Manager, Membership

Independent Sector•Washington, DC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Independent Sector (IS) is the nation's membership organization for nonprofits and philanthropy. Our vision is for a charitable sector that is healthy, trusted, and equitable and helps all people in the United States thrive in a vibrant civil society and just democracy. We unite nonprofits and philanthropy to strengthen the charitable sector, identifying structural challenges and mobilizing around policy and practice solutions. Independent Sector aims for a sector where charitable organizations are financially robust; powered by a thriving workforce that reflects the communities they serve; trusted, well-governed, and effective; and informed and active advocates. Driven by the deep recognition of our impact, our organization is growing to meet the need for our services. At IS, we are seeking passionate individuals with a deep understanding of the social sector and a commitment to strengthening nonprofit institutions that, in turn, strengthen our nation. We deeply value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we welcome those who bring their whole selves to our work. In this role, you will have a unique opportunity to shape the future of our team and our sector. If you are ready to make a meaningful impact, drive transformative change, and lead with purpose and passion, we invite you to join us in advancing this critical mission. Summary The Membership Manager plays a key role in supporting member recruitment, retention, and engagement. This position has significant interaction with members, prospects, volunteers, and staff, and ensures high-quality experience for all stakeholders. The ideal candidate is customer-focused, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a very fast-paced environment. The Membership Manager is responsible for driving new member acquisition, overseeing onboarding, and supporting retention strategies for current and prospective members. This role manages key administrative functions, including maintaining the membership database, coordinating member engagement initiatives, and communicating with members through phone calls, email, and posts within the IS member portal. This role operates with transparency and collaborates effectively across teams, engaging relevant stakeholders both internally and externally to the organization. IS currently operates a hybrid model (3 days in office/2 days telework).

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, marketing, business administration, communications, public administration, or a related field, plus a minimum of 3–4 years of relevant professional experience in membership services, association management, nonprofit organizations, or trade associations.
Demonstrated experience managing member relationships, recruitment, onboarding, and retention initiatives.
Strong customer service orientation with the ability to build and maintain positive relationships with diverse stakeholders.
Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
Ability to analyze membership data and metrics to support reporting and inform engagement strategies.
Excellent open, articulate, and personable communicator with diplomatic and persuasive communication skills.
Proficiency with standard office and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Office Suite, CRM platforms, and project management tools (e.g., Asana or similar).
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including professional phone and email etiquette.
Ability to work collaboratively across teams and contribute to cross-functional initiatives.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and take direction when appropriate.
Ability to be flexible and adaptable as needed.
High level of professionalism, discretion, and reliability.
Commitment to aligning work and communications with organizational mission and values.
Enthusiasm for the mission and work of membership-based organizations, with intellectual curiosity and a proactive approach to learning, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

Experience in Salesforce a plus, or other association management systems.

Responsibilities

Serve as first point of contact for IS membership inbox, hotline and all member communications, responding to all inquiries in a timely and accurate manner according to the IS service standards.
Responsible for quarterly dues invoicing – distribution of mail and email invoices to meet annual retention and revenue goals for payment reconciliation.
Provide general administrative support of membership initiatives as needed including scheduling member meetings, taking meeting minutes, and tracking action items and project timelines in Asana.
Drive member acquisition and retention by managing a membership pipeline under directives of the Membership Director.
Execute integrated recruitment and engagement tactics across phone, email, digital, and in-person channels.
Achieve organizational retention goals through proactive member engagement, and renewal outreach.
Manage the end-to-end membership journey, including inquiries, onboarding, and join processes, to ensure a seamless, high-quality experience.
Assist with tracking, analyzing, and reporting performance against preset KPIs with timely, accurate reporting.
Maintain accurate membership records within the membership database/CRM, ensuring data integrity and timely updates.
Collaborate with internal teams to ensure strong member participation and engagement at IS convenings, webinars, industry events and the National Summit.
Support membership-related programming and networking opportunities that foster community among IS members.
Performs other duties as assigned.