Vice President, Membership & Strategic Development

Aerospace Industries Association; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 195,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

In-office leadership role

Job summary

AIA in Arlington, Virginia seeks a strategic leader to guide membership and engagement. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of External Affairs, the Vice President of Membership & Strategic Development will strengthen relationships with major member companies, recruit new members, and stabilize the function during leadership transitions.

The role requires proactive relationship building with executives, thoughtful engagement plans, and collaboration across policy and program teams to align

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in a senior management role in government, an association, or aerospace-related corporation.
• Working knowledge of the aerospace and defense industry.
• Ability to market the value of membership to maintain and grow retention, including engaging new markets.
• Vision to translate strategy into programs that increase AIA membership.
• Superb interpersonal skills and integrity.
• Experience in membership, business development, or customer service with supervisory responsibilities.
• Experience using technology as a management tool.
• Adept at motivating teams and fostering a positive organizational culture.
• Experience in developing and managing departmental budgets.

Responsibilities

• Provide steady leadership to the Membership Department with clear roles and responsibilities.
• Streamline processes to improve responsiveness and effectiveness.
• Maintain in-office presence (3+ days/week) to work directly with staff and colleagues.
• Build and strengthen relationships with members and respond to feedback.
• Develop engagement plans linking members to policy work, councils, and events.
• Collaborate with Policy Vice Presidents to align initiatives with member priorities.
• Identify and pursue new membership opportunities with aerospace-related firms.
• Develop compelling value propositions for prospective members.
• Support leadership in outreach to target companies.
• Develop tracking tools and metrics for retention and recruitment.
• Provide input to policy divisions to reflect member priorities.
• Help design transition strategies to communicate changes to members.
• Stabilize membership during leadership transitions and plan for long-term success.

Skills

Senior management

Relationship building

Membership management

New member recruitment

Strategic development

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/public policy/aerospace

Job description

The Vice President of Membership & Strategic Development will report directly to the Senior Vice President of External Affairs. The focus will be on strengthening relationships with AIA’s most significant member companies, recruiting new members to ensure AIA continues to reflect the A&D ecosystem, stabilizing the membership function during this transition, and positioning the team for long-term success. This includes direct engagement with member company executives, targeted new member recruitment, and day-to-day leadership of the Membership team.

A key part of the role will also be working with AIA’s Policy Vice Presidents and senior staff to make membership a shared responsibility across the association. The VP will assist AIA leadership as they consider major changes to the overall membership structure and benefits, helping to gather input, test ideas with members, and ensure that any transition is communicated clearly and effectively. Success in this highly visible role will require proactivity, exceptional relationship-building skills, and the charisma to engage senior executives, inspire confidence, and strengthen members’ connection to AIA.

The salary range for this role is $195,000 to $215,000 annually, with higher compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Provide steady leadership to the Membership Department, ensuring clear roles and responsibilities for each team member.
• Streamline processes to improve responsiveness and effectiveness.
• Maintain a regular in-office presence (3+ days/week) to work directly with staff and colleagues.

Member Retention & Engagement

• Build and strengthen relationships with members and demonstrate follow-up on member feedback.
• Develop tailored engagement plans that connect members to AIA’s policy work, councils, and major events.
• Collaborate with Policy Vice Presidents to align initiatives with member priorities and demonstrate the value of engagement.

New Member Recruitment

• Identify and pursue new membership opportunities, particularly among new entrants and companies adjacent to the aerospace and defense sector.
• Develop and deliver compelling value propositions for prospective members.
• Support the President and senior leadership in outreach to target companies.

Coordination & Communication

• Strengthen communication between the Membership team and Policy divisions to ensure member concerns and opportunities are consistently addressed.
• Provide regular updates and strategic recommendations to the President and executive leadership team.
• Develop tracking tools and metrics to measure progress on retention and recruitment,
• Provide input to policy divisions to ensure member priorities are reflected in AIA’s advocacy and program planning.
• Support the President and senior leadership as AIA explores changes to the overall membership structure and dues model.
• Provide feedback based on member interviews, retention trends, and industry benchmarks.
• Help design and communicate transition strategies to ensure changes are understood and supported by the membership base.

Transition Objectives

• Stabilize the membership function during leadership transitions.
• Position the team for long-term success through strategic planning and operational improvements.
• Ensure continuity of member engagement, recruitment, retention, and sponsorship efforts.

Qualifications and Experience:

Desired Skills/Experience

• A minimum of five years in a senior management role in government, an association, or aerospace-related corporation.
• Working knowledge of the aerospace and defense industry.
• Ability to effectively market the vision, programs, and value of membership in AIA to maintain and increase membership including reaching and/or expanding into new or untapped markets.
• A vision and the ability to translate that vision into programs that increase AIA membership including reaching and/or expanding into new or emerging markets.
• Superb interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work collegially with others and with the highest standards of integrity.
• Specific expertise in membership, business development, or customer service, including prior-supervisory experience in a membership-based organization, association, or aerospace/defense-related corporation.
• Superb interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work collegially with others and with the highest standards of integrity.
• Demonstrated experience and success in the use of technology as a management tool.
• Adept in motivating teams, fostering a positive organizational culture and employee engagement.
• Experience in developing and managing departmental budgets.

Education

• Bachelors’ degree in business, public policy, or aerospace related fields preferred

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

AIA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace, committed to non-discrimination regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity/expression, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

This job description is not intended to be a complete statement of all duties, which may be assigned by the supervisor according to varying business needs.