Director, Membership Growth & Engagement

Job Description

Our client is a dynamic, growing trade organization that is looking for a strategic leader to head its membership function with responsibility for the full member lifecycle: prospecting, recruitment, onboarding, engagement, renewal, and member intelligence.

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The successful candidate will be a strategic, relationship-driven leader who is comfortable owning ambiguity, translating member feedback into action, and devising and executing processes that drive real impact.

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Key Responsibilities

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Prospecting and Recruitment Strategy

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• Working closely with senior management, define the membership value proposition and service model.

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• Apply organization’s member persona framework (by role and by company type) as the primary lens for segmentation, refining it as new patterns emerge.

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• Where appropriate for larger members, recommend specific, tailored membership packages instead of a general menu of options.

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Onboarding

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• Create a 30–90 day onboarding plan for each new member; identify key contacts and connect them with relevant organization staff and programs.

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• Route new members to committees, events, and content aligned to their personas and segments from day one.

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Account Management

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• Maintain relationships with senior decision-makers and day-to-day contacts; conduct periodic account reviews throughout the year so the renewal conversation is not the first time issues or concerns arise.

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• For multi-stakeholder accounts, develop and maintain a documented map of all relevant contacts (e.g., C-suite, government affairs, marketing, education, compliance).

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Engagement

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• Connect members to advocacy, committees, education, events, research, and leadership opportunities.

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• Tailor engagement pathways by persona — for example, partner-facing event programming for channel and partner-focused members, and certification or CE-eligible content for compliance and education-focused members.

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Renewal

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• Monitor renewal risk throughout the year, begin renewal conversations early, resolve concerns, and secure renewals.

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• Confirm the budget decision-maker for each account in addition to the primary relationship contact(s).

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• For at-risk accounts, convene the appropriate organization stakeholders to ensure the best possible positioning for the renewal conversation.

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• For lost accounts, assess winback potential; devise and execute winback strategies

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Member Intelligence

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• Gather member priorities and concerns, identify emerging needs and concerns, and report themes to leadership.

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• Maintain the member persona framework and a running log of cross-account patterns to surface recurring themes.

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Member Service

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• Respond to inquiries, maintain records, manage rosters, and help members navigate the organization.

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• Ensure programming and support are accessible and relevant to the scope and resourcing of members in all segments.

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Data and Forecasting

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• Maintain the AMS/CRM, track pipeline and engagement activity, forecast renewals, and produce dashboards.

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• Structure member and audience data so it can also support sponsorship and event offerings.

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Cross-Functional Coordination

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• Coordinate with Policy, Government Relations, Product, Events, Education, and Sales & Marketing.

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• Maintain clean, consistent member handoffs, particularly with Government Relations and Events.

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Team Leadership

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• Directly oversee the membership team, currently a small staff.

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• Define team structure and role responsibilities as the membership function grows.

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• Recruit, mentor, and develop team members capable of executing a high-performing membership function.

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• Foster a culture of accountability, data discipline, and measurable outcomes.

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Role Requirements

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Qualifications

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• 10-12+ years of experience in membership/association management, B2B account management, or member/customer growth and retention.

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• Track record of both new-member acquisition (prospecting, qualifying, closing) and account retention/renewal in a dues- or subscription-based model.

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• Experience owning and maintaining a CRM/AMS, with the discipline to keep data current and use it for forecasting and reporting, not just recordkeeping.

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• Demonstrated ability to synthesize qualitative member feedback into structured, actionable insights.

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• Strong cross-functional collaborator, able to work closely with Policy, Government Relations, Product, Events, Education, and Sales & Marketing without formal authority over any of them.

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• Comfortable building process and structure.

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• Proven ability to build and lead a small, high-performing team.

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Preferred Qualifications

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• Experience in the payments, financial services, or fintech industry.

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• Experience in a trade association, professional society, or other member-based organization.

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• Experience building or scaling a membership function, team, or program from an early stage.

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Additional Information

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• Position is located in Washington DC – Hybrid (in office 3 days/week)
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• Our client offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and excellent benefits.
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