Membership Director

Who we are:

CanWEA, the Canadian Wind Energy Association, is the voice of Canada’s wind energy industry, actively promoting the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy. A national non-profit association, CanWEA is Canada’s leading source of information on wind energy’s social, economic, health and environmental benefits for Canadian communities and provincial economies. Established in 1984, CanWEA represents more than 170 companies active in Canada’s wind energy market, including: wind turbine manufacturers and component suppliers, wind farm developers, owners and operators, and a broad range of service providers to the industry.

Who we are looking for:

CanWEA has an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated, creative and enthusiastic individual to join our dynamic team as our Membership Director. The Membership Director is responsible for defining, developing and evolving our value proposition for CanWEA Members and for building, managing and executing effective business strategies to secure the member support required for CanWEA to deliver its core membership services. This individual will develop and oversee the strategic direction of CanWEA’s membership program.

This is a senior role located in Ottawa and reports to the CanWEA President. 

All interested candidates please e-mail your CV and a one-page cover letter to: sammeeksbouffard@canwea.ca.  Please note, our application deadline is April 15th, 2019.

Key Accountabilities

 Strategy and Leadership:

• Work in collaboration with CanWEA’s senior leadership team on issues related to the organization’s future development and the establishment of its annual strategic objectives and budget;
• Prepare updates and strategic advice for the CanWEA Board of Directors on issues relating to membership, sales and new initiatives;
• Manage the overall operational / budgetary / financial activities of CanWEA’s membership program;
• Work effectively to meet program productivity and quality goals;
• Make business decisions that are financially responsible, accountable, justifiable, and defensible in accordance with organization policies and procedures; and
• Ensure effective collaboration with CanWEA’s Events Manager and Member Program Specialist while working in a collaborative manner with others in CanWEA to support the achievement of optimal organizational outcomes.

Membership Program:

• Lead strategic direction and provide oversight for CanWEA’s membership program;
• Clearly define and communicate the value propositions offered to CanWEA Members in exchange for their support;
• Responsible for recommending overall membership structure including membership categories, dues, etc., and management of any changes to this structure (i.e., pricing changes, etc.)
• Work with CanWEA’s Member Program Specialist to ensure the annual membership renewal campaign is executed effectively and efficiently, striving to secure all renewals by second quarter of the calendar year;
• Collaborate with CanWEA’s Communications Team (including the Member Program Specialist), ensuring regular reporting to CanWEA Members on CanWEA activities and monitoring the effectiveness and impact of communications with CanWEA Members and making recommendations for adjustments as required;
• Build and strengthen relationships with CanWEA’s top members;
• Collect and analyze all membership related data used for evaluating membership as well as for historical and future planning purposes;
• Put in place infrastructure, systems and processes to support efficient membership program activities;
• Develop and implement strategies to attract and recruit new members for the association;
• Recommend, develop and implement new membership initiatives in response to evolving membership needs based on trends, patterns, and member satisfaction measures in an effort to maximize member satisfaction;
• Work with CanWEA’s Events Manager to define revenue generating opportunities associated with CanWEA Events and take on responsibility for all sales activity for the association in conjunction with such events (e.g., sponsorships); and
• Participate in discussions about any “special asks” of CanWEA members to ensure they do not represent a threat to CanWEA core membership services and funding.

Please note other duties may be assigned as needed to meet the evolving needs of the Association and its mandate.

What you will need to be successful:

Experience and skills:

• 5-7 years of experience working on membership in a membership based non-profit organization;
• Experience with business development and sales in the private sector and / or a non-profit association;
• Demonstrated knowledge of client interaction, customer service and membership based programs that drive revenue opportunities;
• Understanding of membership life cycle – including recruitment/acquisition and retention, reinstatements, membership reporting and budgeting;
• Good general knowledge of the renewable energy industry is an asset;
• Effective track record of strategic planning while applying operations experience;
• Superior communication skills including oral, listening and written, including the ability to compose summary reports;
• Superb analytical skills and ability to think things through, anticipate solutions and next steps, and see the bigger picture, while offering fresh ideas;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications; familiarity working with online tools; and an openness to embracing new technology; and
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and to complete a high volume of work and meet deadlines with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Education:

• A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field; having a master’s degree is a plus but not required.

Language:

• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required; and
• Bilingual in English and French (written and spoken) would be a strong asset.

Travel Needs: This role requires travel on a somewhat regular basis (10% of time) to support CanWEA and industry events roughly 4-6 times per year.