How to apply for Membership Coordinator, Contractor

About Virtual Executives

The College-in-3 Exchange is a collaborative of U.S. universities, colleges, and systems working to move 3-year undergraduate degrees into the mainstream. Since its formal inception in 2024, it has served as a research, advocacy, and resource hub for institutions pursuing 3-year degree programs. The role is posted through Virtual Executives, which is hiring the contractor on behalf of the Exchange.

About the role

This is a part-time 1099 contractor role reporting to the Operations Director, focused on engaging with and tracking progress of a growing national network of higher education institutional members. You would manage membership operations for the College-in-3 Exchange, supporting institutions that are building or running 3-year degree programs. The contract runs through February 26, 2027, with potential to extend, at $40–$50 per hour for up to 15 hours per week.

A typical day

A typical day might involve updating member records, following up with institutional contacts, and tracking engagement or progress across the network. You would likely coordinate with the Operations Director on priorities and report on member activity. Since the role is part-time and remote, you would manage your own 15-hour schedule across the week.

Who Virtual Executives is looking for

• Has prior experience in membership operations, ideally for a nonprofit, association, or higher education organization.
• Is highly organized and detail-oriented enough to track progress across a growing national network of institutional members.
• Is comfortable working independently as a 1099 contractor with a fully remote setup and can manage a 15-hour weekly schedule.
• Communicates clearly with university and college contacts and can collaborate with an Operations Director on member engagement.

Tips for this application

• State clearly in your application that you understand this is a 1099 independent contractor role, not a W-2 position, and confirm you can work up to 15 hours per week through February 26, 2027.
• Reference the College-in-3 Exchange by name and show you understand it is a collaborative focused on 3-year undergraduate degrees, not a general higher ed association.
• Give concrete examples of membership operations work you have done, such as tracking member engagement, onboarding institutional members, or maintaining a CRM for a network or association.
• Note your hourly rate expectation within the posted $40–$50 range, and mention if you are open to the equivalent fixed monthly fee structure the posting mentions.
• Keep your materials focused on operations and member tracking rather than general marketing or communications, since the role is explicitly membership operations.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Specific membership operations experience, especially with institutional or organizational members rather than individual members.', 'Your ability to track progress and engagement across a growing national network, including any tools or systems you have used.', "Your understanding of the College-in-3 Exchange's work on 3-year degrees and why that context matters for member engagement.", 'Your availability and fit for a part-time, fully remote, 1099 contractor arrangement through February 2027.']

Research before applying

• Read up on the College-in-3 Exchange and its formal inception in 2024, including its stated goals around 3-year degrees.
• Look into which universities, colleges, and systems are already part of the collaborative or have been mentioned publicly.
• Research the broader landscape of 3-year bachelor's degree programs in the U.S. to understand the context members are working in.
• Check whether Virtual Executives has posted other roles for the College-in-3 Exchange to understand the staffing structure.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you have tracked member engagement or progress across a network, and what tools or processes you used.
• How you would onboard and support new institutional members joining the College-in-3 Exchange.
• How you manage a part-time, remote contractor schedule and prioritize tasks across a 15-hour week.
• What you know about 3-year undergraduate degrees and the current state of that work in U.S. higher education.
• How you would report member activity and network progress to the Operations Director.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without acknowledging the 1099 contractor structure, the part-time hours, or the end date of February 26, 2027.
• Writing a generic higher education cover letter that does not mention membership operations or the College-in-3 Exchange by name.
• Submitting a resume that lists marketing or communications work without showing any member tracking, engagement, or operations experience.