What does a membership manager do?
A membership manager organizes development, membership activities, and relations for a membership association. They manage the membership database, oversee the customer service process to ensure members are satisfied, and also update the information for current members as well as prospective members. Managers also provide rule handbooks and membership certificates to each member, coordinate membership procedures including orientation and registration, manage payroll, general club marketing, member prospecting, and sales activities. Membership managers also update company policies in accordance with the Medicare website and distribute updated policy changes to appropriate personnel.
Membership manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real membership manager resumes:
- Manage finances for organization using QuickBooks.
- Construct, analyze, and revise Google Adwords, and Facebook marketing campaigns.
- Utilize and navigate state government websites to determine Medicaid eligibility.
- Update company policies in accordance to Medicare website regarding updates and requirements and distribute updated policy changes to appropriate personnel.
- Promote and acquire new Costco memberships through direct business-to-business contact.
Membership manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Membership Managers are proficient in Corrective Action, Customer Service, and Member Database. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Creativity, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Membership Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Corrective Action, 12%
Track ongoing membership expenditures and revenue, taking immediate corrective action when necessary.
- Customer Service, 10%
Provide administrative support and training of company software/ reporting procedures while providing high-quality customer service to members and staff.
- Member Database, 10%
Maintained paper, and electronic member database.
- Promotional Materials, 8%
Develop marketing and promotional materials and meeting related communications and coordination.
- Membership Sales, 7%
Raised new membership sales in the field by more than 20% by developing an effective outside sales team.
- CRM, 6%
Tracked all incoming leads and followed up with all current leads while maintaining a large CRM database.
Most membership managers use their skills in "corrective action," "customer service," and "member database" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential membership manager responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a membership manager to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization." Additionally, a membership manager resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "use database analysis to provide critical analysis of the membership program. "
Creativity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling membership manager duties is creativity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas." According to a membership manager resume, here's how membership managers can utilize creativity in their job responsibilities: "drafted and strategized digital marketing for creative and advocacy driven fundraising campaigns to over 150,000 constituents via luminate online. "
Organizational skills. membership managers are also known for organizational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to membership manager responsibilities, because "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members." A membership manager resume example shows how organizational skills is used in the workplace: "collaborated with statewide team to further organizational promotions, crm strategies for all levels of membership. "
Communication skills. A big part of what membership managers do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to membership manager responsibilities because "managers must be able to communicate effectively with a broad-based team made up of other managers or staff members during the advertising, promotions, and marketing process." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical membership manager tasks: "developed and produced marketing materials: press releases, advertising copy, external communications. "
The three companies that hire the most membership managers are:
- Cabela's15 membership managers jobs
- Bass Pro Shops13 membership managers jobs
- Driven Brands3 membership managers jobs
Compare different membership managers
Membership manager vs. Associate director
An associate director oversees the daily activities and business operations within a particular area. They are primarily responsible for devising strategies that aim for growth in profit and customer satisfaction, implementing policies and standards, evaluate the workforce, providing support to various departments, and setting goals in terms of budget and sales. Furthermore, they must regularly report progress to the director and coordinate with managers and supervisors in the joint effort to reach the vision and mission of the company.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a membership manager are more likely to require skills like "corrective action," "member database," "promotional materials," and "membership sales." On the other hand, a job as an associate director requires skills like "patients," "healthcare," "project management," and "oversight." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Associate directors tend to make the most money working in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $143,618. In contrast, membership managers make the biggest average salary, $55,507, in the non profits industry.The education levels that associate directors earn slightly differ from membership managers. In particular, associate directors are 12.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a membership manager. Additionally, they're 4.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Membership manager vs. Project director
A project director is an individual responsible for supervising workers from various departments given specific tasks to complete a given project. They create a budget to complete a job while monitoring the amount of money spent to ensure that overspending is avoided. They provide presentations to investors, business partners, and company executives to inform them about their progress and development. Project directors must have several years of experience and obtain at least a bachelor's degree in business economics or a related field to be hired.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that membership manager responsibilities requires skills like "corrective action," "customer service," "member database," and "promotional materials." But a project director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "project management," "oversight," "customer satisfaction," and "hr."
Project directors earn a higher average salary than membership managers. But project directors earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $106,707. Additionally, membership managers earn the highest salaries in the non profits with average pay of $55,507 annually.project directors earn higher levels of education than membership managers in general. They're 12.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Membership manager vs. Project administrator
A project administrator is an individual who assists the project manager in the preparation, reporting, and analysis of projects. Project administrators are given tasks with administrative responsibilities such as managing the budget for supply orders, coordinating meetings with contractors, and doing site visits. They are involved with hiring staff members for a project and creating employee guidelines based on talents, skills, and abilities. Project administrators are also responsible for providing reports on the project's progress to the top management.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from membership manager resumes include skills like "corrective action," "member database," "promotional materials," and "membership sales," whereas a project administrator is more likely to list skills in "project management," "purchase orders," "powerpoint," and "data entry. "
Project administrators earn the best pay in the construction industry, where they command an average salary of $66,237. Membership managers earn the highest pay from the non profits industry, with an average salary of $55,507.Most project administrators achieve a similar degree level compared to membership managers. For example, they're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Membership manager vs. Management associate
A management associate is responsible for assisting the management operations, supporting administrative and clerical tasks, and coordinating with other departments for project support to meet the organization's objectives and profitability goals. Management associates often respond to clients' inquiries and concerns on behalf of the executives, documenting their needs, and immediately escalating high-level complaints to appropriate personnel. They also meet with suppliers and other third-party vendors, negotiating contracts for business needs. A management associate must have excellent communication, be organized, and have time-management skills to perform duties in a fast-paced environment.
Types of membership manager
Updated January 8, 2025
