Manager, Outreach and Member Engagement

Job Type: Full-time

About the role

The Manager, Outreach and Member Engagement cultivates industry relationships through proactive outreach, ongoing engagement and identifying opportunities that offer mutual value and support revenue growth. This role connects with current, prospective and lapsed member organizations, industry partners, CEBS students and educational program participants to increase awareness, deepen engagement and drive participation across International Foundation programs, including Team Training and Contract Programs. The Manager develops new business, advances a qualified pipeline and supports retention and account growth across membership, CEBS, educational programs, and exhibit, sponsorship and advertising sales, partnering with internal teams to align customer needs with relevant offerings.

The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is North America’s largest membership organization for those who work with employee benefit plans. The Foundation’s employees make a significant impact on the livelihoods of millions of workers across the U.S. and Canada by providing education and research to the benefits community. Employees enjoy an outstanding benefits package, unique employee perks, creative and caring co‑workers — all within a family‑friendly workplace on a 15‑acre wooded campus in Brookfield, WI.

Responsibilities

• Relationship Development and Industry Engagement (~60%)
  • Cultivate relationships with prospective industry partners and strategic accounts, and engage current and lapsed customers to support participation and growth across membership, CEBS, and educational programs.
  • Identify customers’ training and education goals; recommend relevant solutions and support participation, retention, engagement and satisfaction.
  • Support the development and management of joint venture strategies, affiliations, partnership agreements and acquisitions that expand the Foundation’s reach and visibility.
  • Develop and execute outreach plans for assigned programs, events, and products, including defining targets, priority audience segments, relevant offerings and contact cadence.
  • Drive new business and grow existing accounts by identifying renewal, retention, cross‑selling and upselling opportunities.
  • Represent the International Foundation and its affiliate organizations at assigned conferences, tradeshows, networking events, and other industry activities.
  • Leverage knowledge of programs, audiences, and market trends to uncover needs and advance business opportunities.
  • Negotiate sales terms within approved organizational and event parameters, coordinating with product and operations teams responsible for contract execution and invoicing.
• New Business Prospecting and Pipeline Advancement (~20%)
  • Build and maintain a qualified pipeline through cold calling, personalized email outreach, social selling, referrals, industry research, conference leads, and other prospecting methods.
  • Meet defined outbound activity goals for calls, emails, new contacts, qualified leads, meetings, opportunities, and pipeline value.
  • Research organizations, decision‑makers, market segments, and emerging industry participants to identify prospects aligned with enterprise priorities.
  • Develop account‑specific outreach plans and messaging that connect prospect needs with membership, CEBS, educational programs, and exhibit, sponsorship and advertising opportunities.
  • Maintain accurate and timely CRM records of prospect contact information, lead generation, outreach outcomes and next steps, preserving historical records of past prospects and contacts.
  • Advance qualified opportunities through consistent follow‑up and clear next steps to support current‑ and future‑year revenue goals, proactively addressing stalled opportunities.
• Sales Enablement and Stakeholder Management (~20%)
  • Partner with internal teams to develop, review and improve sales collateral, campaigns, email, direct mail, and other outreach materials.
  • Share customer and market feedback relevant to business opportunities, audience outreach, and industry priorities.
  • Complete pre‑contract information requests and provide organized customer requirements and sales details to LLC, Educational Programs, CEBS, or Membership stakeholder teams to support sales closing and handoffs.
• Supervisory Responsibilities: No formal supervisory responsibilities; may train or mentor more junior staff members.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration / Management, Communications, or a related field (equivalent combination of education and relevant external experience considered).
• Minimum of 3 years of relationship management experience with demonstrated success in account management and revenue growth.
• Professional experience in sales, particularly cold prospecting, lead research, and pipeline development.

Qualifications & Skills

• Demonstrated initiative and confidence in initiating conversations with current and prospective customers by phone, email, social media, and in person.
• Clear, concise and persuasive verbal and written communication skills, including active listening and professional follow‑up.
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills with the discipline to maintain prospecting cadence, next steps, and accurate records.
• Relationship‑first, results‑oriented approach, with the ability to build lasting customer and industry partner relationships and meet outbound activity and pipeline goals.
• Natural curiosity and a consultative approach, with the ability to ask insightful questions, uncover customer needs, and turn engagement into meaningful relationships and business opportunities.
• Foundational business acumen, including the ability to discuss pricing, budget, value, timelines, and sales goals.
• Acute attention to detail and ability to distill complex information in an easy‑to‑understand manner.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics, HubSpot, or Salesforce), Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Smartsheet experience a plus.
• Employee Benefits or Educational Programming experience strongly preferred; Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation a plus.

Benefits

• Comprehensive and affordable medical plan (includes 24/7 Teladoc)
• Vision plan
• Dental plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts (medical and dependent care)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Long‑term disability
• Short‑term disability
• Ample PTO (vacation, sick, holidays)
• Defined benefit (pension) plan
• Non‑elective company 401(k) contribution
• 401(k) matching contribution
• Unique perks: free Milwaukee County Zoo passes, on‑site