Director, Membership Development
Reports to: Vice President, Membership
Job Overview
The Director, Membership Development is responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing the strategy to convert high-potential prospects into corporate members of BCIU. This role sets ambitious membership growth goals, drives outreach and pipeline development, and ensures a seamless sales and onboarding process. The Director works closely with the Vice President of Membership to expand BCIU's corporate member base and to establish sales systems, tactics, and tools to support organizational growth. This position is ideal for a strategic thinker with a sales-oriented mindset and strong marketing and relationship-building skills.
About BCIU
BCIU is a nonprofit organization comprised of policy experts, strategic advisors, and trade educators working to shape the future by expanding international understanding and helping address the world's most complex challenges. Nearly 70 years since our founding by President Eisenhower, we have consistently maintained that the expansion of trade, commerce, and people-to-people relationships enables business and government to thrive, and society to flourish. Through bespoke, value-added services, BCIU provides ways for our public and private sector partners to deepen economic cooperation and enhance international understanding.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy
- Develop structured plans to achieve ambitious membership growth targets
- Identify high-potential sectors and companies for outreach
- Refine value proposition and sales messaging based on market feedback
- Design and iterate on the membership development playbook
- Solicit feedback from new and prospective members to inform program offerings and engagement strategies
Sales Execution
- Drive outreach and lead cultivation for prospective new members
- Leverage CRM to manage pipeline and automate communications
- Track and report on growth metrics, conversion rates, and ROI
- Collaborate with other BCIU teams to align messaging and engagement
Operations
- Establish and enforce SOPs for prospecting and onboarding
- Maintain accurate pipeline data and reporting within CRM
- Oversee the new member portion of the Membership team budget
Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management
- Build and maintain trusted relationships
- Serve as a strategic advisor to prospective members, ensuring a high-touch experience
- Understand prospective member needs and align BCIU's offerings to meet their priorities
- Partner with internal teams to ensure a smooth transition from prospect to member, fostering early engagement and satisfaction
- Establish a strong foundation for first year members to renew and grow into long term corporate partners, including the provision of client services as needed
- Represent BCIU at relevant industry events and networking opportunities
Marketing
- Support BCIU's social media strategy to enhance visibility, engagement, and thought leadership across platforms (LinkedIn, X)
- Create compelling content that highlights BCIU's global events, partnerships, and initiatives aligned with our mission of fostering international business diplomacy
- Collaborate with team members to amplify key messages and elevate member engagement surrounding events
- Track emerging trends in digital diplomacy and business communications to keep BCIU's voice timely and relevant
Qualifications, Skills and Attributes
- Pre-existing global client network to access and service within BCIU
- Past experience working at the intersection of international business and government
- A strong track record in sales and customer service with major multinational companies
- Strategic thinker with exceptional relationship management abilities
- Strong leadership and mentoring experience
- Social media and marketing experience
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Proficiency in CRM systems and Microsoft Office Suite
- Comfortable working cross-functionally and under tight deadlines
Education and Experience
- Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred
- 7-10 years of experience in client engagement, partnerships, or business development