Hackathon Program Manager - Midnight Foundation

Overview

We are looking for a Hackathon Program Manager to join our Developer Relations team and make Midnight's hackathon ecosystem a world-class engine for developer acquisition, activation, and retention. Midnight is a regulatory-friendly, data protection-based blockchain that safeguards sensitive commercial and personal data using zero-knowledge proofs and a privacy-first programming model.

In this role, you'll own the global hackathon program, spanning virtual, in-person, and partner-led initiatives, and ensure every activation connects seamlessly into Midnight's broader builder journey through the Academy, Quests, and Build Club. This position blends program management, community engagement, and developer lifecycle design. You'll collaborate across Dev Rel, education, and ecosystem functions to deliver smooth, high-impact hackathons that consistently convert developers into long-term contributors.

Main Goals

• Deliver a consistent, high-quality cadence of global hackathons that attract and activate developers
• Ensure hackathons produce projects that mature into Build Club and ecosystem pipelines
• Connect hackathon themes and outcomes directly to Midnight's education programs (Academy, Quests)
• Provide developers with clear, rewarding next steps beyond demo day
• Strengthen Midnight's reputation as the chain where builders learn, launch, and grow

Responsibilities

• Own the global hackathon calendar, including virtual, IRL, university, and partner-hosted programs
• Manage the full program lifecycle: theme design, structure, mentor assignments, judging, prizes, comms, and reporting
• Develop and maintain scalable frameworks, templates, and playbooks to ensure consistency across regions
• Track and report on key funnel metrics: registrations, submissions, conversions to Build Club, and retention rates

• Build and manage the end-to-end funnel from hackathon → Academy → Build Club → grants/partnership pipeline
• Collaborate with Dev Rel Engineers and the Developer Educator to align hackathon themes with learning content and example DApps
• Monitor project quality and maturity, and coordinate with BD and Partnerships to identify standout projects for follow-on support

• Ensure every hackathon produces reusable developer resources: working Compact contracts, demo UIs, test suites, and READMEs
• Curate learnings (winning projects, common blockers, FAQs) into tutorials, quests, and content for ongoing education
• Partner with the Academy Instructor and Technical Writers to turn hackathon outputs into learning materials

• Manage relationships with global partners, including Hack Quest, EasyA, Rise In, MLH, and Devpost/Dora
• Represent Midnight at partner and university events; serve as the on-the-ground point of contact for mentors, judges, and participants
• Capture developer insights and feedback to inform future program improvements

• Oversee operational planning and delivery in partnership with the Events and Ops teams
• Manage logistics, budgets, swag, vendors, and communications while maintaining a clear focus on developer experience
• Ensure all post-event tasks, reporting, surveys, and repository validation are completed accurately and on time

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in developer relations, program management, or community operations
• Proven track record running hackathons, accelerators, or builder programs
• Strong organizational, coordination, and communication skills
• Ability to connect events to measurable developer outcomes (growth, retention, activation)
• Data-driven and comfortable analyzing program metrics
• Experience in blockchain/Web3 and open-source ecosystems

• Familiarity with…