Senior Membership Director

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in liber education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions in more than twenty-five countries as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.

AAC&U seeks a dynamic senior membership leader. Among other responsibilities, the Senior Director of Membership will plan strategic membership recruitment, prioritizing potential membership targets, marketing campaigns, advertising, and event-driven recruitment. Further, develop and execute broad and targeted ongoing campaigns to prospective member institutions, as well as recruitment campaigns for institutional, affiliate, and individual members, developing content and overseeing design for collateral online and printed recruitment materials.

Position Description

Membership

• Plans strategic membership recruitment campaigns, prioritizing potential membership targets, innovative marketing campaigns, advertising, and event driven recruitment.
• Leads and executes broad and targeted ongoing campaigns to prospective member institutions.
• Develops, executes, and leads recruitment campaigns for individual members/affinity groups within membership, including but not limited to the President’s Trust as well as Associate and Independent memberships.
• Develop content and oversee design for collateral online and printed recruitment materials.
• Oversee preparation of materials in response to membership inquiries, for AAC&U staff visiting prospective members, for AAC&U conferences and events, and for any other venues used to promote membership.
• Oversee the coordination and response to membership inquiries and questions.
• Develop and apply appropriate discount strategies consistent with recruitment and revenue annual goals.
• Oversee maintenance and updates to the membership database.
• Represent the Office of Membership.
• Manage annual membership renewals and ongoing billing cycles, dues structures, and retention of members and member institutions.
• Performs other duties as assigned or requested.

Management

• Prepare ongoing reports on membership for the AAC&U leadership, and Membership Committee of the AAC&U Board.
• Propose annual dues rates to the President and Board.
• Manage the Membership Recruitment budget
• Propose membership quantity and revenue goals to the President, and Board, and meet or exceed the approved goals.
• Supervise related staff members.
• Collaborate with advancement efforts.
• Oversee, as needed, related areas of membership support, including but not limited to conference/event registration, publication purchase fulfillment, and membership database administration.

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum five to seven years of professional experience, preferably in association membership, non-profit, and/or higher education.
• Preference for a demonstrated track record of successful experience in new member/client cultivation and marketing to higher education institutions.
• Preferred minimum three years in a leadership role, director or higher.
• Experience in data management and customer service (Nimble, etc.).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required, with experience writing for online and print marketing campaigns and in leveraging social media.
• Ability to think critically, demonstrate creativity, and innovation with strong interest in delivering a high-quality user experience and customer service.
• Strong experience in staff and budget management, with excellent team building and collaboration skills.
• Self-motivated and ability to work independently with minimal supervision and in team environments required.

Salary commensurate with experience; exceptional benefits. A reasonable rate for this position is: $130,000- $150,000. Please submit a letter of interest with salary requirements and CV to: AAC&U, Box Membership, 1812 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009 or to employment@aacu.org. Review of applications will begin on or before October 1, 2025.

AAC&U believes that a broadly diverse staff is critical to achieving excellence as a national higher education association. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity and compliance with the full range of fair employment practices and non-discrimination laws.

Exceptional benefits