Membership Specialist

Science Friday Initiative; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Generous paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Science Friday is seeking a Membership Specialist to lead day-to-day membership operations, improve member experience, and grow the digital membership base across platforms. You will manage renewals, communications, and data integrity in the CRM, while coordinating benefits and vendor relationships.

You will collaborate with development and audience teams to optimize donor engagement, execute appeals, and monitor performance metrics.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree or equivalent required.
• 2+ years in digital fundraising or donor development preferred.
• Experience with donor CRM and digital campaigns is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Build pathways that convert listeners into paying members and drive retention.
• Provide exceptional member support by phone, email, and live chat.
• Manage day-to-day membership operations including onboarding, benefits, renewals, and troubleshooting.
• Develop and manage SMS campaigns and engagement for the membership team.
• Collaborate on branding and member communications across teams.

Skills

Written communication

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Creative thinking

Audience development

Membership platforms

Editing/writing

Data-driven decisions

Multitasking

Education

BA/BS

Tools

Charity Engine

Supercast

SupportingCast

Patreon

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

In coordination with members of our development, audience, and audio teams, the Membership Specialist facilitates and guides the day-to-day operations of Science Friday’s membership activities and serves as a key point of contact for members and prospective members. This role assists with member communications, renewals, and database maintenance to ensure accurate and up-to-date records.

As the primary facilitator of the Membership experience, will work collaboratively across teams to ensure the growth of Science Friday’s digital membership base and build a sustainable pipeline of support for the organization’s mission-driven programming. This person is responsible for maintaining database integrity for members and donors using Charity Engine and regularly updating member and donor information as needed. This position will be responsible for executing on member benefits, including but not limited to overseeing merchandise fulfillment, addressing technical difficulties for members in Supercast and other audio distribution platforms, and management of a members-only store.

Additional responsibilities include drafting membership appeals and marketing efforts, making recommendations for and coordinating new member benefits, and supporting new member onboarding.

Reports to: Annual Giving Manager

Location: Remote or hybrid. Science Friday’s headquarters are in New York City, but we offer considerable WFH flexibility for both local and remote employees. Applicants based in the greater NYC area are preferred, but remote applicants are welcome. Science Friday’s WFH policy requires that every full time employee, regardless of location, work from the New York City office or studio for a minimum of 24 days per year. Conferences, work-related events, off-site meetings will count towards that total. Unless otherwise indicated, travel to the office is at the expense of the employee.

Type: Full-time, exempt. This is a full-time role that includes benefits. Science Friday offers competitive compensation with medical, dental, and vision insurance, and generous time off benefits including vacation, sick time, and parental leave as well as 401K contributions, mental health support, FSA/HSA, and great science books for free.

About Science Friday: Founded by Ira Flatow in 1991, Science Friday built its reputation as a public radio talk show broadcast on Fridays, which focused on science news and connecting the public with science innovation through interviews with experts. From supermassive black holes to superbugs, Science Friday brings you entertaining and educational conversations about science, technology, and health. Hosted by veteran journalist and founder Ira Flatow and Emmy-nominated Flora Lichtman, Science Friday connects you with the latest discoveries, coolest innovations, and smartest minds in science and tech—served with curiosity, clarity, and fun. Science Friday is a 100% publicly-funded nonprofit. As such, all SciFri staff are expected to contribute to fundraising efforts including supporting grant ideation, editing, writing, annual appeals, social media posts, donor events, and encouraging their networks to support independent, nonprofit news like Science Friday.

At Science Friday we emphasize communication and encourage collaboration. Active listening, idea sharing, teamwork, and fostering an inclusive and supportive environment will help us achieve our shared goals.

All employees of Science Friday are invited and encouraged to participate in at least one board meeting per year. This transparency between our board and staff allows our hybrid team to calibrate quarterly and supports staff in learning about the often opaque governance structure of nonprofits. The organization is committed to this effort and will reimburse staff for expenses related to that annual meeting. SciFri also encourages staff to serve on boards and/or volunteer in the community with our flexible PTO plan and hybrid remote model.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES

• Responsible for building the pathways that turn casual listeners into paying members and maintaining retention
• Provide exceptional member support to all members, inquiring/prospective members, as well as those leaving the program
• Run day-to-day membership operations: onboarding, benefits delivery, renewals, and troubleshooting technical issues in a timely manner
• Develop and manage SMS (text) campaigns and engagement for the membership team .
• Collaborate with Audience and Editorial teams to develop branding and member communications consistent with the Science Friday brand and voice
• Serve as primary contact for membership enrollment platform: Supercast
• Collaborate with the entire Development team in sending stewardship and cultivation emails.
• Accurately verify, update, and maintain member information within Science Friday CRM system and other relevant databases.
• Monitor and analyze email and SMS performance using analytics tools. Provide regular reports on key metrics, such as acquisition, engagement, and revenue. Present real analysis, not just dashboards and use insights to optimize and adjust strategies as needed.
• Meet revenue goals established by the Annual Giving Manager.
• Collaborate with other team members to foster a positive and productive culture and contribute toward the overall growth of the membership program at Science Friday
• Provide exceptional customer service to members via phone, email, and live chat;
• Identify, track, and communicate podcast errors, escalating larger issues to appropriate team members;
• Contribute to written support materials to our website including knowledge base articles and internal support documents
• Oversee and manage all member merchandise and benefits details
• As needed, facilitate relationships and contracts with outside vendors, freelancers or contractors supporting membership operations
• Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice

REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling messages and engage various audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience in interpreting data and using it to drive decision-making.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Creative thinking and a passion for developing innovative strategies to drive engagement and donations.
• Real experience in audience development, membership, or digital media operations.
• Experience using membership and subscription platforms with a working understanding of what actually drives conversion and retention
• Strong writing and editing skills. Ability to prepare emails, social captions, and scripts for promotion
• Comfort using data to inform decisions and explain them
• Ability to work without close supervision and manage multiple things at once without dropping them

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• BA/BS
• 2+ years of experience in digital fundraising or development.
• Experience with Supercast, SupportingCast, Patreon, or similar platforms
• Minimum 2 years’ experience with a donor CRM (preferably Charity Engine); including ability to track revenue and donor and sales lifecycles.
• Proven track record of successful fundraising campaigns and donor engagement through digital communications.
• Proficiency in email marketing tools and platforms, including A/B testing.
• Proficiency with Google Suite with advanced Excel experience preferred

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to view data on a computer screen for long periods of time
• Ability to regularly type on a keyboard
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods

What We Offer

• Salary range: $60,000 - $82,000, commensurate with experience and location.
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance; retirement plan with employer contribution; generous paid time off; and paid parental leave after one year of employment.
• A mission-driven, collaborative, and creative work environment that values curiosity, inclusion, and experimentation

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.