Director, New Member Acquisition

Application Deadline: Friday, Apr 07, 2017

Description

Chicago Public Media is one of the largest and most respected public media organizations in the country.  With an unparalleled reputation for creativity and innovation across all platforms, Chicago Public Media provides substantive news and insights, thoughtful conversation and meaningful connections to its diverse audiences throughout the Chicago area, as well as nationally and globally.

At Chicago Public Media we offer the following benefits and perks:

• 403(b) with 4% matching
• A comprehensive health benefit plan including dental and vision
• Free donuts on Fridays
• Paid parental leave

About the role:

Chicago Public Media is transforming the way we acquire new members, and we are looking for the right candidate to lead those efforts. The Director, New Member Acquisition, is responsible for leading WBEZ’s new member acquisition strategy across all channels—on-air, through podcasts and digital media. Leveraging digital and on-air fundraising techniques, you will create a cohesive and engaging omnichannel journey for prospective members that drives new member conversion that generates meaningful lifetime value. This highly visible role is responsible for generating a significant portion of the institution’s operating revenue on an annual basis thereby enabling the continued expansion of WBEZ’s journalistic mission. You will lead a diverse group of collaborators to ideate, plan, and execute all aspects of new member acquisition and set the strategy, establish and track goals, and guide station-wide participation. The right candidate will need to drive transformative growth, generating double-digit annual increases in new member counts. You will manage and mentor a team to ensure new and existing member growth objectives are met on an annual basis.

Responsibilities:

• Set the strategy and define the roadmap for new member acquisition via on-air, podcast and digital fundraising.
• Develop and lead a multi-channel plan for identifying prospects and converting them to new members.
• Direct and execute all on-air fundraising activities including, quarterly on-air and off-air pledge drives and evergreen membership spot campaigns.
• Test, optimize and scale digital-only campaigns to acquire new members and reduce reliance on pledge drives.
• Develop and execute podcast fundraising strategies.
• Collaborate across the institution to foster strong internal relationships to support on-air fundraising participation and buy-in.
• Act as a thought leader in the membership team by identifying new tactics and opportunities to drive transformative growth in new member acquisition.
• Develop and maintain external relationships with peer organizations to inform, benchmark and guide WBEZ performance.

Skills and experience we are looking for:

• 7+ years of progressive responsibility, ideally in public media fundraising in a top 20 market.
• Bachelor’s Degree in marketing, advertising or relevant on-the-job experience.
• Experience managing and building a team of engaged direct reports.
• Ability to handle multiple responsibilities, establish priorities and consistently meet required deadlines.
• Demonstrated analytical skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Detail-oriented and organized.
• Exhibit enthusiasm, passion, creativity and commitment.

At Chicago Public Media, we are looking for people who are curious about the world and have an excitement for the mission of independent, nonprofit journalism. If it sounds like you would be a good fit for our team, apply today.

Chicago Public Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer, an Affirmative Action Employer and actively seeks talented people from all walks of life.

For additional information about this position, please contact: