What are the responsibilities and job description for the Membership Coordinator position at Adler Planetarium?
Membership Coordinator
Full-Time, Non-Exempt
Union Position
About the Adler Planetarium
The Adler Planetarium connects people to the universe and each other. Whether introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, the Adler's focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century.
Today, the museum typically hosts close to 400,000 visitors annually and reaches millions more through youth STEAM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach efforts. With the Adler's support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to learn more about science and space discovery, and to explore their universe together under the sky we all share.
The Position
The Adler Planetarium is seeking a Membership Coordinator to join our dynamic team on Chicago's Museum Campus. The Membership Coordinator plays a central role in launching and managing the Adler Planetarium's membership program, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for members while supporting the institution's broader fundraising and audience development goals.
This position is responsible for the day-to-day administration of membership operations, serving as the primary point of contact for member inquiries, and maintaining the integrity and strategic use of membership data within the organization's CRM (Salesforce). Reporting to the Manager of Development Operations, the Coordinator will help drive member acquisition, retention, renewal, and engagement efforts.
This role is ideal for a detail-oriented, systems-savvy, and service-oriented professional who understands membership as both a revenue stream and a pipeline to deeper philanthropic engagement. The Membership Coordinator position is an externally facing role, with responsibility for generating membership revenue to achieve program goals, actively engaging with members and donors, and providing a superior level of stewardship to ensure a best-in-class membership experience.
This is a union position with the Adler Planetarium Workers United, AFSCME Council 31.
This individual will also be responsible for:
Membership Program Administration (30%)- In partnership with the Manager of Development Operations and Vice President of Advancement, develop membership acquisition, retention, and revenue goals and design strategies to achieve and exceed them.
- Manage day-to-day membership program operations, including processing new memberships, renewals, upgrades, and payments.
- Oversee the autorenewal program, including communications, cancellations, customer support, and reacquisitions.
- Generate and distribute member communications including welcome materials, renewal notices, acknowledgments, and receipts.
- Maintain and document membership policies, procedures, and benefits to ensure consistency and clarity.
- Monitor membership fulfillment and coordinate internally to ensure timely and accurate delivery of benefits.
Member Experience & Customer Service (30%)- Serve as the primary point of contact for all membership-related inquiries, delivering responsive, professional, and friendly service.
- Troubleshoot member issues, ensuring a high-quality experience aligned with Adler's mission and brand
- Develop and implement high-quality member programs, in collaboration with other key stakeholders.
- Partner across teams to plan and execute member and donor engagement opportunities, including events and on-sonsiteivations as needed
- Coordinate with colleagues across the organization to ensure that membership offerings leverage and build on offerings and experiences delivered throughout the Adler.
Renewal, Retention & Campaign Management (15%)- Plan and execute membership renewal and re-engagement strategies, including email, direct mail, and other targeted outreach to meet and exceed membership revenue goals.
- Design and implement reports from Salesforce and/or Ticketure
- Implement and report on digital and direct mail tests
- Collaborate with Development and Marketing teams on membership campaigns and promotions
- Identify opportunities to improve retention rates and overall member engagement
Cross-Department Collaboration and Engagement/Program Development (10%)- Ensure relevant staff members from Guest Services, Public Programs, and other teams are properly trained on membership benefits and processes as needed
- Work closely with Marketing, Guest Services, and Programs to align membership benefits and messaging
- Design and lead integration of membership into public programs, exhibitions, and institutional initiatives
- Assist with special projects related to the growth and evolution of the membership program
Prospect Identification & Development Support (5%)- Analyze membership data to identify high-potential prospects for deeper philanthropic engagement
- Support donor pipeline development by ensuring accurate tracking of member-to-donor conversion activity
The Work Schedule
The typical work schedule for this position is 35 hours per week, from 9 AM to 5 PM, with a telecommuting option—up to 2 days a week telecommuting and a minimum of 3 days on-site at the museum. Additional evening and weekend availability required for member and donor events, meetings, and programs.
The Compensation & Benefits (Full-Time)
Base Pay: $29.13/hr
Work-Life Balance
- 35-hour workweek
- Eligible to accrue up to 12 vacation days per year to start
- 3 sick days as of date of hire (can accrue up to 6.5 days per year)
- 7 Adler paid holidays
- 4 Personal Holidays (Prorated for new hires starting after January 1st)
- Flexible Work Arrangements
- Paid Family Bereavement Leave & Jury Duty
- Paid Parental Leave
Competitive Health Coverage
- Medical, Dental, & Vision insurance
- Healthcare, Dependent Care & Commuter flexible spending accounts
- Adler Paid Short-Term Disability insurance
Retirement Savings Plan
- 403B plan with Adler match
- Adler match is 100% vested immediately
- Eligible to enroll as of the date of hire
Network of Support through our EAP programs
- Resources to help address emotional, legal, and financial issues
- Face-to-face, telephonic, and web-based services
- Free subscription to the Calm Premium app
Employee Loan Program
Discounted OnsiOnsiteking Program
Free Entrance to Chicago area museums and cultural institutions
The Person
The Membership Coordinator position is ideal for a detail-oriented, systems-savvy, and service-oriented professional. This is an externally facing role that requires strong communication and people skills, the ability to multitask, resourcefulness, and a sense of humor.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's Degree or at least five years of professional work experience- One to three years of experience in membership, development, nonprofit administration, or customer service roles
- One to three years working with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and strong data management skills
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Preferred Qualifications:
Bachelor's Degree majoring in Nonprofit Administration, Museum Studies, Communications, and/or Marketing- At least two years of experience in membership, development, nonprofit administration, or customer service roles
- At least two years working with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and strong data management skills
- Interest in museums, science, or informal education is a plus
- Experience with membership or subscription-based programs
- Familiarity with donor pipelines and prospect identification
- Demonstrated experience with data analysis and reporting tools
- Experience collaborating across teams in a dynamic organization
- Experience with data entry and reporting with Salesforce or other CRM systems
The Adler Planetarium is dedicated to complying with its Equal Opportunity employer obligations. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email the Human Resources Department at recruiting@adlerplanetarium.org and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Accommodation requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Benefits:
Health Insurance, Employee Discounts, 401K PlanSalary : $29