Membership & Operations Sr Associate at Smithbucklin

Oakland University; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Smithbucklin in Chicago seeks a Membership & Operations Sr Associate to support nonprofit volunteers and members from client organizations. You will handle member relations, provide admin support, liaison with committees, manage dues, registrations, reporting, and communications.

The role offers a hybrid work environment, a 40-hour week with potential extra hours, and a pay range of $52,000–$55,000. Smithbucklin is 100% employee‑owned and values optimism, ambition, and expertise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 1–2 years of relevant experience, including customer service or administrative support.
• Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.
• Ability to travel 5% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Build and sustain strong member relations and handle member requests and volunteer interactions.
• Provide administrative and project support, including database maintenance and reporting.
• Serve as staff liaison to client member committees.
• Coordinate and maintain financial projects, membership dues, registration and AP/AR.
• Write and produce content for association member e-newsletters and other electronic communications.
• Maintain association website with current information, benefits and member programs.
• Assist with preparation of conferences, board meetings and seminars.

Skills

Customer service

Written & verbal communication

Time management

Teamwork

Independence

Education

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Smithbucklin, a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, with primary offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C. is looking for aMembership & Operations Sr Associateto join our Association Management Unit in ourChicago office. The Membership and Operations Sr Associate plays an integral role in supporting and guiding the nonprofit volunteers and members from our client organizations.

At Smithbucklin, we embody a culture driven by optimism, ambition, expertise,andthoughtfulness, where every team member is empowered to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Join us in shaping the future of association management, where our values serve as the cornerstone of our success.

What You Will Do...

• Build and sustain strong member relations through attentive detail in handling member requests and volunteer interaction
• Provide administrative and project support to the client and staff team, including database maintenance and reporting
• Serve as staff liaison to client member committees
• Coordinate and maintain financial projects, membership dues, registration and AP/AR
• Write and produce content for association member e-newsletters and other electronic communications
• Maintain and update areas of the association website with current information, benefits, member programs, etc.
• Assist with the preparation of conferences, board meetings and seminars

This Role Might Be for You If…

• You have demonstrated exceptional customer service skills
• You exhibit strong written and verbal communication skills, with excellent attention to detail
• You have strong skills in time management and organization
• You display the ability to work independently and as part of a team

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
• 1-2 year of relevant professional experience, to include customer service and/or administrative support experience
• Proficiency with basic computer programming, including the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Ability to travel 5% of the time

Preferred Qualifications

• Practical agency or nonprofit experience is a plus
• Previous experience managing website content is a plus
• Database management experience is a plus
• Web editing experience (Dreamweaver or HTML experience) is a plus

Where Do You Fit?

Whether you are just beginning your career or are a mid- or senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferrable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people – regardless of position or compensation – an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.

Our hybrid environment offers you the option of working from home two days per week. Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines.

Smithbucklin considers several factors when determining compensation, including a candidate's recent coursework, training, experience, and certifications, among other considerations. The expected pay for this role is $52,000 - $55,000.

At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.

Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment, you must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.