Director of Membership Growth

The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) has an exciting professional career opportunity for a Director of Membership Growth.

The Organization

At the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), we believe in the power of higher education to transform lives, strengthen inclusive democracy, and support a thriving society. We believe that strong higher education starts with great governing boards. AGB provides advocacy, leading practices, educational resources, expert support, and renowned programs that advance board excellence for 40,000 AGB members from more than 2,000 institutions and foundations. For more than 100 years, AGB has been the trusted authority for board members, chief executives, board professionals, and key administrators on higher education governance and leadership. Learn more at AGB.org.

The Scope

The Director of Membership Growth plays a pivotal role in growing and diversifying the association’s membership base across the higher education governance landscape. This individual serves as the association’s primary business development leader for new member acquisition and is accountable for executing strategic outreach campaigns, nurturing prospect relationships, and delivering a seamless onboarding experience that drives early engagement and long-term retention. The role requires a proven track record in sales, consultative relationship development, and account-based marketing, preferably within a mission-driven or association setting.

The Duties

(The duties and responsibilities listed are only a summary of the typical functions of the job and not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible responsibilities, tasks, and duties.  Employees must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodations).

 Membership Growth and Business Development (65%)

• Develops and implements the association’s member recruitment strategy, with a focus on generating and nurturing qualified leads and securing new members across higher education institutions and affiliated foundations.
• Develops and manages a robust sales pipeline using CRM tools; regularly reports on lead activity, conversion metrics, and forecasting.
• Collaborates with Marketing, Governance Advisory Services, and Programs teams to tailor outreach campaigns and value propositions for different segments of the higher education ecosystem (e.g., governing boards of public and private institutions, institutionally related foundations, public systems, and those in the role of board professionals at these organizations).
• Represents the association at conferences, webinars, and networking events to promote membership and identify strategic partnership opportunities.
• Maintains a personalized, solutions-oriented approach to engagement, ensuring prospective members experience the value and professionalism of the association prior to joining.
• Facilitates meetings, presentations, and virtual consultations with senior institutional leaders (presidents, board chairs, chief of staff, etc.) to articulate membership benefits and engagement pathways.

New Member Success and Onboarding (20%)

• Oversees the first-year experience for new members to ensure a high-impact introduction to the association’s offerings.
• Collaborates with the Member Engagement and Member Data teams to design tailored onboarding plans, drive initial service utilization, and monitor early indicators of engagement health.
• Works closely with colleagues in Governance Advisory Services to connect new members to relevant services, assessments, and events that address their strategic needs.

Strategy and Performance Measurement (15%)

• Applies data to inform decision-making; monitors recruitment KPIs, conversion rates, engagement benchmarks, and first-year retention metrics.
• Leads the development and execution of annual membership growth strategies, contributing to the establishment of ambitious recruitment targets and aligning revenue goals within the association’s budget planning process.
• Provides regular updates to the Associate Vice President of Member Success and contributes to board reports, cross-functional strategy sessions, and institutional account reviews.

The Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in membership recruitment, business development, or client engagement preferably within a membership association, nonprofit, or consulting environment.
• Demonstrated success in sales and relationship cultivation with senior-level decision makers.
• Deep understanding of the higher education landscape and/or governance structures strongly preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; confidence delivering presentations and facilitating executive conversations.
• Experience working with board members and institutional or public-university foundation leaders (presidents, chancellors) preferred.
• Ability to analyze and report quantitative membership-related data. Requires proficient presentation skills to small groups.
• Highly organized, goal-oriented, and collaborative; thrives in a member-centric, entrepreneurial environment.
• Experience with association and/or related membership growth and retention programs, processes, and data systems. Specific knowledge of and comfort with association management systems, preferably Nimble/Salesforce.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills. Ability to manage simultaneous projects and work assignments with competing deadlines. Must be detail oriented.
• A strong customer-service focus with a warm, welcoming, and approachable disposition. Exceptional interpersonal skills both in person and by phone.
• Ability to work collaboratively in formal teams and informal working groups, as well as independently.
• Availability for limited travel, as needed.

AGB is a hybrid workplace. Employees are expected to spend a minimum of two (2) days per week in our headquarter office in downtown Washington D.C.  Applicants should reside in the District of Columbia, Virginia, or Maryland and within a reasonable commuting distance to downtown Washington D.C.

Equal Opportunity Employer

AGB is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the following is provided: The position involves skill in using a computer and/or laptop; oral and written communication skills; skills in proofreading and editing; use of clear and articulate speech; interpersonal relations skills; reasoning and problem solving skills; ability to work in a fast-paced environment; ability to sit for long periods, stoop, bend, reach and carry light materials (up to 10 lbs.); and ability to travel by various methods of transportation (e.g., airplane, car).

recblid 0a99ksex8plg99mudpnxgre2yekcnn