The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is the leading association for public sector waste and resource management professionals across North America. With 47 Chapters spanning the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin, SWANA connects a diverse network of industry professionals committed to advancing from waste management to resource management. We support our members through technical education, training, credentialing, and research, while also advocating for the essential role our industry plays in protecting public health, supporting the economy, and building sustainable communities.
Role Overview
SWANA is seeking a strategic, analytically driven, and relationship-oriented leader to serve as Director of Membership. This senior role owns the full membership function and is accountable for delivering sustainable growth in membership numbers, dues revenue, and member engagement across SWANA's individual and corporate membership programs.
The Director of Membership provides strategic direction for all aspects of the member lifecycle, from prospecting and acquisition through onboarding, renewal, and long-term retention. This includes direct responsibility for SWANA's Team Advantage corporate membership program, which provides organizations with a powerful platform for engaging their entire workforce with the association. The Director also serves as a senior advisor to SWANA leadership, providing data-driven insights and strategic recommendations on membership trends, market opportunities, and organizational performance.
This role directly supervises a team of 3-5 employees, and works cross-functionally with the education, marketing, and events teams to ensure a cohesive and high-value member experience.
Key Responsibilities
Membership Strategy & Revenue Growth
Own and deliver SWANA's annual membership dues revenue goals, including targets for both individual and corporate (Team Advantage) memberships.
Develop and execute a comprehensive membership strategy encompassing acquisition, onboarding, renewal, win-back, and long-term retention across all member segments.
Lead direct outreach and relationship-building with prospective corporate members, serving as SWANA's primary salesperson for the Team Advantage program, communicating value, negotiating agreements, and closing new accounts.
Identify and pursue growth opportunities through market segmentation, pricing strategy, new member categories, and strategic partnerships.
Develop and manage the annual membership operating budget, tracking performance against projections and adjusting strategies as needed.
Provide regular forecasting and pipeline reporting on membership revenue performance.
Member Experience & Retention
Champion a member-first culture across SWANA, ensuring that every touchpoint, from application to renewal, reflects the association's commitment to value and service excellence.
Oversee the design and continuous improvement of member benefits, programs, and services, ensuring alignment with member needs across individual, chapter, and corporate segments.
Ensure timely, high-quality service delivery through the Member Services support team, maintaining responsive support and resolution of member inquiries and issues.
Develop and maintain a robust member onboarding experience that accelerates engagement and builds early loyalty.
Oversee all dues and renewal communications, ensuring messaging is value-forward, timely, and strategically sequenced.
Gather and analyze member feedback to identify gaps in service, emerging needs, and opportunities for innovation.
Data, Analytics & Strategic Reporting
Serve as SWANA's foremost internal expert on membership data, trends, and performance analytics.
Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for membership growth, retention rate, renewal rate, engagement, and revenue — and report regularly to senior leadership and the Board.
Develop and present data-driven strategic recommendations to SWANA leadership and governance on membership opportunities, risks, and program investments.
Leverage the AMS and reporting tools to maintain a real-time understanding of membership health across segments, geographies, and member categories.
Conduct market research and competitive analysis to benchmark SWANA's membership offering and inform strategic planning.
Produce regular, accurate membership reports supporting financial reconciliation, Board updates, recruitment and retention campaigns, and chapter engagement.
Team Leadership & Operations
Directly supervise and develop the Membership team, set clear goals, provide coaching, and hold the team accountable to outcomes.
Ensure effective execution of all membership operational processes, including applications, renewals, database management, member communications, and reporting workflows.
Oversee data integrity standards and AMS governance in partnership with the Manager, Association Database & Technology, ensuring accurate and complete member records.
Manage membership-related vendor and partner relationships, ensuring performance, alignment, and value delivery.
Develop, document, and continuously improve membership operational procedures and annual process calendars.
Collaborate closely with the education, marketing, and events teams to align membership strategy with SWANA's broader organizational goals and programs.
Partner with the marketing team to develop compelling membership recruitment and renewal campaigns, materials, and digital content.
Serve as staff liaison to the Membership Committee, preparing reports, meeting materials, and action item follow-up.
Represent SWANA at industry conferences, chapter events, trade shows, and corporate member engagements to drive visibility, recruitment, and relationship development.
Collaborate with SWANA's chapter network to support local membership recruitment and retention efforts, providing data, tools, and strategic guidance to chapter leaders.
Interpret and enforce SWANA's governance documents as they relate to membership eligibility, dues, and compliance.
Why SWANA?
Be part of an evolution: Help shape the next chapter of SWANA’s transformation from waste to resource management.
Meaningful mission: Contribute to sustainability, safety, and innovation across communities and industry.
Purpose-driven team: Work with professionals aligned around SWANA’s strategic pillars: safety, sustainability, professional development, and member value.
Work with flexibility: Hybrid-remote options plus a benefits package that includes generous leave, medical choices (including employer-funded HSA), and employer-paid life and disability.
How to Apply
Submit your resume, cover letter, and salary expectations to hr@swana.org. SWANA is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified candidates will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or veteran status.
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, nonprofit management, communications, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience.
Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in membership management, association operations, or a related nonprofit environment.
Demonstrated success in driving measurable membership growth, revenue performance, and retention results.
Experience with corporate or institutional membership sales, including direct outreach, value proposition development, and account management.
Strong analytical capability, comfortable building reports, interpreting trends, and translating data into strategic recommendations for leadership and boards.
Proficiency with association management systems (AMS); Impexium or re:Members experience highly preferred.
Minimum of 2 years of supervisory or team leadership experience, with a track record of developing staff and building high-performing teams.
Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills; ability to engage effectively with members, volunteer leaders, corporate partners, and colleagues at all levels.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing member-facing correspondence, presentations, and strategic documents.
Ability and willingness to travel up to 20-30% of the time for member engagement, chapter visits, industry events, and conferences.
Must be based in the Washington D.C. area.
Preferred
Master's degree in a relevant field, or Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential.
Experience managing a corporate or tiered membership program (e.g., group, team, or organizational memberships).
Familiarity with the solid waste, environmental services, sustainability, or public works sectors or demonstrated ability to quickly develop industry fluency.
Proficiency in Excel and business intelligence tools (e.g., Power BI) for data analysis and reporting.
Experience presenting to boards, executive leadership, or governance committees.
Knowledge of membership pricing strategies, dues modeling, and revenue forecasting methodologies.
The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is an organization of more than 10,000 public and private sector professionals committed to advancing from solid waste management to resource management through their shared emphasis on education, advocacy and research. For more than 60 years, SWANA has been the leading association in the solid waste management field. SWANA serves industry professionals through technical conferences, certifications, publications and a large offering of technical training courses.
SWANA is now the largest member based solid waste association in the world with 47 Chapters, in the U.S, Canada and the Caribbean and over 10,000 members. SWANA is the US and Canadian National Member of the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), and participates and supports ISWA events and programs.
SWANA’s prominent and nationally acclaimed technical conferences and training programs cover all aspects of integrated municipal solid waste management, and the Association is a major policy and technical representative of solid waste management practitioners, executives, companies and government organizations.
