Vice President, Membership Strategy & Operations

Please APPLY: AACTE - Vice President of Membership Strategy and Operations | Bridge Partners

Position Overview

Reports to: Chief Strategy Officer

Direct reports: Director of Member Engagement and Senior Manager of Member Membership Operations

The Vice President of Membership Strategy and Operations will design and execute a membership strategy that strengthens institutional relationships, makes the value of belonging to AACTE clear, and advances the association’s mission and long-term sustainability. This leader will shape the next chapter of membership at the Association, reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer and working closely with the President and CEO.

This is an opportunity to build and implement a more intentional, forward-looking membership model at a pivotal time for educator preparation and higher education. AACTE’s longstanding institutional membership model remains central to its work, while changing campus budgets, evolving expectations, and a broader educator preparation ecosystem call for fresh thinking about membership categories, dues and benefits, differentiated value, and opportunities for growth.

An early priority will be to turn member insight into a multi-year strategy with clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and actionable near-term steps. To ground that strategy, the Vice President will develop a deep understanding of current, prospective, and lapsed members, including the distinct needs of institutions and the deans, faculty, staff, students, and other leaders within them. This work will include assessing membership trends, listening to constituents, and examining existing processes and data.

The Vice President will champion the full member journey, from prospecting and recruitment to onboarding, participation, renewal, and reengagement. The leader will strengthen high-touch institutional stewardship, develop meaningful relationships with university decision-makers, and ensure members see tangible value in AACTE’s advocacy, convenings, professional learning, research, and opportunities to connect with peers across the field.

Working in close partnership with the Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, program leaders, and the executive team, the Vice President will align membership strategy with organizational priorities and financial planning. This includes evaluating dues and benefit structures, strengthening the way AACTE communicates its value proposition, connecting members to signature programs and resources such as AACTE LEARN and pursuing partnerships and sponsorships that expand member value and contribute to sustainable revenue.

The Vice President will also help modernize the infrastructure needed for effective membership strategy. As AACTE improves the quality and accessibility of its member information and evaluates its association management systems, the leader will define membership data needs, contribute to technology and process decisions, and establish useful reporting, segmentation, and performance measures that inform outreach and organizational investment.

As a member of AACTE’s senior leadership team, the Vice President will lead and develop a small, evolving team while working collaboratively across departments and with member-led groups. Success will require an executive who pairs strategic vision with high-impact execution—a relationship-centered, entrepreneurial builder who not only formulates plans but also personally drives them to completion.

Given the lean team structure, the Vice President will actively share in day-to-day execution, stepping directly into critical member conversations, pipeline management, and workflow design alongside staff to drive immediate and measurable results.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Membership Leadership

• Develop and implement a multi-year membership strategy aligned with AACTE’s mission and strategic plan, informed by member needs, institutional segments, lapsed and prospective members, and the competitive and policy environment, and translate it into actionable work plans, timelines, and operational procedures.

• Evaluate and recommend approaches to institutional membership, potential additional member categories, dues and benefits, and differentiated value propositions; translate insights into actionable initiatives that strengthen membership relevance, participation, and long-term sustainability.
• Establish annual and longer-term goals for recruitment, retention, engagement, satisfaction, and growth; take a hands-on role in monitoring weekly and monthly membership pipeline milestones, adjusting tactics as needed, and partnering with the Chief Financial Officer and senior leaders on forecasting, budgeting, resource allocation, and performance reviews.

Membership Growth, Retention & Engagement

• Directly drive and participate in institutional recruitment and renewal campaigns, personally managing a portfolio of high-value, at-risk, and complex institutional accounts.
• Build a proactive approach to stewardship that includes personalized outreach, effective onboarding, regular member touchpoints, engagement pathways, and clear communication of the benefits available to faculty, staff, and students at member institutions.
• Expand participation in AACTE’s advocacy, professional learning, research, networking, convenings, and member communities, while exploring opportunities to engage state affiliates and reach new audiences within the educator preparation ecosystem.

Member Experience & Organizational Alignment

• Own and continually strengthen AACTE’s membership value proposition, ensuring that the return on institutional membership is clear, credible, and responsive to the different needs and decision-making contexts of member institutions.
• Partner with program, advocacy, research, events, and communications leaders to connect offerings and initiatives, to member needs and create a coherent, welcoming experience across the full member journey.
• Advance a member-centered service culture by improving responsiveness, consistency, and relationship management across touchpoints; use member feedback and internal collaboration to identify and resolve friction in the experience.

Communications, Brand Positioning & Market Intelligence

• Set the strategy and core messages for membership marketing, recruitment, retention, and engagement campaigns, working with Marketing and Communications to execute coordinated, effective outreach while maintaining clear ownership of membership goals and content.
• Use segmentation, tailored member journeys, and multiple outreach channels, including direct relationship-building, to reach institutional decision-makers and the wider community eligible to benefit from membership.
• Monitor trends in educator preparation, higher education, associations, and member expectations; gather insights through surveys, listening conversations, and other feedback to refine messaging, services, and market positioning.

