Sr. Director of Member Engagement

About Us C&S sparks young people to help build a strong and thriving America. Our work is grounded in a simple belief: young people with ideas make our country stronger. We meet young people where they are—on campuses, at work, and in their communities—and give them the tools, support, and space to lead real change. Across all our work, C&S helps young people practice three essential civic skills: having productive conversations; using credible information; and collaborating to create solutions. Learn more at cands.org . Today, we reach more than a million young people on campuses through our College Presidents for Civic Preparedness (CP2) coalition, which brings together campus leaders from diverse ideologies, backgrounds, and institutional types to equip the next generation of students with the tools they need to become civic problem-solvers. In just three years, the coalition has grown from 15 founding members to more than 140 presidents. Now we’re building on that momentum. With a clear plan and the funding in place, we aim to grow CP2 to 500 institutions reaching 5 million students over the next five years. Position Overview The Senior Director of Member Engagement owns the strategy for driving continued growth of College Presidents for Civic Preparedness and deepening members’ participation. They are responsible for developing plans and tactics for meeting membership goals and engagement, making sure every member has a clear path from joining to active involvement in CP2 events and programs to focused and sustained campuswide efforts to transform campus culture. The Senior Director brings the executive presence to represent C&S with confidence in rooms with college presidents, senior campus leaders, and higher education partners, working alongside C&S’s President and EVP/Chief Program Officer to strengthen those relationships. The Senior Director will initially manage a team of two, which will grow over time as the membership grows. The current team includes a Relationship Manager focused on recruitment and member engagement, and a Director of Events responsible for CP2’s virtual and in-person events. This is a hands-on leadership role: while setting strategy, the Senior Director will also work alongside the Relationship Manager on outreach, messaging, and day-to-day relationship management, especially as the team grows. The role reports to the EVP/Chief Program Officer, and works closely with the C&S President, Communications team, and colleagues across the CP2 program team. C&S is a remote workplace with staff across the country. We gather in person several times each year at our headquarters at the Carnegie Center in Princeton, NJ, for events that build trust and teamwork. Program-specific travel may be required from time to time; however, most time will be spent working remotely from your home base. Key Responsibilities Coalition Growth Develops and leads execution of a market-informed recruitment strategy that identifies and prioritizes prospective member presidents, with a focus on building a coalition that reflects the make-up of U.S. higher education Maintains a clear picture of the higher education market to identify gaps in the coalition and the institutions best positioned to join Builds recruitment pathways through member referrals, partner and stakeholder introductions, higher education associations, events, and targeted outreach Oversees outreach campaigns, working with Communications, including marketing and segmentation strategies Owns the recruitment pipeline and CRM, with accountability for monitoring and reporting on coalition growth against targets Monitors developments in higher education, such as policy changes, leadership transitions, and emerging trends, and turns them into opportunities by adjusting recruitment strategies and proposing new ways to engage institutions as the landscape shifts Member Engagement Works closely with the President and EVP to steward the member experience, from first contact through onboarding, active engagement, and commitment to campuswide culture change Designs a tiered engagement model that deepens relationships with member presidents and their campus teams through structured, ongoing touch points Works closely with colleagues leading CP2 programmatic offerings to develop deep knowledge and drive member participation in those offerings Develops and executes sales strategies for the Faculty Institute, ensuring that earned income targets are met Oversees CP2 event planning and execution through the Event Manager, ensuring high-quality experiences for presidents and their teams. Identifies trends and developments in the sector that may impact member needs and interests and translates them into recommendations for CP2 programming and partnerships Works with Communications to coordinate strategic communications, including newsletters, coalition-wide emails, and new member announcements Team Management Supervises, coaches, and develops the Relationship Manager and Director of Events, setting clear priorities and goals Works side by side with the Relationship Manager on recruitment outreach, member messaging, and relationship management, stepping in directly when priorities and/or volume require Oversee the Director of Events in planning member events for CP2, particularly in developing agendas and creating strategies for ensuring member engagement and participation Supervises, coaches, and develops the Relationship Manager and Director of Events, setting clear priorities and goals Builds team systems, workflows, and shared standards for recruitment, engagement, and events Manages related budgets and vendor relationships Data and Reporting Establishes systems for tracking and reporting member pipeline, activity, engagement, and retention Ensures member, prospect, and institutional data is accurate and accessible across the CP2 team Uses data to inform decisions and to support external messaging and storytelling Qualifications and Attributes Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required 10-15 years of experience in membership development, partnerships, sales, or relationship management, ideally aimed at or working with senior leaders Proven track record of building a strategic pipeline, cultivating relationships with senior decision-makers, and meeting recruitment, enrollment, or growth goals A hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves approach, with comfort moving between strategy and execution, including writing outreach and managing relationships directly Experience planning or overseeing high-quality virtual and in-person events for senior audiences Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the executive presence and judgment to represent C&S with college presidents and senior campus leaders Comfort with CRM systems and data tracking, and the ability to turn data and market research into insight, priorities, and reports Strong organization and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities Ability to work with people across ideological, institutional, and personal differences Ability to travel periodically for coalition-related events Knowledge of or experience working in higher education preferred Authorization to work in the United States Our Core Values We are constantly learning and improving. We test and refine new ideas and learn from our mistakes. We dare to question old solutions. We seek opportunities to collaborate with our diverse team; different backgrounds, skill sets, and thinking styles give us valuable new perspectives. We share knowledge and insights with each other to help us grow as individuals and as an organization. We value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for all. We believe that we are stronger for our differences, and we acknowledge, respect, and appreciate them. We actively work with and learn from everyone—across all demographics, backgrounds, ideologies, and geographies. We identify areas where we differ and, for