Senior Director,�Membership

Institute of Food Technologists • Chicago, IL

4d • $165,000 - $180,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is seeking a Senior Director of Membership to provide enterprise-level leadership for IFTs global membership strategy, operations, and growth. This role is responsible for setting and executing a comprehensive, data-informed approach to member recruitment, retention, engagement, and value delivery across the full member lifecycle. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Senior Director partners closely with executive leadership, the Board of Directors, and cross-functional teams to ensure membership programs, systems, and experiences align with IFTs strategic priorities and deliver sustainable growth. This role leads multiple Directors and managers across Membership functions and is accountable for organizational outcomes related to membership growth, revenue, engagement, and experience. The Senior Director models IFTs core values, builds strong leadership bench strength, and fosters a collaborative, inclusive, and results-oriented culture. WHO WE ARE: Since 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has served as the voice of the global food science community. IFT advocates for science, technology, and research to address the worlds greatest food challenges, guiding our community of more than 200,000. IFT convenes professionals from around the world from producers and product developers to innovators and researchers across food, nutrition, and public health with a shared mission to help create a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. IFT provides its growing community spanning academia, industry, and government with the resources, connections, and opportunities necessary to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving food system as IFT helps feed the minds that feed the world. For more information, please visit https://www.ift.org. LEADERSHIP SCOPE: Leads and develops a multi-layered Membership leadership team, including multiple Directors and managers across membership growth, engagement, sections/chapters, and operations. Accountable for enterprise-wide membership outcomes, including growth, retention, engagement, and revenue performance. Serves as a senior leader within the organization, contributing to enterprise planning, cross-functional alignment, and organizational change initiatives. Serves as the Executive Director for the Feeding Tomorrow Fund that provides scholarships and builds a student pipeline for Food System talent, as well as the executive sponsor for the Higher Education Review Board (HERB) that assesses and approves undergraduate Food Science programs. WHAT WE OFFER: Pay range between $165,000 to $180,000 per year. (Commensurate with experience and qualifications.) Hybrid work environment. Flexible schedule with a 40-hour work week. Comprehensive benefits package designed to reward and energize our employees, so they can live a balanced life and maintain their well-being. We offer medical, dental, and vision plans at affordable rates. Life and Long-Term Disability insurance is completely free to all employees. Most benefits begin the first of the month following employees start date. Potential Bonus eligibility. Candidates must be in the Chicagoland area (preferred); no relocation benefits offered at this time.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, or equivalent.
• 7+ years of association management experience, particularly related to data analytics, CRM or membership platforms, performance measurement, and volunteer management.
• Progressive leadership experience in membership, customer engagement, association management, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-level teams and complex, cross-functional initiatives at a senior or director level.
• Demonstrated success in achieving growth in members, revenue, and engagement metrics in membership associations.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership and Boards to drive strategy and organizational outcomes, including strong public speaking and presentation skills.
• Strong nonprofit governance background.
• Deep curiosity and ability to problem solve, take swift action, and build systems and processes that accelerate execution of business strategy.

Nice To Haves

• Certified Association Executive (CAE) (preferred experience).
• Experience in professional associations or mission-driven organizations (preferred experience).
• Interest in - and experience with - applying AI solutions to member operations, data analytics, and member outreach and engagement.

Responsibilities

• Establishes and leads the enterprise membership strategy, including recruitment, retention, engagement, and lifecycle management, aligned to IFTs strategic plan, revenue goals, and long-term sustainability.
• Leads and develops multiple Directors and managers through hiring, onboarding, performance management, coaching, succession planning, and professional development; cultivates a strong and productive employee experience.
• Develops and executes data-informed growth strategies by analyzing membership trends, market and geographic opportunities, pricing and dues structures, and value propositions to increase engagement, retention, and revenue.
• Establishes, monitors, and reports on key performance indicators for recruitment, retention, engagement, operational performance, and financial outcomes; provides clear, actionable insights and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Oversees membership operations, systems, and data management processes to ensure efficient, accurate, member-centric delivery of services, including renewals, activation, and special membership requests.
• Prepares, manages, and monitors membership-related budgets and revenue targets; ensures fiscal accountability, effective resource allocation, and alignment with organizational financial policies.
• Partners cross-functionally with Marketing, Sales, Meetings, IT, Finance, CoDeveloper, Divisions, Science & Policy, Knowledge and Learning Experiences, Journals, and Strategy teams to deliver seamless, integrated member experiences and maximize the value of IFT products, programs, recognition initiatives, and events, including Section events and IFT FIRST.
• Provides strategic leadership for sections/student chapters in partnership with volunteer leaders, ensuring alignment with IFT strategy and providing governance support that enables section and chapter success and consistent delivery of member value.
• Strengthens volunteer leadership systems by ensuring leaders have the tools, training, resources, and best practices needed to drive engagement and growth.
• Leads conversion, engagement, and retention strategies associated with major IFT programs and events, ensuring coordinated execution, strong member experiences, and measurable outcomes.
• Builds brand loyalty and long-term relationships by ensuring high responsiveness to member and stakeholder needs and by continuously improving the end-to-end membership experience.
• Serves as a senior advisor to executive leadership and regularly prepares and presents membership strategy, performance metrics, risks, and opportunities to the IFT Board of Directors and relevant committees.
• Partners with the CEO, COO, CFO, CMO (Chief Marketing Officer), and CSO (Chief Science Officer) to ensure membership priorities align with organizational strategy and Board-approved goals.

Benefits

• Hybrid work environment.
• Flexible schedule with a 40-hour work week.
• Comprehensive benefits package designed to reward and energize our employees, so they can live a balanced life and maintain their well-being. We offer medical, dental, and vision plans at affordable rates. Life and Long-Term Disability insurance is completely free to all employees. Most benefits begin the first of the month following employees start date.
• Potential Bonus eligibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees