Membership Data SME

Connect Centric; Oregon; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 220,000; Part time

Job summary

Connect Centric, LLC. seeks a Membership Data SME to lead a strategic data initiative for a national trade association. You will partner with marketing and operations to build member data systems, establish sources of truth, and roadmap long-term governance.

You will work across ERP, CRM, AMS, and supporting apps to audit state, define data requirements, and drive actionable deliverables through cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Significant membership data experience with associations or similar environments.
• Hands-on AMS platform experience and data governance leadership.
• Ability to translate business needs into technical data requirements.
• Proven track record building data dictionaries and sources of truth.
• Strong facilitation skills and cross-functional collaboration.
• Comfort with ambiguity and practical governance deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of a comprehensive data dictionary across core domains.
• Define data requirements translating member journey insights into specs.
• Establish sources of truth and business rules for key data elements.
• Document member journeys, lifecycles, and organization-to-contact relationships.
• Assess ERP/CRM/AMS ecosystem, identify gaps, and guide integration plans.
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment and governance decisions.
• Mentor internal staff and transfer data governance capabilities.

Skills

Data governance

Stakeholder facilitation

Data modeling

Record matching

Data quality

Requirements gathering

Education

Advanced degree in data management / information systems

Tools

iMIS

Personify

NetForum

Fonteva

Job description

At Connect Centric, we are more than just consultants—we are partners committed to our clients' success. We take a hands-on approach, working closely with our clients to transform strategies into measurable, real-world outcomes. As a strategy execution team, we take full ownership of every initiative from start to finish, ensuring that our clients see tangible results, not just ideas.

Position Description

Connect Centric is seeking a Membership Data SME to lead a strategic data initiative for a national trade association. Over the next six months, you'll partner with the client's marketing and operations leadership to build foundational member data systems, establish sources of truth across disparate platforms, and create a roadmap for long-term data governance.

You’ll work across multiple enterprise systems (ERP, CRM, AMS, and supporting applications) to audit current state, identify inconsistencies, and define clear data requirements. Your expertise will directly shape how the organization understands and manages its member relationships. This is hands-on, practical work—not a theoretical exercise. You’ll lead the effort and actively partner with internal teams to turn strategy into actionable deliverables.

What You Will Do

Data Strategy and Requirements Definition

• Lead the design and development of a comprehensive data dictionary covering five core domains: Person/Contact, Organization/Account, Membership & Affiliation, Relationship & Engagement, and Reference & Master Data.
• Define clear, business-focused data requirements that translate member journey insights and strategic goals into technical specifications for implementation teams.
• Establish sources of truth and business rules for key data elements, ensuring consistency across multiple systems.
• Document member journeys, lifecycle stages (join, renew, lapse), member types, and organization-to-contact relationships and affiliations.

System Analysis and Data Integration

• Assess current state across the client's technology ecosystem: ERP platform, two CRM instances, association management system (AMS), and supporting applications.
• Identify data gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities for improved data quality and integration.
• Lead record matching, data cleanup, and reconciliation efforts across multiple systems.
• Recommend practical approaches to unify member data without imposing heavyweight or unrealistic frameworks.

Cross-Functional Leadership and Facilitation

• Facilitate agreement across marketing, operations, IT, and other stakeholders on data definitions, ownership, and accountability.
• Drive decision-making and closure on critical data governance questions.
• Translate complex data concepts into member and business terms for non-technical leaders.
• Assess existing work, clarify ambiguity, and establish practical priorities aligned with organizational readiness.

Knowledge Transfer and Capability Building

• Establish practical data ownership and stewardship structures that the client team can sustain independently.
• Transfer expertise to internal team members so they can own, evolve, and manage data governance after the engagement concludes.
• Document processes, decisions, and lessons learned to support long-term success.
• Mentor internal staff on data best practices specific to association and membership contexts.

Required Qualifications

• Significant membership data experience at trade or professional associations—in-house or as a consultant primarily serving associations.
• Deep working knowledge of member journeys, membership lifecycles (join, renew, lapse), member types, and organization-to-contact relationships and affiliations.
• Hands-on AMS platform experience (iMIS, Personify, NetForum, Fonteva, or similar), including data cleanup, integration, and migration work.
• Proven track record building data dictionaries, setting sources of truth and business rules, and leading record matching or reconciliation across multiple systems.
• Ability to turn business needs into clear data requirements that technical teams can execute.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills; ability to drive cross-functional agreement to closure.
• Comfort with ambiguity; ability to assess existing work and create clarity without a fully defined scope.
• Demonstrated ability to establish practical data ownership and stewardship structures.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in membership data, data strategy, or data governance roles.
• Experience building data governance frameworks in early-stage or transitional environments.
• Background in scientific, academic, nonprofit, or professional association organizations.
• Experience with ERP, CRM, or AMS implementations or migrations.
• Advanced degree in data management, business administration, or related field.

Position Details

• Position Type: Project-based contract (independent contractor or 1099). Full-time W-2 employment is not available for this engagement.
• Allocation: 50-75% (flexible based on project phases and client needs).
• Duration: Approximately 6 months, with potential extension into the broader data strategy roadmap based on performance and client needs.
• Location: Virtual (U.S. or international candidates welcome; ability to collaborate during standard U.S. business hours preferred).
• Start Date: Open.
• Compensation: Competitive contractor rates based on experience and allocation.