve future programming and attendee experience.
  • Implement best practices and continuous improvement initiatives for event operations and educational programming.
• Institutional Collaboration
  • Partner with institutional leadership, faculty, administrative departments, and external organizations to align event programming with broader organizational objectives.
  • Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to ensure seamless planning and execution across departments.

• Bachelor's degree in Event Management, Hospitality, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Communications, Public Health, Education, or related field.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience in the following:
  • Progressively responsible experience in event management, conference planning, academic programming, healthcare administration, or project management.
  • Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder events from planning through execution.
  • Experience managing budgets, contracts, and vendor relationships
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.

• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated project management experience with multiple simultaneous initiatives.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and operational planning skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize competing demands, and solve complex operational challenges.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Education, Event Management, or related field.
• Experience in academic medicine, healthcare systems, higher education, or continuing education programming.
• Experience managing accredited CME/CE educational activities.
• Supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Experience with event management platforms, registration systems, project management tools, and budget reporting systems.

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.