Member Leadership, Committees & Stakeholder Relations

• Provide strategic direction for member participation in AACTE’s programmatic advisory committees, topical action groups, and other member-led bodies, including the membership advisory structure, and ensure these groups inform organizational priorities and member value.
• Work with staff and volunteer leaders to clarify committee roles, strengthen participation and leadership pathways, and create sustainable approaches to staffing and supporting member-led activities.
• Cultivate relationships with state affiliates, institutional leaders, and other stakeholders; provide membership and engagement insights to the Board of Directors and other leadership bodies, as appropriate.

Strategic Partnerships, Sponsorships & Revenue Development

• Identify and cultivate partnerships with higher education institutions, educator preparation organizations, state and national partners, foundations, education agencies, and aligned organizations that broaden AACTE’s reach, strengthen its offerings, and create new pathways to membership.

• Work with Marketing and Communications, events, and program leaders to develop, position, and steward sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, including year-round offerings that complement major meetings and convenings.
• Assess partnership and sponsorship opportunities for their contribution to member value, participation, mission alignment, and non-dues revenue; collaborate with Finance and executive leadership on priorities, implementation, and results.

Membership Data, Systems & Organizational Performance

• Actively drive system implementation and process re-engineering within the AMS/CRM (e.g., Impexium). Help to clean and audit AACTE’s membership data and systems modernization by defining business requirements and member information needs, contributing to association management system decisions, and partnering with internal teams and external specialists on data quality, access, and integration.
• Strengthen the use of member and prospect data to support segmentation, renewal and lapse analysis, relationship tracking, communications, service improvements, and efficient workflows, including appropriate automation and process improvements.
• Develop actionable dashboards, metrics, and reporting on member acquisition, retention, engagement, satisfaction, revenue, and institutional participation; share findings and recommendations regularly with executive leadership and the Board, as appropriate.

People & Executive Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop the membership team, setting clear priorities, roles, goals, and accountability while supporting professional growth, appropriate staffing, and efficient use of systems and resources.
• Serve as a collaborative member of AACTE’s senior leadership team and a trusted advisor to the Chief Strategy Officer, President and CEO, and functional leaders on membership strategy, organizational change, cross-department initiatives, and decisions affecting member value.
• Represent AACTE with institutional leaders, partners, coalitions, committees, and professional networks; model inclusive leadership, strong communication, sound judgment, and an entrepreneurial willingness to move from strategy to execution.

The Leader:

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and substantial professional experience.
• At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in membership strategy, institutional relationship management, business development, customer/member success, or a related field, including senior-level strategic and people leadership responsibilities.
• Demonstrated “hands-on” success developing and executing growth, retention, repositioning, or turnaround strategies, with the ability to move from diagnosis and planning to measurable implementation.
• Ability to define and communicate a compelling value proposition and to assess membership or service models, pricing, benefits, market segments, and opportunities for growth.

• Strong relationship-building, consultative outreach, negotiation, and influencing skills, including the ability to engage senior institutional decision-makers and build trust across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated ability to partner across functions, especially with finance and marketing leaders, and contribute to forecasting, budget planning, revenue strategy, and organizational decision-making.
• Data fluency, including experience using a CRM, association management system, or comparable platform; interpreting member or customer data; identifying reporting needs; and applying performance measures to decisions and improvements.
• Experience developing audience-specific communications and engagement approaches that support recruitment, onboarding, stewardship, and retention, with a strong commitment to responsive, high-quality member service.
• Effective people leadership, with experience setting direction, coaching and developing staff, prioritizing work, building accountability, and leading through organizational or operational change.
• An entrepreneurial, solutions-oriented, hands-on approach, with strong project management, sound judgment, and the ability to advance multiple priorities in a collaborative, evolving environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, with the credibility to represent AACTE externally and engage colleagues and volunteer leaders effectively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with associations, nonprofit organizations, or other mission-driven entities, especially those serving institutional or organizational members.
• Knowledge of higher education, educator preparation, or the broader education policy and practice landscape; candidates with related experience and demonstrated ability to learn the sector quickly are encouraged.
• Experience evaluating or redesigning membership categories, dues structures, benefits, renewal journeys, or other membership offerings.

• Experience supporting CRM or association management system improvements, migration, data cleanup, reporting dashboards, or related organizational technology initiatives; familiarity with Impexium or comparable platforms is a plus.
• Experience with sponsorships, strategic partnerships, member committees or advisory groups, and efforts to generate non-dues revenue or strengthen member benefits.
• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.

Location:

This is a remote position with access to AACTE’s Washington, DC office. Up to 40% travel is anticipated, including travel to the AACTE national office in Washington, DC, and to member institutions, partner meetings, conferences, and other events.

Compensation:

Hiring range for this position is $135,000 - $155,000 plus a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance coverages, as well as generous leave time; and 403b and/Roth IRA retirement plans.

EEO Statement:

AACTE is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits harassment of any applicant or employee because of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law. AACTE allows for reasonable accommodations to enable an individual with a disability to participate in the application process, perform the essential duties and responsibilities of a job, and enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment that are available to individuals without disabilities.

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AACTE - Vice President of Membership Strategy and Operations | Bridge Partners