Director, Membership

The Organization

The American Epilepsy Society (AES) is one of the oldest neurological organizations in the country. The mission of AES is to advance research and education for professionals dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of epilepsy. The society promotes interdisciplinary communication, scientific investigation, and the exchange of clinical information about epilepsy. With a membership of 5,600, AES represents clinicians, scientists investigating basic and clinical aspects of epilepsy, and other professionals interested in epilepsy, seizures, and related disorders, as well as industry-employed members and patient advocates. Members represent both pediatric and adult aspects of epilepsy. 

AES is located in downtown Chicago, has a staff of 28, and operates with an annual budget of $10.3M. AES offers a hybrid, flexible work environment—Chicago-based preferred, but remote considered depending on candidate location. 

Position Overview 

The Director, provides strategic leadership for advancing AES’s membership vision in direct alignment with its strategic plan.   This role is responsible for shaping and executing a comprehensive membership strategy that drives recruitment, retention, engagement, and value delivery across a diverse and evolving member community. The Director leads and supports a collaborative team fostering a culture of excellence , innovation and accountability to ensure the effective implementation of membership initiatives.

Beyond operational oversight of recruitment, retention, engagement initiatives, membership operations, and data management, the Director ensures that membership priorities are integrated with the Society’s broader strategic objectives.  By analyzing trends, leveraging data insights, and introducing innovative approaches, the Director ensures AES continues to provide meaningful, relevant and high-value membership experiences.

Reporting to the Chief Learning and Engagement Officer, the Director collaborates closely with internal staff teams, volunteer councils, and committees, and external partners to strengthen AES’ value proposition, broaden outreach, and deepen engagement.  By cultivating these relationships, the Director helps ensure AES remains a vibrant, inclusive, and responsive professional  community – one that empowers its  members and advances the organizations

long-term goals.

Position Responsibilities

Membership Growth & Retention

·      Develop and implement strategies to recruit new members and retain existing members across multiple member types.

·      Track, analyze and report membership trends to inform decision-making and strategy

·      Lead targeted outreach campaigns to ensure steady growth and renewal rates.

Member Engagement 

·      In collaboration with marketing, design and execute recurring membership engagement campaigns to strengthen member relationships and demonstrate value.

·      Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Membership Council and its committees, ensuring effective collaboration and engagement.

·      Develop and implement a strategy that revitalizes the organizations digital member engagement platform (HigherLogic), ensuring it delivers a high-value, user-friendly experience.

·      Moderates AES’ digital member engagement platform and ensures consistent alignment with policies.

Member Communications

·      In collaboration with the AES Marketing & Communication team, develop, implement, and revise, as necessary, membership email onboarding and retention programs.

·      In collaboration with the AES Marketing & Communication team, develop content, campaigns and social media posts regarding value of AES membership.

Member Benefits & Value

·      Evaluate, enhance and communicate the full suite of member benefits.

·      Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to identify and implement new benefits aligned with member needs

Data & Technology  Management

·      Collaborate with the Information Technology (IT team) to leverage the use of the association management system (re: Member) to manage member records, segment audiences and generate insights.

·      Provides  strategic oversight of the association management system to ensure its alignment with organizational priorities and program objectives.

·      Partner with the IT team and representatives from other AES departments and vendors to ensure data accuracy system integration, and efficient reporting.

·      Deliver monthly membership dashboards and an annual membership trends report monitoring key metrics (e.g. join rate, retention rate, new member conversion, net membership growth, digital platform engagement).

Leadership &  Management

·      Supervise membership team staff, providing leadership, mentorship, and performance management.

·      Collaborate with the Chief Learning and Engagement Officer and senior leadership to align membership strategy with organizational goals.

·      Develop and manage budgets and resources effectively to maximize impact, including membership dues projections with Senior Director, Finance & Administration

·      Implement Dues pricing policy. 

Position Qualifications

Education & Experience

·      Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, nonprofit management, ore related field (Master’s degree preferred).

·      7 years of progressive membership experience in an association or nonprofit environment.

·      Proven success in membership, recruitment, retention and engagement strategy.

·      Demonstrated proficiency with association management software and data analytics.

·      Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience

·      Demonstrated experience working with volunteer committees

Core Competencies

·      Excellent communication, relationship-building, and project management skills

·      Experience with budget development and monitoring

·      Proficiency in collaborative leadership and relationship management

·      Demonstrated experience integrating and applying membership bylaws and policies within a nonprofit or association environment

Technology & Tools

·      Strong experience with Microsoft Office suite (notably Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint), project management tools (e.g. Excel, Asana, Trello or other) and association management systems (or other CSM software/databases).

Personal Attributes & Leadership Style

·      Creative and strategic thinker.

·      Member-centric orientation with a passion for building community

·      Collaborative and adaptable, with the ability to work across teams and with volunteers.

·      Excellent communication, relationship-building and project management skills

·      Results-driven with strong analytical and problem-solving skills

·      Innovative mindset and willingness to experiment with new approaches

·      Exceptional time management, organization, prioritization, and project management skills. 

·      Ability to work independently, with cross-functional staff teams, and with AES members/volunteers in a hybrid/remote setting. 

Travel Expectations

·      Travel to the AES Annual Meeting for an extended period and external or professional development opportunities. 

Compensation and Location 

·      $120,000-$160,000 annual compensation, plus benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance and eligibility to participate in a 401K retirement plan. 

·      This is hybrid role in Chicago, IL; however consideration will be given to remote candidates depending on location.

·      Applicants must be located and authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis now and in the future. AES is not able to sponsor candidates requiring work authorization. 

Search process: Submit resume with cover letter in confidence to Mary McMahon, marymc.enteract@rcn.com