Membership Manager, IS-1001-12

Application Deadline: 7 October 2026

Department: Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Washington, DC

Reporting To: Advancement Operations Manager

Compensation: $102,415 - $133,142 / year

Description

OPEN DATE: September 23, 2026

CLOSING DATE: October 7, 2026

POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund

APPOINTMENT TYPE: Indefinite

SCHEDULE: Full Time *This role requires occasional availability for after-hours and weekend work, as well as domestic and international travel. *

DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk:Non-Sensitive/Low Risk

Open to all qualified applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

• Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated.
• Complete a Probationary Period.
• Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
• The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
• Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEW

The Smithsonian American Women's History Museum expands the story of America through the often-untold accounts and accomplishments of women-individually and collectively-to better understand our past and inspire our future. The museum's goal is to create space for women's history on the National Mall in Washington, DC, deepen our nation's stories, and inspire conversation, connection, and change. The museum's ultimate vision is a more representative history, a more collective future.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

As the Membership Manager, you will:

Membership Strategy & Program Development

• Develop a comprehensive membership plan that encompasses all aspects of the membership program including acquisitions, renewals, lapsed member strategies, processing, communications, levels, and benefits
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of best practices in the museum and non-profit industries membership programs and incorporates industry benchmarks as part of the strategic plan for membership for the museum
• Coordinate activities on multiple projects simultaneously; maintaining the master direct response and member/donor contact schedule for the department and facilitating the integration of campaigns across channels
• Incumbent is a member of the Advancement team and plans, test, and evaluates strategies to encourage additional contributions from members, e.g. special giving appeals, corporate matching programs, and gift memberships.

Fundraising & Campaign Management

• Act as the primary liaison to vendors providing services in support of the entire direct response campaign life cycle, from planning and strategy formulation, to budgeting, creative development, production, distribution and results analysis. Campaigns are conducted through direct mail and online channels.
• Work closely with Advancement Operations Manager, Advancement Director, internal staff and vendors to ensure the success of each campaign through the distribution of relevant documents, content research, data coordination, reviewing documents for accuracy, receiving approvals, and proactively making suggestions to improve quality and results.
• Research, write, edit, and produce emails, web content, digital ads, and online experience for cultivation and revenue-generation opportunities, including fundraising campaigns, appeals, newsletters, event invitations and web articles
• Track campaign performance, analyze and report on analytics
• Facilitate internal communications and support for online fundraising within the museum's communications and Advancement teams
• Collaborate and coordinate with membership and data support staff to request, check, and import lists for use in campaigns, ensuring accurate communications based on giving history and membership level.

Membership Operations & Member Services

• Exercises in-depth knowledge of processing mailings, acknowledgments, planning and executing membership events and handling membership service requests.
• Uses experience and knowledge of database structure and technology to access and monitor membership database and operations.

Stakeholder, Vendor & Financial Coordination

• Coordinates with Smithsonian online fundraising unit and central Advancement Co-Op to work in concert with the systems and procedures developed for the Institution, as well as the museum's advancement associates and the unit's finance office to ensure accurate and timely allocation of revenue funds through various sources.
• Serves as liaison to a variety of consultants and vendors who work directly on the membership program, including direct mail consultants, caging services, in-bound telemarketing services, service bureaus, and others.
• Responsible for invoice processing and expense tracking.

Marketing & Communications

• Understanding of and experience with nonprofit multi-channel marketing and fundraising strategy, particularly as it relates to membership programs and giving levels.
• Manages development of copy, design and production of all internally initiated membership materials, for approval by supervisor and the museum's Head of Communications and Brand Engagement, e.g. solicitations, brochures, invitations and promotions.
• Experience with digital marketing and email service platforms such as MailChimp, Salesforce, and Constant Contact.
• Experience in working within a CRM/database to extract audience lists to appropriately segment communications.
• Basic graphic design skills and experience with tools such as Adobe photoshop or Canva desired.

Staff Support

• Provides work guidelines and orientation for two shared positions, the Membership Systems Specialist and the Direct Response Operations Associate.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education and Experience
To qualify, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the IS-11 grade level. Specialized experience includes managing membership programs and operations; developing program strategies and marketing initiatives; coordinating multi-channel membership campaigns; overseeing benefit fulfillment and donor cultivation activities; and analyzing membership data to inform program decisions and reporting.

Experience required for this position is as follows:

• Knowledge of the application of a wide range of methods and practices for the assessment, operation and improvement of membership programs, including systems development, membership and customer services methods and direct response programs
• Knowledge of advanced marketing management and organizational principles and practices along with planning and budgeting abilities to prepare short- and long-term planning guidance
• Knowledge of the range of policies, regulations and standards within the fundraising industry, applicable to the administration of a direct-response membership program.
• Skill in using personal computers and appropriate applications in a network environment, understanding of general data flow with SI and offsite database systems
• Strong independent task management skills and ability to work across teams to move goals forward. Demonstrated quality assurance skills including meticulous attention to detail and experience with version control
• Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."

TO APPLY
Applications received on or before October 7, 2026, at 5:00pm (EST) will be considered. The resume must include the start and end dates (month and year) for each position, as well as the average number of hours worked per week. While a cover letter is strongly encouraged, it is not required. All application materials must be submitted through the online application portal.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. Qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager and invited for an interview. If you are chosen for an interview you will need to provide multiple references, including title and contact information, who are familiar with your work and professional skills and abilities.

Relocation expenses are not paid.