Program Associate, Membership Operations

Come join a team of dedicated staff at an exceptional time in the Smithsonian’s history as we prepare for the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future. This ambitious fundraising campaign’s public phase will run from 2024 to 2026, culminating with the nation’s 250th anniversary. It will expand the Smithsonian’s reach and impact, empowering the institution to find solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. The Smithsonian is also planning two exciting new museums. The National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum share the experiences and perspectives of Latinos and women across history and deepen our shared understanding of what it means to be an American. The Smithsonian has built a model fundraising organization, driven by talented staff across our many museums, research centers and cultural centers. This position offers exciting opportunities for the successful candidate to make a significant impact on the future of the Smithsonian. There is no better time to join this amazing Institution.

The Office of Advancement oversees and guides the fundraising efforts of the entire Smithsonian and is home to the central development organization for the Institution. In addition to raising significant support for a variety of Smithsonian initiatives, the Office of Advancement provides support services to advancement offices across the Institution. The office engages with staff throughout the Smithsonian in accomplishing their goals.

Key Responsibilities

The Smithsonian Office of Advancement seeks an experienced and creative candidate to fill the Program Associate, Membership Operations position. This position is in the Friends of the Smithsonian membership department and provides member services and administrative support of membership operations. The Program Associate will work collaboratively with the membership department and the finance and advancement teams of the new museums, the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum, to establish and maintain back-end operations.  Duties include the following:

Financial Operations. Supports financial operations, including recording revenue, invoice processing and tracking, corporate matching gift processing, inter-unit transfers, purchasing, and the development of revenue and expense summaries. The incumbent assists in performing reconciliations between financial systems and supports contract bids.

Member Services. Serves a member service representative for the new museum membership programs by responding to inquiries from current, lapsed, and prospective members and donors; and from members of the Smithsonian staff and the public received from all channels.  All interactions are handled in a courteous, professional, timely, and accurate manner. Serves as a liaison to vendors providing caging, data entry and acknowledgment services, and inbound telephone support. The incumbent works with the vendors to manage the process, resolves questions and problems, and serves as an escalation contact for member concerns. Assists in the development and implementation of processes, projects, reports, fundraising, and stewardship campaigns, and correspondence, as needed. Assists with member engagement and supports events hosted by the membership programs. 

Office Support. Incumbent will support the team through the management of staff travel, electronic and physical file management, and general office administration. 

Skills, Knowledge, and Expertise

The successful candidate will have a minimum of three years relevant experience, including member services, gift processing, and office administration.  Other required skills include the ability to successfully manage multiple deadlines, the initiative to work both independently and as part of a team, strong writing abilities and exceptional attention to detail. Knowledge of Ellucian Advancement, Salesforce, or another complex membership database is preferred but not required.