Business Acquisition Lead at American Montessori Society

About The Organization

The American Montessori Society (AMS) is the foremost association championing Montessori education, representing a global network of more than 1,300 member schools, 20,000 individual members, and over 100 affiliated teacher education programs. AMS advances quality Montessori practice by setting professional and educational standards, providing learning and leadership development, and convening the community through events like The Montessori Event, one of the largest Montessori gatherings in the world. Through research, advocacy, and collaboration, AMS works to ensure that Montessori education remains a vibrant, equitable, and evidence-informed approach for children and adults across diverse learning environments.

AMS hosts the largest scale Montessori conference annually—The Montessori Event (TME)—which brings together over 4,000 hybrid participants for a world-class experience blending philosophy, classroom practice, and community. Beyond this flagship event, AMS produces regional symposiums, international convenings, and internal retreats that foster deep connection and professional growth. The organization is committed to excellence in everything it does, from the quality of its content to the flawless execution of its operations.

About The Role

As the Business Acquisition Lead, you will lead the effort to grow and expand the AMS school network. Reporting to the Senior Director of Membership, you will spearhead the big-picture sales strategy to prospect, engage, and onboard new and returning schools into the global AMS community. In this entrepreneurial, high-impact role, you will directly drive membership growth while expanding the reach and vitality of AMS' services and benefits.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate prospective leads through the full membership acquisition journey—from initial cold outreach and discovery to closing the deal—articulating the deep value proposition of AMS to Heads of School and administrative leaders.
• Assist in the development of a strategic, end-to-end school and individual member recruitment, engagement, and retention strategy.
• Achieve an ambitious implementation plan, acquiring 150–175 new or re-engaged member schools annually.
• Conduct proactive outbound outreach via phone, email, and virtual meeting platforms to engage prospects, promote the value of AMS membership, and re-engage lapsed school members (inactive for 2+ years).
• Utilize CRM, association management databases, and analytics systems to capture, track, and maintain prospective member information, while leveraging visual dashboards to monitor geographic trends and campaign metrics.
• Support membership campaigns and targeted outreach initiatives—including personalized communications, handwritten notes, and region-specific campaigns tied to local events or legislative shifts—that build early, high-touch relationships.
• Conduct initial exploratory outreach into emerging international markets (e.g., Europe and Asia) to assess global school acquisition opportunities beyond the U.S. base.
• Ensure membership applications, renewals, and records are accurate and up to date, working closely with school leaders while aligning outreach timing with school budget planning cycles.
• Manage membership accounts, dues processing, prorated fee structures, refunds, and invoices for unpaid balances, in collaboration with membership services and accounting teams.
• Partner with the Membership team to actively identify upsell opportunities—such as individual member bundles and professional development packages—several months after a school joins.
• Support the Membership Services Department during high-volume periods to ensure a best-in-class experience for all members.

Who You'll Work With

You will report to the Senior Director of Membership and Community. You will frequently collaborate with the Membership and Marketing teams.

Requirements

• Experience in membership services, customer success, account management, client services, nonprofit engagement, admissions/enrollment, hospitality, business development, or another relationship-focused role.
• Demonstrated experience with consultative sales, prospecting, sales strategy execution, recruitment, fundraising, or another role requiring proactive outbound outreach and closing skills.
• Proven ability to build positive, trust-based relationships, navigate financial or budgetary objections, support member recruitment efforts, and deliver exceptional customer service.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with confidence initiating phone outreach, conducting virtual meetings, and delivering persuasive messaging to Heads of School and decision-makers.
• Ability to analyze lead data, build performance dashboards, identify trends or gaps in member engagement, and recommend solutions that improve the acquisition pipeline and member retention.
• Strong organizational, time management, and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and follow-up cadences while maintaining high accuracy and attention to detail.
• Self-motivated and results-driven, with the ability to work independently, take initiative, and execute sales strategy in a fast-paced, remote work environment.
• Experience maintaining accurate pipeline records using CRM, association management, or database systems.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to quickly learn new technology platforms and sales analytics tools.
• Ability to handle confidential member and financial information with professionalism and discretion.
• Experience processing invoices, tracking prorated dues, following up on outstanding balances, or supporting accounts receivable activities preferred.
• Deep commitment to AMS's mission and the ability to build authentic, positive relationships with a diverse membership community.
• Comfort working in an entrepreneurial, metric-driven environment with financial and growth-based performance incentives.

Location and Work Environment

This is a 100% remote position. Expected travel includes 2 times per year for the AMS Annual Conference and the Annual Staff Retreat.

Pay

Base salary for this role is $70,000–$80,000, with a target bonus of $20,000 at goal, and the opportunity to exceed this incentive compensation based on achievement of sales goals.