Senior Director, Membership Development & Marketing

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and Performance Racing Industry (PRI) together represent the heart of the automotive aftermarket and motorsports industries. United by a passion for cars, trucks, SUVs, and racing of every kind, these organizations support a vibrant global marketplace that spans performance parts, advanced racing technologies, restoration, restyling, and the full spectrum of specialty automotive innovation.

SEMA is a dynamic, business-minded nonprofit trade association made up of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, builders, publishers, race teams, and more—an industry ecosystem powering a nearly $53-billion-a-year retail market. Through industry-leading programs, advocacy, research, and world-class events—including the annual SEMA Show, one of the largest automotive trade shows in the world—SEMA helps its members grow, innovate, and succeed.

PRI extends this influence into the global racing marketplace. Since 1986, PRI has been the premier source of business intelligence, cutting-edge technology insights, and community connection for racing professionals. The annual PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis brings together over 1,000 exhibiting companies and thousands of racing stakeholders across every major discipline, supported by PRI’s industry-leading advocacy, media platforms, education programs, and year-round engagement. 

Together, SEMA and PRI fuel the success of thousands of businesses, connect industry professionals worldwide, and preserve and grow the future of automotive performance and racing. 

*Must be willing to work out of one of the following offices: Michigan, DC, CA and IN.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY:

Develop and Execute Membership Growth Strategies:

• Create and implement strategies to increase membership retention, drive new membership, and increase overall      membership engagement by setting and tracking growth targets aligned with the Association's goals.
• Develop targeted B2B campaigns to recruit companies, segmenting prospects by industry, company size, business type, geography, and membership eligibility.

Conduct Industry and Market Analysis:

• Analyze industry trends, competitive offerings and a clear view of what members value to identify growth opportunities and adapt membership strategies. 
• Apply market research data and use members, prospect, and competitive insights to refine audience segmentation, positioning, and campaign strategy.
• Use data-driven insights and partner with other internal stakeholders to shape programs and value-added offerings.

Drive Acquisition Programs:

• Develop and manage programs to retain and recapture current members and recruit new members within the first 90 days.
• Build and manage a qualified business prospect pipeline through email, digital advertising, industry events, partnerships, referrals, and content marketing.
• Develop account-based marketing plans and customized outreach for high-value prospective member companies and priority industry segments.

Enhance Member Engagement and Experience:

• Design and implement initiatives to improve the membership experience, ensuring that service standards meet member expectations, and that satisfaction metrics are met.
• Manage B2B membership communications across the member lifecycle, including prospect nurturing, onboarding, engagement, renewal, upsell, and reactivation.

Build and Maintain Key Relationships:

• Foster relationships within the industry to stay informed on trends and collaborate with partners on membership growth efforts. 
• Act as a key point of contact for external stakeholders.

Digital Marketing and Outreach:

• Oversee digital marketing and social media strategies for member acquisition and retention, using data to evaluate and adjust efforts for maximum impact.
• Create B2B content—including case studies, testimonials, industry insights, benefit-focused materials, and campaign assets—that demonstrates the business value and return on investment of membership.
• Use CRM and marketing automation platforms to segment audiences, nurture leads, track prospect activity, maintain accurate company and contact data, and measure campaign attribution.

Collaborate Across Departments:

• Work with internal teams to align on membership goals, supporting cross-functional projects and contributing to strategic planning.
• Partner with Sales to define target accounts, lead qualification criteria, handoff processes, conversion strategies, and membership revenue goals.
• Develop targeted messaging and outreach for business owners, executives, and other organizational decisionmakers.

Manage Budget and Performance Metrics:

• Oversee the membership development budget and track key performance indicators. 
• Measure and report on qualified leads, company acquisition, lead-to-member conversion, acquisition cost, membership dues revenue, renewal rates, and member lifetime value.
• Report progress to leadership and adjust strategies based on results.

Support Events and Outreach:

• Represent the Association at industry events to promote membership and engage prospective members.

Manage Vendor and Partnership Agreements:

• Establish and maintain contracts with vendors and partners, ensuring that membership offerings are valuable and support overall goals.

Lead and Measure Membership Team Performance:

• Lead, coach, and develop membership personnel, establishing performance goals, accountability measures, and professional development plans to support organizational objectives.

Membership Evaluation:

• Continuously evaluate and enhance the membership value proposition through research, member feedback, and industry trends to ensure SEMA remains relevant and competitive.

Membership Revenue Performance:

• Own membership revenue performance, including new member acquisition, renewals, dues revenue growth, and related program revenue. 
• Develop forecasting models and accountability measures to achieve annual revenue objectives.

Membership Retention Strategies:

• Develop and execute retention strategies designed to maximize member renewal rates and reduce churn. 
• Analyze renewal trends, identify at-risk segments, and implement proactive engagement initiatives to improve member lifetime value.

Member Portal & Benefit Ecosystem:

• Oversee the strategy and evolution of the SEMA Member Portal, ensuring it serves as the primary platform for member engagement and benefit delivery.
• Manage the portfolio of member benefit partners that provide business solutions to the industry.

RELATIONSHIPS:

• Reports to: Vice President of Sales
• Interfaces with: Association members, staff, and external partners

Pay Range: $130,000 - $150,000

PRIMARY SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS:

Requirements: 

• 7+ years in a membership development or business growth role, ideally within an association or membership-based organization.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing data-driven B2B membership acquisition, engagement, renewal, and reactivation campaigns.
• Experience developing multichannel campaigns across email, digital advertising, social media, content, industry events, referrals, and strategic partnerships.
• Experience with account-based marketing and outreach to business owners, executives, and other organizational decision-makers.
• Proven experience aligning marketing and sales processes, including target-account selection, lead qualification, nurturing, handoffs, and conversion.
• Experience managing CRM and marketing automation systems, audience segmentation, campaign workflows, data quality, and marketing attribution reporting.
• Experience developing B2B value propositions, case studies, testimonials, thought-leadership content, and sales enablement materials.
• Experience managing marketing budgets, agencies, vendors, campaign calendars, and performance goals.
• Four-year college degree preferred, in business, marketing, or a related field.

Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, CRM systems, association management software, and digital marketing platforms.
• Strong communicator with strategic thinking, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Advanced knowledge of B2B membership acquisition and retention strategy, demand generation, lead nurturing, account-based marketing, and member lifecycle marketing.
• Strong capabilities in audience segmentation, persona development, value proposition design, brand positioning, executive-level messaging, content strategy, and campaign development.
• Ability to use marketing analytics, forecasting, and performance reporting to improve qualified lead volume, lead-to-member conversion, acquisition cost, renewal rates, membership revenue, and member lifetime value.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, sales and marketing alignment, market research, competitive analysis, budget management, vendor management, and project management skills.

Travel Requirements:

• Estimated 20%, as needed for industry events and association activities.

This job description is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of all responsibilities, skills, relationships or working conditions associated with the position. While it is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary.