Assistant Vice President, Events

We are Walker & Dunlop, one of the largest providers of capital to the commercial real estate industry, enabling real estate owners and operators to bring their visions of communities—where people live, work, shop, and play—to life. We are committed to creating meaningful social, environmental, and economic change in our communities.

About the Role

The W&D Event Department plans and executes events for both W&D employees and external clients, prioritizing outstanding client experiences to maximize event value and support business goals. The department collaborates with Human Resources to improve community engagement and marketing efforts focused on strengthening client relationships.

The Assistant Vice President (AVP), reporting to the Vice President (VP), is responsible for managing internal, external, and industry conference events aligned with strategic business and brand objectives.

Responsibilities

• Independently manage and own complex meetings and events across the full event life-cycle, including logistical and operational coordination.
• Create and maintain a project plan for company-sponsored events, leading internal teams with milestone deadlines while assessing the best strategy for execution.
• Use event management platforms (Bizzabo), project management software (Asana), and CRM (Salesforce) tools to organize event details, monitor progress, and maintain accurate attendee and client records.
• Oversee event budgets, including estimates, forecasting, tracking, auditing, reconciliation, and reporting to ensure financial accuracy and informed decision-making.
• Lead vendor sourcing, negotiation, contract management, and coordination across all event-related services to secure partnerships aligned with event goals, budgets, compliance requirements, and operational needs.
• Cultivate relationships with clients and cross-functional internal partners through phone, email, and personal interaction to streamline planning workflows and support seamless execution.
• Develop and execute post-event evaluation strategies, including attendee surveys, feedback analysis, and data reporting, to identify trends, measure event effectiveness, and inform process improvements.
• Lead or own large aspects of company event management, such as the Summer Conference or All Company Retreat (e.g., travel or room block).
• Provide weekly progress and status briefings to the VP of Events.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Schedule

Attendance is generally required from 8:30 am – 5:30 pm local time, Tuesday through Thursday, with the option to work remotely on Mondays and Fridays.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Communications, Hospitality, or a related field.
• 7+ years of work experience, ideally in meeting or event planning.
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite, Salesforce, Bizzabo, Box, and Asana preferred.
• Experience leading strategic planning and execution of multi-day events, including lodging room blocks, cross-functional stakeholder management, and organization of layered logistics.

Skills

• Ability to drive day-to-day project management in a fast-paced environment across concurrent event workstreams, ensuring deadlines, details, and deliverables are executed with high accuracy.
• Apply big-picture thinking, anticipating implications and needs beyond the immediate task.
• Strong vendor management experience, including sourcing, coordination, and oversight of implementation.
• Deliver clear, targeted communication, adapting style to internal stakeholders, clients, and vendors to achieve results.
• Provide high-quality customer service to internal stakeholders and external clients, ensuring a positive and professional event experience.
• Evaluate new information and apply sound judgment to support effective problem-solving and decision-making for current and future events.
• Collect, assess, and analyze information from multiple sources to develop recommendations and support informed decision-making.
• Collaborate proactively with team members and support key departmental functions and initiatives.
• Experience with event management software to support registration, logistics, and overall event operations.
• Proficient in Microsoft Suite.
• Demonstrate ownership of work, take on challenges, acknowledge growth opportunities, and show patience when learning new processes.
• Exhibit courtesy, respect, and thoughtfulness when teaming with colleagues and other stakeholders.

Pay

This position has an estimated base salary of $100,000–$110,000 plus a discretionary bonus. An employment offer is based on the applicant’s relevant work experience, applicable knowledge, skills, abilities, internal equity, and alignment with market data.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit options, including:
  • Up to 83% subsidized medical payroll deductions.
  • Competitive dental and vision benefits.
  • 401(k) with company match.
  • Pre-tax transit and commuting benefits.
  • A robust health and wellness program—earn cash rewards and gain access to resources that promote health, engagement, and balance.
  • Paid maternity and parental leave, as well as other family paid leave programs.
  • Company-paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance.
  • Health Savings Account and Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Career development opportunities.
• Empowerment and encouragement to give back—volunteer hours and donation matching.

Eligibility may vary based on average number of hours worked.