Director, Governance and Membership

DIRECTOR OF GOVERNANCE AND MEMBERSHIP

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Governance and Membership serves as ISA's principal governance professional, responsible for guiding the Society through complex governance and board matters and ensuring sound, compliant, and continuous operation of its leadership structures. This role provides expert counsel to the Executive Director/CEO, Executive Board, and committees on bylaws, policy, fiduciary responsibilities, and parliamentary process, and is trusted to navigate sensitive and high-stakes governance issues to successful resolution. In addition to leading governance, the Director oversees ISA's membership strategy and programs. The position performs organizational tasks related to ISA's mission, supports operational and volunteer initiatives, and manages projects as directed. Regularly handles and maintains confidential and non-routine information and communications.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Governance

• Serve as ISA's lead authority on governance, interpreting governing documents including bylaws, policies, and charters and resolving complex or contested issues for the Executive Board and its committees, working with legal counsel where appropriate.
• Advise the Executive Board, senior volunteers, and staff on governance strategy and risk, anticipating and defusing potential board conflicts and ensuring continuity in the face of annually changing volunteer leadership.
• Regularly review association policies and recommend revisions to ensure accuracy, effectiveness, and compliance with governing rules and applicable law.
• Oversee the Society code of conduct review procedure, managing sensitive matters discreetly and working with legal counsel as necessary.
• Create and maintain archives of agendas, audit-ready meeting minutes, and other official documentation for the Executive Board.
• Oversee content management for all governance, Board, volunteer, and related web pages.

Executive Board Support

• Organize and provide support for Board meetings, including agendas and expert guidance in parliamentary procedure.
• Develop and conduct orientation and organizational training for Executive Board members to ensure a clear understanding of fiduciary responsibilities and to build a high-functioning board.
• Plan and support onboarding of the Society president, developing and sustaining a strong relationship in support of the Executive Director/CEO.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the Society's policies, including collection of necessary information and assisting with the rollout of communications.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director/CEO and Society officers to support the development and success of the organization's strategy.

Volunteer Support

• Oversee and support elections, including facilitating recommendations for volunteer leadership, nominations, and creation of the annual election ballot and related election processes.
• Lead the development and realization of a comprehensive program for supporting staff liaisons with volunteer recruitment, engagement, retention, and recognition.

Membership

• Lead the development and realization of a comprehensive membership vision and supporting strategies that align with broader organizational goals and yield measurable results.
• Lead the development and realization of a comprehensive program for member recruitment, engagement, retention, and recognition.
• Oversee all membership-related administrative functions (e.g., annual renewal cycles, data integrity) with a commitment to continuous quality improvement.
• Ensure the collection, analysis, and application of data and analytics to inform decision-making and monitor current and future membership and participation trends.
• Promote a member-centric culture by raising awareness of key membership-related initiatives, developments, and trends.
• Oversee the development of membership-related content for ISA's major channels, such as the website, webinars, newsletters, and publications.
• Hold responsibility for the overall success of and improvements to ISA Connect; the Society awards, Fellows recognitions, and scholarships programs; the career center and career skill learning opportunities; and programs to support and engage students.
• Oversee all functions related to the Geographic Assembly, sections, and districts - including compliance, health, rebates, program development, and collaboration - and optimize the ISA-section relationship to ensure a consistent membership experience, including ongoing education for section volunteers.
• Work closely with Marketing to ensure core themes and messages meet the needs of key audiences and are delivered consistently across all components.

Management

• Recruit and retain highly qualified staff for governance and membership functions, providing ongoing professional mentoring to develop individual knowledge and skill sets.
• Establish a performance-oriented, accountable culture.
• Participate in organizational strategy-setting initiatives, including strategic planning and budgeting; develop, monitor, and adjust budgets and forecasts.
• Serve as the source of governance and membership expertise for staff, leaders, and other stakeholders, and promote cross-organizational awareness and collaboration.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

The position directly supervises two staff and indirectly supervises two additional staff.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Deep expertise in nonprofit or association governance, including bylaws and policy interpretation, board and committee operations, fiduciary duties, and parliamentary procedure (e.g., Robert's Rules of Order).
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex, sensitive, and contested governance and board matters with sound judgment, diplomacy, and discretion, and to bring them to successful resolution.
• Experience working effectively with legal counsel on governance, compliance, and code of conduct matters.
• Strong ability to advise and influence senior volunteer leaders and manage continuity across annually changing leadership.
• Excellent organizational, planning, interpersonal communication, diplomacy, and project management skills.
• Thorough understanding of association structure, policy, procedures, and protocol.

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, AND LICENSES

Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or governance-related credential preferred. Specialized knowledge of associations, volunteerism, and the behavioral factors of volunteer engagement. Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential strongly preferred; additional governance certifications are a plus.

EXPERIENCE

Requires a minimum of ten years of related experience, including substantial, demonstrated experience in association or nonprofit governance and direct support of a board of directors. Candidates must be able to show a track record of successfully navigating complex governance and board issues. Membership leadership experience is also required.

TRAVEL

Domestic and international travel is required.

All candidates must be eligible to work for and US employer.

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