Membership Manager, Education Writers Association

Position Summary The Education Writers Association (EWA) is seeking a strategic, mission-driven, and creative Membership Manager to lead efforts to grow, engage, and retain EWA’s membership community. The Membership Manager will implement priorities under EWA’s 2026–2029 Strategic Plan, strengthen the member experience, oversee membership systems and data, and develop communications and outreach strategies that increase awareness and use of EWA’s programs, resources, and benefits. This exempt position reports to the Development Director and has no supervisory duties. The Education Writers Association advances rigorous journalism that informs the public and holds accountable the people, policies, and systems shaping students’ lives. As the national professional organization of members of the media who specialize in education, EWA has worked for nearly 80 years to help journalists get the story right. Anticipated start date for this position is December 1, 2026. Key Responsibilities Lead implementation of membership-related activities under the 2026-29 EWA Strategic Plan with an overall goal of increasing EWA membership by 15% by June 2029: – Expand membership and EWA’s reach among individuals engaged in or affiliated with education journalism, including editors, journalists, funders, researchers, communications professionals, and students. – Build a connected member community by providing valuable programming, resources, networking opportunities, and meaningful ways for members to engage with one another and with EWA. – Strengthen engagement of two member advisory boards. – Develop strategic partnerships to broaden EWA’s reach, visibility, expertise, and diversity. Develop and execute an integrated membership strategy focused on recruitment, onboarding, engagement, retention, and renewal. Serve as primary contact for all membership inquiries. Manage membership application process, including determining member category and membership fees, per current EWA guidelines. Maintain accurate, complete, and current membership data; establish and improve processes for routine data review, updates, and quality control. Develop processes and communications that ensure members understand and use EWA services and benefits; support email, outreach, and other membership marketing efforts. Manage online posting processes for press releases and job postings; coordinate with the Operations Manager as needed regarding payments or receipts. Represent EWA at events, conferences, and other functions, as needed. Develop member communications in collaboration with colleagues that drive attendance at EWA events, promote EWA services such as the Public Editor, and increase use of online resources. Collaborate with the Development and Communications Specialist to develop marketing materials that communicate the depth, reach, and impact of EWA. Conduct market research to better understand market size, awareness of EWA, and prospective member needs, and develop strategies to expand EWA’s stature and address member needs. Manage the member scholarship process for EWA events, including technical development and setup of application. Collect and analyze membership trends, engagement data, and member feedback; translate findings into actionable recommendations for internal and external stakeholders. Establish and monitor key membership metrics and evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment, retention, engagement, and communications efforts. Support organizational goals across development, programming, governance, and special projects. Collaborate with leadership to identify relevant external training and professional development opportunities for members and staff. Contribute to EWA reports for the Board of Directors and other stakeholders. Other duties as assigned. Required Skills and Competencies Demonstrated experience in membership management or member services, including experience with association management systems (AMS), CRM/CMS platforms, or membership databases. Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, including the ability to anticipate needs, identify trends and issues, and develop practical recommendations. Excellent verbal and written communications skills. Strong project management and organizational skills, with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain accuracy and quality. Demonstrated writing and editing skills. Demonstrates initiative, creativity, sound judgment, professionalism, and a service-oriented approach. Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team; proactively collaborate with EWA staff, members, and other stakeholders on relevant projects. Education and Experience At least four years of relevant professional experience in membership, association management, customer/member engagement, marketing, communications, nonprofit administration, or a related field. Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent relevant education and professional experience will be considered. Experience in SalesForce Nonprofit Success Pack and Linvio desired but not required. Demonstrated ability to manage and maintain confidential data accurately across systems. Direct experience working in membership services for an association is highly preferred. Background in or passion for K-12 education, higher education, communications, and/or journalism is preferred. Familiarity with business applications for social media. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace is required. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite and basic HTML/CSS is a plus. Compensation and Benefits Compensation for this full-time role ranges from $68,000 to $76,000. In addition, EWA offers a number of benefits for our full-time, exempt staff: Flexible work schedule Paid annual leave (accrued at a rate of 14 hours a month beginning on day one) Paid sick leave (12 days, accrued at a rate of 8 hours a month) Paid holidays (11 days), floating Personal Day (1 day), and all-staff Wellness week from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1 (8 days) Health/vision/dental coverage (individual premiums mostly paid by EWA) Life insurance/Accidental death & disability insurance (up to 2x salary, 100% of premiums paid by EWA) Short & long term disability coverage (100% of premiums paid by EWA) Long term care coverage (base amount paid by EWA) 403(B) retirement savings plan (EWA contribution of 6% after one year) This is a remote position and requires periodic travel to the Washington, DC, metro area and to EWA-managed events. Freelancing and Conflict-of-Interest Expectations The Membership Manager is in a trusted position within EWA, privy to information gained in one-on-one conversations with journalists across the nation. As such, the Membership Manager may not freelance stories that conflict with our members’ direct beats or interests with information gained from these conversations. The Membership Manager should ask their direct supervisor if they have any concerns. The Membership Manager is free to apply to fellowships, grants, and seek reporting assistance outside of EWA if this does not conflict with their EWA work. EWA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment. All employment decisions are made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. To apply for this position, please send a resume and a detailed cover letter (as attachments) explaining why your skills, interests, and experience make this opportunity the right fit to [email protected] .