Marketing Manager - Events Marketing

The Group:
Morningstar Retirement empowers investor success by providing research- and technology-driven products and services that help individuals reach their retirement goals. With advisory services provided by Morningstar Investment Management LLC, Morningstar Retirement supports and collaborates with workplace retirement plans and other industry players to differentiate their services, stay competitive, and reach new markets, all in service of building a better retirement system. Morningstar Retirement not only helps people save for the retirement they want but helps them make their money last once they get there.
The Role:
Morningstar Retirement is seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Marketing Manager to lead event marketing initiatives that showcase our products and thought leadership. This role is an integral part of the team, with a primary focus on lead generation, field events, and sales enablement. In this role, you will be responsible for our presence and messaging out in the market and for delivering exceptional experiences and insightful content to our clients and prospects.
You will manage in-person and digital events-including conferences, client meetings, and webinars-to drive engagement and awareness among key audiences. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional experiences that align with business objectives.
This position is based in our Chicago office and reports to Morningstar Retirement's B2B Senior Marketing Manager
Responsibilities:

• Plan and execute logistics for third-party conferences, client events, and corporate meetings, ensuring flawless delivery and alignment with business objectives.

• Lead development and delivery of webinars focused on research, product updates, and sales enablement; manage content, speakers, and promotional campaigns.

• Assume ownership of field events to maximize ROI-qualifying opportunities and aligning them with sales priorities.

• Partner with subject matter experts, sales, product, research, design, and compliance teams to create compelling session descriptions, speaking proposals, and presentation materials.

• Collaborate with Digital Marketing Manager to develop integrated, multi-channel marketing strategies to promote event participation, speaking engagements, product launches, and research updates.

• Facilitate strategy meetings with sales and service leadership to identify prospect and client opportunities and ensure event activities accelerate lead conversion and align with business goals.

• Utilize marketing technology (Eloqua, Cvent, Salesforce) to streamline event processes, digitize collateral, and measure lead generation campaigns.

• Track and analyze event performance metrics, ROI, and engagement data; provide actionable insights for continuous improvement.

• Manage event budgets, invoicing, and vendor relationships; negotiate optimal representation at key industry events and deliver accurate reporting to senior leadership.

• Coordinate onsite representation and equip sales teams with event plans and materials to maximize impact.

• Maintain detailed event timelines and project plans; oversee inventory and strategy for promotional materials and giveaways.

• Build and nurture strategic partnerships to expand reach through in-person and digital channels.

• Research and recommend new event and webinar opportunities aligned with business priorities.

• Represent Morningstar at off-site events as needed (<5% travel)

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Strong understanding of event marketing and tradeshow principles.

• 4+ years in event marketing, field marketing, or event planning, preferably in a B2B environment.

• Experience in financial services, retirement, or investment marketing is a plus.

• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines with exceptional attention to detail.

• Experience working with third-party vendors and managing budgets.

• Familiarity with event and marketing platforms such as Eloqua, BrightTALK, BigMarker, Cvent, and CRM systems like Salesforce.

• Knowledge of project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Asana) preferred.

• Strong analytics, reporting, and project management skills; ability to measure ROI and optimize campaigns.

• Ability to connect in-person and digital campaigns for a cohesive audience experience.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Proven ability to work closely and successfully with institutional sales leaders and cross-functional teams.

• Background in B2B demand generation; understanding of lead conversion (MQL to client).

• Familiarity with financial services landscapes, retirement plans (401(k), 403(b), IRAs), fiduciary services, managed accounts, and investment products is a plus.

Compensation and Benefits
At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That's why we champion your wellness through a wide-range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide:

• Financial Health
  • 75% 401k match up to 7%
  • Stock Ownership Potential
  • Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission

• Physical Health
  • Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
  • Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
  • Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance

• Emotional Health
  • Trust-Based Time Off
  • 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
  • 6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
  • Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Bonding Leave
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
  • Annual Education Stipend
  • Tuition Reimbursement

• Social Health
  • Charitable Matching Gifts program
  • Dollars for Doers volunteer program
  • Paid volunteering days
  • 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

Total Cash Compensation Range
$74,325.00 - 126,350.00 USD Annual
Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive
If you receive and accept an offer from us, we require that personal and any related investments be disclosed confidentiality to our Compliance team (days vary by region). These investments will be reviewed to ensure they meet Code of Ethics requirements. If any conflicts of interest are identified, then you will be required to liquidate those holdings immediately. In addition, dependent on your department and location of work certain employee accounts must be held with an approved broker (for example all, U.S. employee accounts). If this applies and your account(s) are not with an approved broker, you will be required to move your holdings to an approved broker.
Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.
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