Membership Program Coordinator

Optica is seeking a new program coordinator to support our membership portfolio and to be the program lead on assigned programs.

The Membership Program Coordinator provides advanced oversight and management of designated programs from start to finish. Working closely with the Director of Membership Engagement, this position is responsible for setting strategic program goals, designing new

programs, and overseeing all aspects of program implementation and execution.

Main responsibilities focus on ensuring a high level of customer service and problem-solving related to our programs, primarily associated with facilitating event management, application screening, acceptance and notification processes, financial processing and tracking, maintenance of program websites, and event travel and logistics coordination.

Responsibilities:

1. Serves as a central point of contact for Senior Members program and program workshops. Partners with the membership team, other departments, and/or external constituencies on day-to-day programmatic, operational, and administrative matters related to our program.
2. Leads Senior Member documentation in database and distribution for various reports to the Director of Membership Engagement.
3. Oversees 25+ Local Sections globally and stipend programs designed to allow Local Sections to host professional development events and encourage experts in optics and photonics to visit their local community.
4. Leads the annual auditing process to ensure Local Sections comply with minimum membership and activity requirements and regular communication, including outreach efforts.
5. Speaker selection for the Tech Talks program; manages marketing efforts and ensures high level quality speakers and registrants attend the program.
6. Develops, implements, and manages webinars, workshops, and multi-day events designed to elevate the career, networking, an professional opportunities of our individual members from around the globe, including speaker selection and developing marketing plans for each member activity.
7. Partners with employers on potential sponsorship opportunities for programs or summits.
8. Program Revenue Goals – The position is responsible for revenue goals of $30k - $ 50k towards assigned programs.
9. Assists with program/project research information and gathers data; prepares special and/or one-time reports, summaries, or replies to inquiries, selecting relevant data from various sources.
10. Respond to requests for information and provide guidance and problem resolution. Ensures assigned program in-box correspondences are answered timely (24 hours).
11. Partners with the Membership team to develop, create, and implement new signature member programs to increase member engagement.

Marketing & Engagement

1. Develop comprehensive marketing plans, schedules, and strategies for assigned member programs to drive high attendance to workshops.
2. Identify trends, gaps, and needs of Optica Members to develop distinct, segmented strategies that serve the needs of a diverse member base.
3. Collaborates with stakeholders to develop a strategy to improve the individual to emeritus member experience.
4. Assesses and evaluates assigned member programs and activities.
5. Partners with the Director of Membership with Optica booth logistics, banners, Optica branded tablecloths, and shipping to Optica and non-Optica tradeshows. You may need to lift up to 10lbs.

Education & Experience

1. Four-year college degree required; study in a science-based discipline preferred
2. At least five years relevant service in a membership or scientific society—must have experience in program development and project management and working with volunteers/committees

Skills & Abilities

1. Excellent written and verbal communication and proofreading skills
2. Strong project management and problem-solving skills
3. Strong organizational skills with keen attention to detail; ability to work independently and multi-task to meet multiple deadlines; and ability to organize and maintain a sophisticated tracking system
4. Skill in building and establishing relationships with member volunteers, partner societies, and external vendors, and the ability to facilitate project activities with each audience
5. Graphic design capabilities in print and electronic formats and experience with print production. Some experience in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite is preferred: Dreamweaver (or HTML), Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop
6. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications—with minimum intermediate capabilities in Excel and database applications (NetForum and Tableau experience preferred)
7. Ability to travel may be around 5% annually—domestic and international as needed.
8. The individual must demonstrate initiative and reliability, provide superior team and project management skills, and explore and execute new ideas that will benefit the team’s effectiveness while juggling competing priorities.

Located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC, Optica offers a competitive salary and benefits. Please send your resume and cover letter with salary requirements to resumes@optica.org.