Director of Membership Strategy & Experience

The YMCA of Greenville is a dynamic and rapidly growing association that seeks to strengthen the community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. This leader provides strategic leadership for membership growth, engagement, retention, and the overall member experience across the association, leading the transition from a primarily transactional membership service model to a proactive, relationship-based growth strategy.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an association-wide membership growth strategy focused on acquisition, engagement, and retention.
• Establish annual membership growth targets and key performance indicators across all branches.
• Utilize market research, membership analytics, and demographic data to identify growth opportunities and improve decision-making.
• Lead the development of strategies that increase member acquisition, improve retention, and strengthen member engagement across the lifecycle.
• Monitor membership trends and recommend adjustments to strategies, pricing, and outreach efforts to support sustainable growth.
• Lead the development of a relationship-based membership recruitment model across the association.
• Establish standards for prospect response, front-desk and welcome-center interactions, membership tours, follow-up, conversion practices, and new member onboarding.
• Design and deliver training and coaching for branch membership leaders, welcome center staff, and other member-facing teams in customer service, relationship-based recruitment, tours, prospect follow-up, member engagement, and effective referral practices.
• Promote a culture where membership teams actively engage the community and recruit new members.
• Support branches in identifying appropriate community partners and developing outreach initiatives, referral pathways, and membership promotions that expand reach and increase enrollment.
• Champion a consistent and welcoming member experience across all YMCA locations and member-facing program areas, from the moment a person enters the facility through front-desk service, tours, follow-up, onboarding, program connection, and ongoing engagement.
• Implement and sustain the YMCA "Y Experience" framework within membership operations.
• Develop strategies that strengthen early member engagement, including effective onboarding practices during the first 90 days of membership.
• Monitor member satisfaction and Net Promoter Scores and lead initiatives that enhance member loyalty and connection.
• Ensure that membership processes, communications, physical and interpersonal touchpoints, and service delivery reflect YMCA values and association-wide customer service standards.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and professional development to branch membership leaders, welcome center teams, and other member-facing staff; build branch capacity to recruit members, develop relationships, recognize service and growth opportunities, and connect people to the right YMCA programs and resources.
• Partner with branch Executive Directors to align membership strategies with branch goals and community needs.
• Foster a collaborative culture across branches to share best practices and support innovation in membership growth.
• Influence a culture of hospitality, relationship-building, and shared ownership of the member experience across branches and programs.
• Work cross-functionally with marketing, operations, wellness, sports, aquatics, Youth & Family Services, and other program leaders to align membership growth efforts with program offerings and create seamless referrals, handoffs, and engagement pathways for members and prospects.
• Collaborate with association leadership and branch executives to develop membership revenue goals and financial projections.
• Monitor performance against membership targets including acquisition, retention, and engagement metrics.
• Evaluate pricing strategies, membership options, and financial assistance programs to ensure alignment with mission and market conditions.
• Provide regular reporting to association leadership on membership performance and growth opportunities.
• Ensure consistent membership systems, procedures, and operational standards across all locations.
• Partner with IT and operations teams to maintain effective use of membership management systems and CRM tools.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures that support efficient membership processes and strong data integrity.
• Identify opportunities to improve systems, workflows, and technology that support membership growth and service excellence.
• Represent the YMCA in community initiatives that support membership growth and awareness.
• Partner with the Marketing & Communications team to develop membership campaigns and outreach initiatives.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward relationships with employers, local organizations, and community groups that expand individual and corporate membership opportunities.
• Support financial development initiatives by strengthening relationships with members and community partners.
• Lead the association's corporate membership strategy, including prospect identification, relationship development, proposals and presentations, enrollment coordination, ongoing account stewardship, and evaluation of partnership results.
• Serve as the primary association liaison for organizations seeking employee wellness and membership solutions, coordinating with branches and program leaders to ensure clear communication, appropriate offerings, and high-quality service delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive leadership experience in membership services, sales, customer experience, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success driving membership growth and improving retention.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with ability to translate vision into actionable plans.
• Data-driven decision-making experience with membership analytics and performance metrics.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to lead teams, coach leaders, and foster collaboration across departments.