Conferences & Events Manager

About Rundoo ℹ️

Rundoo’s mission is to build cutting-edge software that helps building materials suppliers enhance their businesses. Think of your local hardware store or mom and pop shop—these are our clients who we partner with across the country. From paint to hardware to flooring, stores across these industries sell over $1T of building materials annually using outdated, on-premises systems. We’re aiming to change by being the first in the industry to empower independent supply stores with best-in-class technology.

Backed by leading investors including Bessemer and CRV, we've raised $18M across three rounds and are growing quickly. Our team is made up of builders, sellers, and industry veterans with a shared goal: to bring modern technology to an overlooked industry.

About the role 🎪

Conferences are one of the highest-leverage ways we create pipeline, deepen partner trust, and strengthen our brand.

We’re hiring a Conferences & Events Manager based in Chicago/Chicagoland to own conferences and events end-to-end. This role is accountable for planning, executing, and delivering measurable business outcomes across every event we attend or host.

What You’ll Own 👍

1. Conference strategy and selection

• Build and maintain the conference calendar.

• Recommend which events to sponsor, attend, or skip based on ICP fit and expected ROI.

• Secure high-impact booth placement and sponsorship packages that maximize visibility and foot traffic.

2. Pre-conference planning (weeks before the show)
You run the full pre-show checklist so nothing slips, including:

• Leading internal pre-conference meetings to align attendees on goals, messaging, and expectations.

• Managing conference contacts and key stakeholders.

• Owning all logistics, including booth materials, giveaways, and staffing plans.

• Activating partners and vendors ahead of the event.

3. On-site execution

• Act as the on-the-ground point person for the event.

• Ensure Rundoo shows up professionally and consistently.

• Troubleshoot in real time so the sales team can focus on meaningful conversations.

4. Post-conference conversion and follow-through

• Run post-conference recaps with all attendees and capture key learnings.

• Ensure timely follow-up and clean handoffs so leads turn into opportunities and revenue.

• Identify process improvements and update the conference rubric to improve future events.

How We Measure Success 📏

We want conferences to be predictable, repeatable, and impactful. Success in this role is measured on both execution quality and business outcomes.

In the first 90 days, success looks like:

• You own and maintain a clear conference calendar, with a forward-looking plan and recommendations for new events to attend.

• Every event has explicit goals, a pre-show plan, and a consistent operating cadence.

• Logistics are handled early, resulting in smooth, professional on-site execution.

• The team arrives aligned on messaging, expectations, and how to capture leads and opportunities in the CRM.

• Post-event follow-up happens quickly, with clean handoffs and measurable outcomes.

• We can clearly connect conferences to pipeline impact, partner engagement, and learnings that improve future events.

Working Style and Expectations 💼

• Ownership: You are accountable for outcomes, not just task completion.

• Operational excellence: You are highly organized, proactive, and remain calm under pressure.

• Travel & location: You are comfortable traveling 2–3 times per month for conferences. When not traveling, you work primarily from our Chicago River North GTM Rundoo HQ. This is an in-office role (5 days/week), with occasional work-from-home flexibility once you are fully ramped.

Requirements (non-negotiable) ☑️

• Hands-on experience owning conferences or field marketing, including end-to-end planning and execution.

• Proven ability to manage complex logistics and timelines across multiple stakeholders without things slipping.

• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, especially with Sales and Marketing, with the ability to influence and hold others accountable without direct authority.

• Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through, from planning through post-event execution.

Nice-to-haves ⭐

• Experience with channel partners, distributors, or vendor ecosystems.

• Familiarity with lead capture workflows and CRM hygiene.

• Experience building repeatable processes from scratch.

Compensation 💵

• Base Salary: $90K-$100k

• Uncapped Commission (On-Target Earnings): $110K

• Equity package of about $15k

Interview Process 🎤

Goal: quickly validate (1) operator ability to run complex event logistics, (2) GTM mindset to turn events into pipeline, and (3) cross-functional leadership with Sales + Marketing.

• Recruiter Screen (20 minutes, remote)
Conversation with Amanda to align on background, role expectations, and logistics.

• Round 1 Interview (30 minutes, remote)
Interview with Clara focused on role-relevant experience and problem-solving approach.

• Paid Take-Home Exercise
A short, paid exercise to understand how you think and work in a real-world scenario.

• Cross-Functional Interview (1.5 hours, in person)
Interview with Matt and Clara testing partnership, communication, and process-building skills.

• Final Interview: CEO (15 minutes, remote)
Conversation focused on culture and values, ownership mindset, and clarity on motivation for the role.

About the team 👥

• Matt (Head of Sales): studied history at Northwestern; taught middle school in Chicago (hardest job ever), led sales for a consumer start-up (Catch Co.), joined Rundoo as an AE and now leads the GTM team; former competitive angler in college (bass fishing 🎣)

• Clara (Head of Demand Generation): studied Literature at UCL before moving into growth strategy at Nabla, a health tech startup in Paris. Later transitioned to Sales at Verkada in London. Current side hustle: Clara’s Cashew Butter.

About our founders 🌲

• Andrew (CTO): studied computer science & humanities at Stanford; worked as a software engineer and head of engineering at Apple & Anova; danced with the SF ballet (where he met his wife)! 🩰

• Nick (CEO): studied math & computer science at Stanford; worked as a trader at Bridgewater & Citadel and as a PM at Google & Enigma; distantly related to the founder of the Hershey company 🍫

How we've fundraised 💰

We've raised $18m across three rounds:

• A $2m pre-seed led by Kent Bennett at Bessemer with participation from Plug & Play, Quiet Capital, and Sequoia.

• A $5m seed led by Caitlin Bolnick Rellas at CRV.

• An $11m series A led again by Bessemer and CRV.

Benefits 🏋️

• Full medical, dental, and vision coverage (100% of premiums for you, 50% for dependents)

• 401k with Betterment

• Unlimited PTO with 10 company paid holidays

• Daily team lunches for those in office

• Learning materials and audiobook subscriptions

• Dog-friendly office