Director of Membership Services (DMS)

Position Title: Director of Membership Services

Direct supervisor: Executive Director

Location: Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Period: 24 Months renewable with a 6 months’ probation period

Starting date: October,1st 2021

The Director of Member Services will be a strategic thought partner and will report to the Executive Director (ED). The successful candidate will be a hands-on and participative manager and lead an internal team to support the following areas: Membership strategy development and implementation; Membership engagement / marketing and membership management; Gender action planning and promotion of gender equity; Communication, knowledge sharing, events organization (conferences, congresses, workshops, etc.), and AfWA professional networks management. 

The Director of Member Services will play a critical role with the senior management team (SMT) in the decision-making and strategic operations of AfWA. The SMT is composed by the Executive Director, the Director of Programs and Finance & Strategy Director. Depending on the action/action to be tackle The Director of Member Services will have to worked closely in excellent communication with each of the SMT’ member for the furtherance of the stated goals of the Membership Services Department and AfWA’ strategic development goals.

He / She is a member of the AfWA Membership Engagement and Development Committee. This committee is subcommittee of the Executive Board with the objective of ruling on issues relating to the management and growth of membership of the organization.

The Director of Member Services is responsible for the management and monitoring of the members of the association. As a member of the senior management team, he / she participates in various strategic and operational decisions regarding members and essential member services. The Director of Member Services is responsible for developing and implementing the strategy aimed at developing the portfolio of members and providing services that meet the specific needs of members. He / She initiates and coordinates the implementation of activities aimed at stimulating the growth of the number, fostering loyalty and the return of members who for whatever reason have given in to discouragement. The Director of Member Services will produce analysis reports on member data, recruitment campaign results and member engagement with a view to continuous improvement of the added value of the association for the members. He / she supervises a team of staff composed of database manager, communication manager, marketing and knowledge management and sharing. He / She follows on a daily basis the activities carried out for the benefit of members and those related to the collection of members' rights.

 RESPONSABILITIES :

Membership Strategy and Management and analysis of member data:

• Develop and regularly update the membership and retention strategy for members,
• Regularly conduct member satisfaction surveys and needs analysis to inform this membership strategy and commitment to AfWA,
• Directs and supervises the activities and services  for the members of the organization.
• Develop a membership reporting system to inform leadership decision making.
• Create, update a database of members, and disseminate information to members in real time based on demand.
• Help determine membership fees and contribute to broader strategic financial planning.
• Effectively communicate and present important issues regarding membership and member services to the Membership Engagement and Development Committee.
• Supervise the management of the AfWA databases and in particular the members and benchmarking database of water and sanitation utilities and service management units,
• Establish baseline data on member satisfaction and a periodic review process.
• Protect member data and ensure the integrity of the member database.
• Undertake membership analysis in order to periodically make contributions to AfWA's strategic plan.
• Develop and monitor performance indicators for the purpose of benchmarking and fostering negotiations with donors for the implementation of performance improvement projects.
• Set up a management system including data collection and analysis, research on best practices, membership mapping, development, and recommendation of alternative solutions for improvement.
• As a member of the management team, contribute to organizational development and budget.
• Compile, analyze and provide monthly member reports.

 Commitment, Retaining and Development of the database of members:

• Examine issues of membership policy and sustainable membership management, strategic planning from a short- and long-term perspective.
• Develop and implement strategies to increase member satisfaction, membership, renewal, and retention.
• Ensure membership goals are met or exceeded, and pay close attention to member inquiries and feedback, member satisfaction should be closely monitored.
• Supervise and contribute directly to the generation of additional income from new members, the return of old ones and new categories of members.
• Support the vice-presidents in the development and implementation of regional action plans considering the mobilization of members in the regions and meeting the specific needs of members,
• Communicate directly with and learn from members using a variety of continuous improvement tools, including surveys, feedback forms and direct dialogue.
• Help determine the amount of membership dues that stimulates their membership.
• Coordinate the marketing and communications team to develop creative concepts and write content for calls, renewals, and welcome kits for members.
• Effectively communicate and present important membership issues to the Member Engagement and Development Committee.

 Development of new products and services with high added value for members:

• Develop, implement, and promote online services (bookstore, webinars, calls for tenders, database of consultants, advertising, etc.) for the benefit of members.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of an organization's networking strategy in a spirit of complementarity of service offers to members,
• Support the animation of professional networks (young people, women, mayors, emptiers, etc.) to strengthen their interest in the association,
• Identify, develop, and implement new products, including events, which could contribute to income generation.

 Administration and operations:

• In collaboration with the DEx and the senior management team, develop the AfWA strategy and strategic plans.
• Initiate and execute activities in support of organizational goals and be responsible for providing business process solutions to meet member expectations.
• Participate in the formulation of the overall strategic direction of the organization.
• Compile and write reports on key business metrics and operational parameters.
• Oversee all aspects of the membership fee structure,
• Participate in the invoicing and collection process, including regularly assessing the competitiveness and fairness of contribution rates, monitoring the flow of revenue, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Supervise the administrative staff of the Member Services, Marketing and Communications Department, including the knowledge management function.
• Coordinate gender equity expertise to AfWA and integrate a gender lens into programming the wash sector, supervise the development of an overall organisation gender support strategy and its implementation.
• Communicate directly and regularly with the AfWA Executive Board Membership Engagement and Development Committee and prepare reports for said Committee.
• Oversee the operations and budget of the Department, supervise staff and provide professional development in order to increase the talent and effectiveness of the team.

 SKILLS AND QUALIFICATION 

• Graduate degree minimum master's level required.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in the management of networks or industry associations, work experience within an associative organization.
• A good knowledge of the challenges facing the water sector in Africa, with a solid track record in setting priorities; strong analytical, organizational and problem-solving skills that support and enable informed decision-making.
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills and the ability to prioritize, negotiate and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders to formulate results-based recommendations.
• Be an all-rounder capable of multitasking.
• Commitment to mentoring staff to maximize individual and organizational goals across the organization, including best practices in financial management.
• Membership association experience.
• Experience in managing a database of members of an association.
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the mission of AfWA.
• Fluency in at least one official AfWA language (English or French) with a good basic knowledge of the second. Fluency in both languages is a plus.
• Experience in management and supervision.
• Excellent communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills, as well as a demonstrated ability to collaborate and work effectively.

 REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• Cover letter
• Detailed curriculum vitae in English and French
• Names and contact details of three reference persons.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged

Send you application before 31st August 2021 to the following contact: recrutement@afwa-hq.org

Specify in the object of your email: DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.