The LSA is seeking a full-time Membership Director to serve at the Washington, DC office. The full announcement follows, and the job description is below.

Position Announcement (PDF Download)

The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) is seeking its next full-time Membership Director.

With over 3,000 active members, the Linguistic Society of America (LSA) was founded in 1924 to advance the scientific study of language and its applications. LSA plays a critical role in supporting and disseminating linguistic scholarship both to professional linguists and to the general public.

Under the direction of the Executive Director of the LSA, the Membership Director will provide leadership and professional expertise as the primary membership liaison, charged with retaining and increasing LSA’s membership and ensuring the delivery of membership benefits and services.

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A baccalaureate degree in any field, with a preference for an individual who has taken courses in linguistics and/or world languages.
  • Significant experience (3-5 years) working for membership associations, including a successful track record of retaining members and growing the total number of members through creative, innovative initiatives.
  • Experience with membership marketing for the recruitment, retention, and enhancement of member benefits and services.
  • A demonstrated understanding of and commitment to JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) best practices.
  • Familiarity with website content management, database management, and associated software, tools, and services.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher)
  • Comfortable using social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) as a messaging tool
  • Agreement to abide by and ensure compliance with the policies of the LSA, particularly the confidentiality and conflict of interest policies of the LSA.

In addition, the ideal candidate should have:

  • A demonstrated ability and comfort interacting with varying types of individuals
  • Traits that include being creative, innovative, collaborative, congenial, diplomatic, and self-motivated.
  • A detail-oriented approach.
  • Strong writing skills
  • Strong verbal communications skills, including the art of persuasion and making the case for membership based on a strong value proposition.
  • The ability to multi-task and deal with interruptions throughout the workday.
  • The ability to work some flexible hours.
  • The ability to travel to attend the Annual LSA Annual Meeting

The position will be based in Washington, DC, with the option of remote work, subject to approval. The work environment is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Salary will be commensurate with experience. To see the full position description, see the link above. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and three work references with full contact information to Katha Kissman, Interim Executive Director, [email protected]. The deadline for applications is September 19, 2022.

Position Description (PDF Download)

  • Title: Membership Director
  • Status: Full-Time, Exempt
  • Reporting To: Executive Director
  • Direct Reports: None

Position Objective

Under the direction of the Executive Director of the LSA, the Membership Manager will provide leadership and professional expertise as the primary membership liaison, charged with retaining and increasing LSA’s membership and ensuring the delivery of membership benefits and services.

Position Responsibilities

  • In consultation with the Executive Director, plan, execute and evaluate membership recruitment campaigns throughout the year.
  • In consultation with the Executive Director, plan, execute and evaluate marketing campaigns throughout the year to enhance the LSA’s profile and awareness within the linguistics community.
  • In consultation with the appropriate LSA leaders and staff, develop proposals for enhancing member benefits/services and ensure maintenance/delivery of existing benefits/services.
  • Review and prepare reports on membership data and trends, including support for annual budget projections.
  • Keep LSA members apprised of professional opportunities and items of interest.
  • Maintain and enhance relevant web content, including that restricted to LSA members, in consultation with LSA staff and web developer.
  • Coordinate member communications, including the LSA Update newsletter, email, and other correspondence.
  • Identify and participate in discussions with the LSA Executive Committee and Executive Director on strategies, opportunities, potential conflicts, and other issues related to the successful recruitment and retention of members.
  • Other tasks as may be assigned.

Requirements

  • Baccalaureate degree in any field, with a preference for an individual who has taken courses in linguistics and/or world languages.
  • Significant experience (3-5 years) working for membership associations, including a successful track record of retaining members and growing the total number of members through creative, innovative initiatives.
  • Experience with membership marketing for the recruitment, retention, and enhancement of member benefits and services.
  • A demonstrated understanding of and commitment to JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) best practices.
  • Familiarity with website content management, database management, and associated software, tools, and services.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher)
  • Comfortable using social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) as a messaging tool
  • Agreement to abide by and ensure compliance with the policies of the LSA, particularly the confidentiality and conflict of interest policies of the LSA.

Preferred Qualities:

  • Demonstrated ability and comfort interacting with varying types of individuals
  • Traits that include being creative, innovative, collaborative, congenial, diplomatic, and self-motivated.
  • A detail-oriented approach.
  • Strong writing skills
  • Strong verbal communications skills, including the art of persuasion and making the case for membership based on a strong value proposition.
  • The ability to multi-task and deal with interruptions throughout the workday.
  • The ability to work some flexible hours.
  • The ability to travel to attend the Annual LSA Annual Meeting

Working Conditions:

The position will be based in Washington, DC, with the option of remote work, subject to approval. The work environment is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.