Digital Membership and Engagement Specialist

AAJA24; Philadelphia, Northern (Philadelphia County, KY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

WHYY in Philadelphia is seeking a Digital Membership & Engagement Specialist to develop and execute cross‑channel communications that grow membership and support, improve retention, and boost digital fundraising. You’ll coordinate with partners to translate strategy into email, SMS, newsletters, apps, and social content.

Strong candidates will have 3–5 years in digital membership or fundraising, a bachelor’s degree in a related field, and proficiency with CRM, marketing automation, HTML/CSS, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, nonprofit management or related field.
• Three to five years of digital membership, fundraising or marketing experience.
• Experience with email or multichannel campaigns via a CRM or marketing automation platform; strong technical skills.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate to shape digital membership, fundraising, stewardship and audience engagement strategies.
• Execute coordinated digital membership and fundraising communications across channels.
• Write, edit, schedule, deploy and document emails, SMS, newsletters and journeys.
• Support lifecycle communications: acquisition, onboarding, renewal, retention and upgrades.
• Maintain data quality, consent, and accessibility across campaigns and platforms.
• Monitor results and report trends to improve engagement and giving.

Skills

Audience engagement

Fundraising

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, nonprofit management

Tools

CRM

Email marketing platform

Marketing automation

HTML/CSS

Web analytics

Job description

Digital Membership and Engagement Specialist

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Employment Type: Full time,

Job Description

About WHYY

WHYY serves the Philadelphia region with trusted journalism, eye-opening storytelling and intimate local arts programming. Our curiosity and commitment to this community is what drives our programming. It’s also what drives our hiring.

Below you’ll find an employment opportunity in the fast-paced setting of the Philadelphia region’s leading public media provider. The award-winning professional staff of WHYY sets the bar high in television, radio and online. Whether it’s preparing a program to air or a behind-the-scenes role in support, all positions are vital to continuing—and growing—our impact in our community.

WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about ourSocial Responsibility Program . It’s how we live.

About the Role

The Digital Membership & Engagement Specialist develops and executes coordinated digital communications that strengthen audience relationships, grow membership and support, improve retention, and increase digital fundraising across WHYY and its current and future properties. Working within a collaborative, cross-trained team, the specialist translates approved membership and audience engagement strategies into clear, relevant communications across email, SMS, newsletters, automated journeys, websites, mobile apps, push notifications, social platforms, and emerging digital channels.

This position’s areas of responsibility include member growth, giving, lifecycle communications, member engagement and relationship development. The specialist is expected to contribute fundraising, audience, and organizational insights to move people from first engagement through membership, sustaining support, renewal, deeper giving, and long-term loyalty.

The specialist must maintain broad capability across the full role and adapt as WHYY's portfolio, platforms, audience needs, and organizational priorities evolve.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with the Director, Digital Membership Manager, and key partners to shape digital membership, fundraising, stewardship, and audience engagement strategies and campaign plans. Contribute audience insights, performance data, and channel expertise to planning discussions.
• Execute coordinated digital membership, fundraising, stewardship, and audience engagement communications using approved strategies, campaign plans, messaging, and review processes.
• Write, edit, build, segment, test, quality‑assure, schedule, deploy, and document email, SMS, newsletter, automated journey, and other digital communications.
• Support the full audience and supporter lifecycle, including acquisition, conversion, onboarding, stewardship, renewal, retention, reactivation, sustainer conversion, upgrades, and deeper levels of giving.
• Develop relationship‑building communications that connect audiences and supporters with WHYY's journalism, programming, events, services, benefits, and community impact.
• Curate and produce newsletters and related communications in collaboration with content and program partners, using strong editorial judgment and a clear understanding of audience needs.
• Maintain accurate data selection, links, tracking, personalization, consent, and quality assurance across campaigns and platforms; follow privacy, accessibility, brand, and fundraising standards.
• Use audience behavior, campaign results, fundraising performance, and organizational benchmarks to recommend segmentation, testing, personalization, and workflow strategy and improvements.
• Monitor and report on assigned communications and initiatives, identify meaningful trends, and recommend actions that improve engagement, giving, retention, and the member or supporter experience.
• Maintain active relationships with assigned departments or organizational areas, serving as a Digital Membership point of contact and proactively identifying relevant communication and fundraising opportunities.
• Share updates from assigned organizational areas through team planning tools and internal communications so Advancement can anticipate opportunities and coordinate activity.
• Coordinate with colleagues across Membership, Data, Digital Products, Marketing, Content, Member Services, and other areas to create a cohesive audience experience.
• Research emerging practices in digital fundraising, membership, audience development, marketing automation, AI, and evolving digital behavior; recommend responsible, practical applications.
• Maintain clear process documentation, participate in cross‑training, and provide reliable backup coverage for recurring communications and critical workflows.
• Manage multiple deadlines and shifting priorities while maintaining accuracy, sound judgment, responsiveness, and consistent follow‑through.
• Maintain a regular and predictable attendance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

Education: Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, nonprofit management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Experience: Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in digital membership, fundraising, marketing, communications, audience engagement, or a related field. Experience executing email or multichannel campaigns through a CRM or marketing automation platform is strongly preferred.

Technical Skills: Proficiency with CRM, email marketing, marketing automation, content management, audience segmentation, testing, quality assurance, deployment, and performance reporting. Ability to learn new systems quickly. Working knowledge of HTML/CSS, web analytics, data visualization, project management tools, or AI‑assisted workflows is desirable.

*This position is represented by SAG‑AFTRA.