Director, Member Belonging

This position is a full-time exempt position reporting to the Deputy Executive Director. The Director has primary responsibility for the management, administration, and coordination of all operational aspects of member engagement, outreach, and advocacy initiatives, working closely with the ACPA International Office team and various volunteer leaders. The Director supports the overall strategic plan for member engagement initiatives. 

This is a new position, and it is the intention of the International Office staff to assess and potentially revise the combination of responsibilities and skills required after the first year of employment with the incumbent and the staff team. 

(40% of Time):  MEMBER ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES

• Membership Benefits – Routinely articulate and reinforce the value of membership in ACPA to members and non-member audiences, with emphasis on return on investment and maximizing individual benefits available.
• Membership Partnerships – Serve as lead collaborator and liaison to other Associations and organizations on initiatives related to the delivery and expansion of member benefits. This includes, but is not limited to, leading ACPA’s efforts related to the Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs project with Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Magazine and dual membership program with the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA) as of the release of this description.
• Member Loyalty Initiatives – Propose, implement, and assess member loyalty initiatives to encourage and reward membership renewals, convention registrations, and other demonstrations of multi-year or long term ACPA engagement.
• New Member Onboarding – Continually update, implement, and assess Association initiatives related to new member welcome and onboarding communications and experiences. 
• Association Awards - Serve as the primary staff liaison, planning and implementation lead for the Association’s Award Committee, including holding staff lead responsibility for the annual Awards process for the Association major awards as well as entity group awards. Assist the ACPA Awards Committee in strategic planning activities as well as day-to-day operational needs and requests. 
• Memorial, Retirement, and Anniversary Resolutions – Provide leadership of the annual memorial, retirements, and entity anniversaries process, including ongoing/year-round tracking of notable occurrences, coordination of authoring resolutions, and production of the presentation of the resolutions for the Annual Business Meeting.
• Volunteer Leader Appreciation – Design and implement various recognition efforts to demonstrate appreciation for volunteer members who serve and lead across the Association.

(30% of Time):  POSITION LEVEL-BASED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES AND RELATED EVENTS

• Plan, implement, and assess the annual in-person and virtual ACPA sponsored, professional development events related to position level-based experiences (average 3-5 per year), including:

• NextGen Institute
• Phyllis L. Mable Emerging Leaders Institute
• Donna M. Bourassa Mid-Level Management Institute
• Aspiring Senior-Level Student Affairs Officers Institute
• Leading with a Racial & Social Justice Lens for Senior-Level Leaders Institute

• Coordinate with volunteer leadership and faculty on content development and evaluation for each professional development institute or event. 
• Manage budget related to revenues and expenses for institutes and related events
• Negotiate facility and speaker contracts for these institutes and events, as needed.
• Attend to member and attendee accessibility needs related to professional development institutes and related events.
• Support the creation, development, and implementation of additional future position level-based institutes and events, as needed.
• Cultivate, design, and implement cohort and alumni groups based on past participants in ACPA sponsored position level-based institutes and experiences.

(10% of Time):  COORDINATION OF ASSOCIATION PUBLIC STATEMENTS 

• Continuously attend to critical local and global events and issues for potential release of a statement by the Association. 
• Draft statements of support, advocacy, or positionality, as needed and as directed by Association leaders.
• Coordinate the review and editing processes of Association public statements with related staff, volunteer leaders, and advisory board members. 

(10% of Time):  MANAGEMENT OF ACCOMMODATION AND ACCESS REQUESTS

• Monitor and manage ACPA staff responses to requests for accommodations and accessibility to Association programs, services, and resources.
• Design and implement programs, services, and resources following principles of universal design and access when and where possible throughout the Association in collaboration with ACPA Governing Board and other volunteer leaders.
• Receive and respond to accommodation requests for all position level-based professional development institutes and events, as well as all other requests for access needs related to positional responsibilities.
• Initiate and oversee periodic external review of Association accessibility in programs, services, and resources to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

(10% of Time):  INTERNATIONAL OFFICE TEAM SUPPORT

• Participate actively in weekly staff team meetings and scheduled retreats.
• Perform special projects at the request of the Executive Director and/or Deputy Executive Director.
• Assist in preparation of review materials and reports to the Governing Board 
• Assist, as needed and relevant, with Association meetings, events, and other professional development initiatives, to include marketing, registration, participant lists, badges, shipping, and certificates of completion.
• Provide on-site support as needed at professional development events, as well as the annual convention wherever located.
• Train and be prepared to assist with duties of other staff members if needed.
• Collaborate with other team members to ensure the membership sections of the website are current and fresh on a regular basis. 

The Successful Candidate

The successful candidate will be an innovative, resourceful, high-energy professional who is an effective agent of continuous improvement with a focus on quality and member-focused customer service. Additional baseline qualifications include: Strong interpersonal skills; Excellent organizational and time-management skills; Social justice-minded; Rigorous attention to detail; Outstanding oral and written communication skills; Ability to work within an environment of frequently changing priorities and as an integral part of a team; Proficiency in the use of software applications such as MS Office (Word, Access, PowerPoint, Excel) as well as internet research; and the ability to travel to the annual convention and other meetings and events throughout the year.

Candidates with credentials or experiences in the following preferred qualifications will be prioritized for consideration:

• Experiences, knowledge, and/or formal training related to managing disability-related accommodations and access requests;
• Delivery of association member services or benefits, with specific experiences in strategies focused on increasing member sense of belonging or loyalty;
• Exceptional written communication skills, with experiences crafting advocacy or position statements in support of justice-focused messaging and outreach; 
• Prior experience participating in a cohort-based professional development institute or event hosted by ACPA (or another association).

This position can be remote, or based in Washington, D.C. where the ACPA International Office is located.

How to Apply

Interested individuals should send a letter of application that relates the applicant’s skills and experiences to the qualifications for the position, resume that includes notable achievements and contact information (postal/e-mail addresses and telephone numbers) for three references who are able to speak to the candidate’s qualifications as they relate to this position. The packet should be sent electronically to Tricia Fechter Gates at pfechter@acpa.nche.edu. The subject line in email should be Director, Member Belonging. 

Priority will be given to applications received by 10 June 2022; review of applications received after this date will continue until the position is filled. The anticipated salary range for this position is $70,000-$75,000 based on experience and cost of living where the successful applicant intends to locate for this work. Health insurance is not provided by the employer, but a $350 monthly stipend to assist in securing health care coverage is provided. 

ACPA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diverse work environment. As an association committed to inclusion, ACPA does not discriminate in employment and personnel practices on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, marital status, age, physical abilities, political affiliation, religious beliefs or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.