Sr. Director, Membership Recruitment & Growth

Job Description

Job Description

The American Institute of Architects (AIA)

AIA will provide you with the opportunity to advocate for the value of architecture and give architects and design professionals the resources they need to do their best work. The collective voice of architects is essential, and our work drives positive change through the power of design.

Each one of us at AIA is a leader committed to demonstrating our mission and values and designing a better future for our country and planet. Even in times of change, AIA's values remain constant:

• We stand for equity and human rights
• We stand for architecture that strengthens our communities
• We stand for a sustainable future
• We stand for protecting communities from the impacts of climate change
• We stand for economic opportunity
• We stand for investing in the future
• We speak up, and policymakers listen

The American Institute of Architects, as part of the global community, is building a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion within the profession of architecture to create a better built environment for all. Achieving this vision has a direct impact on the relevance of the profession of architecture and the world's prosperity, health, and future.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Managing Director, Member Support & Solutions, the Senior Director, Membership Recruitment & Growth owns AIA's national recruitment agenda across individual and group membership pathways. This role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution: shaping who AIA reaches next, building the campaigns and partnerships that reach them, and personally driving outreach to the segments that matter most.

The Senior Director leads high impact programs directly, including group enrollment expansion, win back campaigns, and strategic outreach to allied and international audiences, while partnering closely with retention, marketing, and chapter colleagues to keep the full membership pipeline coordinated from first contact to conversion.

Success in this role will be defined by measurable growth: more new members, higher reinstatement, stronger conversion, and a recruitment effort that works as one system across national and chapter efforts, not two.

Job Duties

Recruitment Strategy and Growth Ownership (60%)

• Define and lead AIA's membership recruitment strategy across individual and group enrollment, with focused growth among former members, recent graduates, allied professions, and international prospects.
• Own performance against acquisition and reinstatement goals, including pipeline health, conversion outcomes, and opportunities to diversify and expand the membership base.
• Directly lead high impact membership sales and outreach by developing segmented prospect lists and coordinating outbound efforts with staff and component partners based on strategic priorities.
• Partner with Marketing and Communications to design, execute, and evaluate integrated recruitment campaigns that are data informed and tailored to priority audiences.
• Lead win back efforts to re-engage recently terminated members, continuously improving targeting, messaging, and conversion in partnership with the retention team.
• Collaborate with AIAS and other organizations to introduce AIA to prospective members and convert them to AIA membership.
• Grow the Group Enrollment Program as a core acquisition channel by setting strategy, coaching staff on outbound prospecting and lead nurture, and scaling firm-based recruitment approaches.
• Develop and execute targeted growth strategies for allied professionals and international audiences, including identifying priority markets, refining value propositions, and working with internal and external partners to expand reach and conversion.
• Develop onboarding strategies that increase early engagement and long-term retention.
• Collaborate with chapters and internal stakeholders to test, refine, and scale segment specific campaigns and partnerships, ensuring alignment between national strategy and local execution.

Chapter and Field Leadership (20%)

• Shape AIA's national to chapter recruitment approach, ensuring alignment on goals, messaging, and execution.
• Equip chapter executives with:
  • Strategic guidance for local and state campaigns
  • High-value prospect lists, including coordination with licensing boards
  • Access to national tools, data, and campaign assets
• Support chapters in reaching under tapped segments, including allied and internationally connected prospects.

Data, Systems, and Performance Management (5%)

• Leverage Fonteva and recruitment journeys to manage performance, monitor pipeline activity, and identify optimization opportunities.
• Establish clear KPIs and reporting rhythms across segments, including architect, associate, allied, and international.
• Translate data into actionable insights that improve targeting, messaging, and conversion.

Team Leadership and Collaboration (15%)

• Partner with the Senior Director, Retention to align messaging, segmentation, and lifecycle strategy.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to integrate brand, campaigns, and growth goals.
• Engage internal stakeholders to align recruitment efforts with broader membership and market expansion strategies.
• Lead and develop a two-person recruitment team, with opportunity to scale over time.
• Provide hands on coaching, particularly in outreach, lead nurturing, and segment specific recruitment approaches.
• Ensure disciplined execution, clear priorities, and strong accountability.
• Manage and track annual new member, recruitment, , and career center budgets.

Frequent Contacts

• Vice President, Member Experience
• Senior Director, Retention
• Marketing & Communications
• Chapter executives and volunteer leaders
• AIAS and allied partner organizations

Qualifications

Required

• Demonstrated success driving multi segment acquisition growth, including experience reaching new or underpenetrated audiences.
• Strong experience managing both people and performance, with a track record of delivering results through small teams.
• Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and executional levels.
• Fluency in Fonteva (Salesforce based AMS) and recruitment journey design.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Experience with segmentation, lead generation, and conversion optimization across diverse audiences.
• Skilled at tailoring strategies to distinct audience segments, such as allied, international, and early career.

Bachelor's degree in business, management, marketing, or a related field, plus ten years of experience in membership growth, recruitment, or marketing, ideally in associations or mission driven organizations.

Supervisory Requirements

• Specialist, Membership Outreach
• Manager, Membership Collections
• Manager, Membership Outreach & Engagement

What We Offer

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our company values and workplace culture, including:

• Medical, vision, and dental
• 401(k)
• Flexibility
• Paid time off
• Parental Leave
• Flexible spending accounts
• Income protection, including Life Insurance Coverage up to 2x salary, and disability plans at no cost
• Tuition and membership reimbursements

AIA employees have access to a variety of other programs, including:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employees and their family members
• SmartBenefits transportation program, featuring up to $55 monthly in public transportation as well as pretax METRO parking
• Computer purchase program
• Fitness club discounts
• Prepaid legal services program
• Identity theft protection

Travel Requirements:  Up to 15% travel.

Work Location: 100% remote from AIA approved states: AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, MA, ME, MI, MN, MT, NH, NM, NY, NC, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, WI, WY. This position will periodically be required on site at AIA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Full-time remote employment is available only to candidates residing in the states listed.

Equal opportunity employer as to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.