Manager, Membership Engagement & Development

American Association for Cancer Research•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

The Manager, Membership Engagement & Development, is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies that drive membership growth, retention, engagement, and overall member satisfaction across a global community of more than 70,000 professionals. Working collaboratively with Membership, Meetings, Education, Marketing, Professional Development, Communications, and Volunteer Leadership teams, the Manager leads initiatives designed to strengthen the member experience, increase participation in society programs and events, expand membership among diverse audiences, and communicate the value of membership throughout all career stages. The position plays a key role in planning and executing member engagement activities, conferences, webinars, networking programs, volunteer initiatives, and recruitment campaigns while leveraging data and analytics to inform strategic decision-making and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
Minimum of 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in association membership, community engagement, event management, marketing, nonprofit management, or related fields.
Experience working within a professional association, learned society, scientific organization, healthcare association, or membership-based nonprofit strongly preferred.
Demonstrated success in membership recruitment, retention, engagement, and growth initiatives.
Experience planning and executing in-person, virtual, and hybrid events.
Experience working with volunteer leaders, committees, and member communities.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams.
Experience with Association Management Systems (AMS) and CRM platforms such as iMIS, Salesforce, Nimble AMS, Fonteva, Higher Logic, or equivalent.
Familiarity with event management platforms, webinar systems, online community platforms, and marketing automation tools.
Experience using reporting and analytics tools to support strategic decision-making.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Nonprofit Management, Association Management, or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement comprehensive membership recruitment, retention, conversion, reinstatement, and engagement strategies.
Create annual membership growth plans with measurable goals and performance indicators.
Identify opportunities to expand membership among domestic and international audiences, early-career professionals, students, and underrepresented groups.
Design and execute targeted acquisition and renewal campaigns that support organizational growth objectives.
Develop and refine membership value propositions that clearly communicate member benefits and return on investment.
Collaborate with Marketing and Communications teams to create compelling membership messaging and promotional materials.
Develop initiatives that increase member participation in society programs, committees, special interest groups, and volunteer leadership opportunities.
Build strategies that foster year-round member engagement through virtual and in-person interactions.
Support affinity groups, member communities, and professional networks.
Monitor member satisfaction and engagement trends and recommend programs and services that enhance the member experience.
Partner with staff and volunteer leaders to create meaningful opportunities for networking, professional development, and recognition.
Lead the planning and execution of membership-related events, including orientation programs, leadership meetings, networking events, volunteer meetings, receptions, webinars, workshops, and community-building activities.
Collaborate with the Meetings and Education teams to integrate membership recruitment and engagement initiatives into annual conferences, symposia, and virtual events.
Develop event-based membership acquisition and retention strategies.
Coordinate event logistics, registration processes, communications, speaker management, timelines, and post-event evaluations.
Analyze participation and engagement data from events and recommend improvements to programming and member outreach efforts.
Serve as the primary membership liaison for major society meetings and conferences.
Work closely with volunteer leaders, committees, advisory groups, and member champions to advance membership goals.
Support volunteer recruitment, onboarding, training, and recognition programs.
Maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders and member constituencies.
Facilitate collaboration among volunteer leaders, staff teams, and organizational partners.
Work collaboratively with the Database Operations Team to track, analyze, and report on membership trends, recruitment outcomes, renewal performance, engagement metrics, event participation, and member satisfaction.
Develop and maintain dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure membership and engagement success.
Conduct surveys and market research to identify member needs and emerging trends.
Utilize data-driven insights to recommend strategic initiatives and operational improvements.
Prepare regular reports and presentations for senior leadership and volunteer governance groups.
Manage multiple projects simultaneously while ensuring deadlines and organizational objectives are met.
Collaborate across departments to support integrated membership and engagement initiatives.
Develop project plans, timelines, budgets, and evaluation metrics for membership programs and events.
Recommend and implement process improvements that increase efficiency and enhance the member experience.
Maintain accurate records and documentation related to membership activities and programs.
Stay informed about association and membership industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies.
Perform other duties as assigned in support of the organization's strategic goals.