Leadership Associate

American Planning Association; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 58,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligible

Benefits start 1st of month

Medical, dental, vision

PTO / holidays

Flexible work arrangements

Training and development

Job summary

American Planning Association (APA) seeks a Chapters Leadership Associate to provide proactive administrative support to APA Chapters and the CPC. The role partners with CPC Executive Committee, balancing daily operations with volunteer leadership priorities and strategic initiatives to deliver value to APA members.

The position requires strong organizational and communication skills, experience with CRM/AMS and CMS, and proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Qualifications

• 3-4 years of experience in membership or volunteer management in an association setting preferred.
• Highly collaborative and works effectively with colleagues, executive leadership, and volunteer stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, adhere to deadlines, and deliver outcomes.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to independently solve problems, execute tasks, and provide personalized service to a variety of staff and volunteers.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, specifically SharePoint, Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
• Experience using CRM/AMS, CMS and project/workload management platforms; Salesforce/Nimble preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a central liaison between APA staff, CPC leadership, Chapter Presidents, Chapter Administrators, and other staff teams to ensure a clear, two-way flow of information.
• Support daily operations of Chapter officers, including advising and delivering administrative resources for conference and budget planning, program development, membership recruitment and retention, and professional development activities.
• Ensure access to monthly membership rosters and provide customer service to Chapter leaders on membership-related inquiries.
• Support the development and maintenance of Chapter websites on APA’s web hosting platform.
• Handle logistics and support for CPC meetings, including scheduling, background materials, communications, and meeting minutes.

Skills

Membership management

Volunteer management

Collaboration

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Office suite proficiency

CRM/AMS experience

CMS experience

Salesforce/Nimble familiarity

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

SharePoint

Outlook

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

CRM/AMS

CMS

Salesforce Nimble

Job description

The American Planning Association (APA), founded in 1978, exists to elevate and unite a diverse planning profession as it helps communities, their leaders, and residents anticipate and navigate change. We are currently looking for a Chapters Leadership Associate to provide proactive and proficient administrative support to the governing bodies of APA’s Chapters and the Chapter President’s Council (CPC).

APA embraces diversity and equal opportunity in our employment practices. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our impact will be.

About the Role

The Chapters Leadership Associate serves as a key staff partner to the CPC Executive Committee, balancing day-to-day operational responsibilities with support for volunteer leadership priorities and strategic initiatives. Daily contact to deliver information, services and resources that enable Chapter leaders to successfully deliver value to APA members is a hallmark of this role.

What You’ll Bring

• 3-4 years of experience in membership or volunteer management in an association setting preferred
• Highly collaborative and works effectively with colleagues, executive leadership, and volunteer stakeholders
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, adhere to and enforce deadlines, and deliver outcomes
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to independently solve problems, execute tasks, and provide personalized service to a variety of people in the staff and volunteer workforce
• Proficiency in entire Microsoft Office Suite, specifically SharePoint, Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint required
• Experience using customer record databases (CRM or AMS), content management systems (CMS) and project/workload management platforms desired. Experience with Salesforce products (e.g. "Nimble") preferred
• Salary Range: The salary for this role will be based on the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and relevant experience. The expected pay for this role is $58,000-$61,000
• Bonus: This position is eligible for a performance-based bonus
• Benefits begin the 1st of the month after date of hire
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training
• Employee Assistance Program, 403b, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability

Critical Outcomes

• APA Chapters receive high-quality administrative support for activities that create meaningful experiences for Chapter members, and which advance the mission and strategic goals of APA.
• The activities of the Chapter Presidents Council are coordinated to ensure timeliness, consistency, and a positive volunteer experience.
• A strong network exists among Chapters, and between other parts of APA at the national and component level that stand to benefit from local Chapter networks.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a central liaison between APA staff, CPC leadership, Chapter Presidents, Chapter Administrators, and other staff teams to ensure a clear, two-way flow of information.
• Support daily operations of Chapter officers, including advising and delivering administrative and other resources for successful volunteer execution of conference and budget planning, program development, membership recruitment and retention efforts, and professional development activities.
• Ensure access to monthly membership rosters and provide customer service to Chapter leaders on membership-related inquiries (e.g., requests for customized membership reports, inquiries about membership trends, maintaining member data).
• Support the development and maintenance of Chapter websites on APA’s web hosting platform.
• Handle logistics and support for meetings of the Chapter Presidents Council, its Executive Committee and its volunteer work groups, including scheduling, development of background materials, communications, and meeting minutes.

Why Join Us?

At APA, you will contribute to work that strengthens the planning profession and supports communities as they navigate change. As the Chapters Leadership Associate, you will play an important role in helping Chapter leaders and volunteer groups stay connected, informed, and equipped to deliver meaningful value to APA members. This is an opportunity to bring your organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills to a mission-driven association that values collaboration, inclusion, service, and continuous improvement.