Director of Member Services & Engagement

The Opportunity

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is one of the oldest and largest professional organizations serving industrial designers worldwide. Founded in 1965, IDSA remains committed to elevating the practice of industrial design and advancing our field through research, advocacy, career‑long learning, and excellence in design standards-core pillars of our Strategic Framework.

• The Director of Member Services & Engagement leads the Member Services & Engagement department and plays a pivotal role in shaping member and volunteer experiences across our global community. This role supports IDSA's mission-to foster careerlong development and inspire excellenceby ensuring our membership programs, volunteer engagement, and service touchpoints reflect our design-minded, collaborative, and service-oriented values.

This is a fully remote position reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), with periodic travel for events and community engagement. The ideal candidate thrives in a high performance, fast paced environment, consistently demonstrating clarity, precision, empathy, and a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.

Interested candidates should submit their resume outlining their qualifications and experience with a cover letter.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Operational Excellence

• Lead engagement efforts for IDSA's global membership and robust volunteer leader network-including chapters, sections, committees, and councils-in alignment with IDSA's Strategic Plan and long-term goals for community growth and design advocacy.
• Align department priorities with organizational pillars such as Education & Career Pathing, Design Excellence, and Design Advocacy, ensuring programs meaningfully support designers at every stage of their professional journey.
• Design and continuously improve member and volunteer experiences, reducing friction and reinforcing IDSA's service-oriented value.
• Maintain a high standard of operational excellence by establishing clear, repeatable processes that embody our values of clarity, precision, and intentionality.
• Identify the need for new policies or updates to ensure systems remain efficient, inclusive, and reflective of best practices.
• Integrate principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into all membership and volunteer strategies.

Component Relations, Volunteer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Oversee strategy and support for IDSA chapters, sections, committees, and councils, ensuring leaders receive high quality guidance, resources, and responsive service.
• Develop a robust infrastructure, including clear systems, templates, and onboarding processes that empower volunteers and bring consistency across all community touchpoints. This reflects our values of clarity, collaboration, and service orientation.
• Serve as a trusted resource to internal stakeholders and volunteer leaders, supporting a sense of mutual respect and shared purpose.

Member Recruitment and Retention

• Develop creative, design minded recruitment and retention campaigns aligned with IDSA's purpose and mission to create a better world through industrial design.
• Collaborate with Brand Strategy and internal teams to deliver consistent, high impact membership experiences throughout the member lifecycle-including onboarding, communication touchpoints, and feedback loops.
• Communicate IDSA's value proposition through authentic, member-centered conversations by email, phone, or in person.

Team Development

• Model IDSA's Mindset of Excellence through transparent leadership, active listening, and collaboration.
• Establish clear goals for team members, provide consistent feedback, and ensure resources align with high impact priorities.
• Foster a department culture that is curious, growth oriented, and continuously seeking improvement.

Financial Management

• Partner with Finance & Accounting on annual budgets and forecast projections.
• Review monthly financials to identify trends and opportunities, elevating issues and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Support financial reporting needs related to membership for annual audits.

Association Management System (AMS) & Reporting

• Build deep expertise in the Fonteva AMS and champion best practices to maintain data quality and member centric functionality.
• Use analytics, segmentation, and user data to guide decision making, aligned with organizational KPI goals such as retention and acquisition.
• Generate reports and presentations for staff, senior leadership, the Board of Directors, and other stakeholders.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree or higher.
• 8–10 years of experience in membership, component relations, or related work.
• At least 5 years of experience leading a membership department with demonstrated success in motivating staff and achieving growth goals.
• Strong organizational, project management, and communication skills.
• Ability to work autonomously with initiative, precision, and accountability.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, project management tools, and Association Management Systems.

Preferred

• Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential.

Personal Attributes

• Demonstrates a design minded approach to problem solving and process improvement.
• Values mutual respect, inclusion, and diverse perspectives.
• Highly organized, precise, and disciplined in execution.
• Proactive, solutions oriented, and able to manage complex portfolios with confidence.
• Thrives in collaborative environments and communicates with clarity and empathy.
• Resilient under pressure and comfortable adapting to shifting priorities.
• Curious, open to learning, and motivated by continuous improvement.

Compensation & Benefits

• Starting annual salary range: $90,000 – $110,000
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer paid life, AD&D, short term disability, and long-term disability
• Generous vacation and sick leave
• 9 standard holidays + 4 flexible holidays
• 401(k) and Roth 401(k)
• Cell phone reimbursement

Health, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, Short-term and Long-Term Disability, paid vacation, sick time, 410K and Roth 401K accounts, cell phone reimbursement