Membership and Programmes Officer

Political Studies Association

Hours
37.5 hours per week

Length of contract
12 months

About the Organisation

Political Studies Association (PSA) exists to develop and promote the study and teaching of politics and related disciplines. Founded in 1950, we are the leading association in our field in the United Kingdom, with an international membership that includes academics in political science, theorists and practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and students in higher education, as well as members from the school community.

About the role

The PSA is a membership body with over 1000 members. The Membership & Programmes Officer is a key and multi-faceted role within a small but dynamic team. You will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the PSA membership. This will include communicating with current and prospective members, encouraging them to take up the full range of membership benefits and to participate in association activities so that they enjoy a high-quality member experience.

Your role includes three core areas outlined below. These are three distinct but interlinked areas of responsibility which will involve working with/alongside other members of the team, and which will be guided by the direction of the Membership, Events & Programmes Manager.

We are looking for someone who is highly organised, detail-focused and comfortable juggling competing priorities, with excellent written and verbal communication skills and a friendly, professional approach. You should be confident using digital systems, including CRM and website content management systems, and have experience providing excellent administrative and organisational support.

Experience within a membership organisation or learned society, event or project administration, financial processing, Oomi CRM, WordPress or Canva would be advantageous. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working with people, takes initiative and wants a varied role within a small organisation where they can get involved across membership, events and programmes.

Responsibilities

Membership:

• As principal membership officer, you will be responsible for dealing with current and prospective members: managing membership registrations, renewals, queries, repayments and general membership enquiries. This will include responding to communications from members and non-members within 48 hours of receipt
• Responsible for updating and managing the membership database (Oomi); producing membership data, and troubleshooting any joining/renewing issues for members
• Responsible for ensuring a successful member journey throughout sign-up, engagement, and renewals. Understanding and reviewing the member journey across our different platforms to ensure a smooth and consistent process is achieved
• Responsible for creating and sending the monthly membership e-newsletter (using our mailing platform, Brevo)
• Responsible for collating and reconciling membership data, including data cleansing and other tasks as advised by the Head of Membership, Events & Communications or the Head of Operations & Finance
• Work closely with the PSA Finance Officer to ensure all processes for receiving membership subscriptions are effective and accurate, including online membership payments by credit card and Direct Debits
• Working closely with other members of the team to ensure that members understand and receive their member benefits, and to support and implement any membership changes/developments that may be agreed by the Executive Committee 

Specialist Groups and Networks:

• PSA currently has 48 unique specialist groups that represent key subject/policy areas within political studies. The PSA also has two member networks dedicated to Early Career academics and those engaged in Teaching and Learning. As Membership & Programmes Officer, you will be the primary contact for specialist groups, and will be responsible for:
  • Managing the specialist groups inbox and ensuring queries are responded to promptly, and consulting with colleagues on queries/actions where necessary
  • Supporting specialist groups with their PSA website pages and access to their CRM database portal, in line with the guidelines provided, and creating/updating guidelines where necessary.
  • Supporting the creation of new specialist groups, briefing group convenors ensuring they have the guidance and support needed to fulfil their role
  • Supporting the Teaching and Learning, and Early Career networks by assisting with network communications, newsletters and network data where/when necessary. The networks are overseen by the Membership, Events & Programmes Manager

PSA Programmes:

• To support PSA annual programmes which include the PSA annual international conference, PSA prizes and other member-orientated activities throughout the year.
• Each year the PSA awards several prestigious prizes to PSA members by way of recognising and rewarding excellence and impact across Political Studies.
• Responsible for supporting the Membership, Events & Programmes Manager with delivery of the PSA’s prizes, including collating submissions and producing prize winners’ certificates
• Support other longstanding PSA programme initiatives such as the House of Commons Internship opportunity, Teachers CPD event at Parliament and the PSA Student Blogs competition
• Supporting other programmes to develop membership benefits and growth, such as schools teachers initiatives as when required

PSA Annual Conference:

• PSA organises and delivers a large-scale international academic conference, which usually attracts 800 - 1000 delegates. The next annual conference will be taking place at the University of Hull from 22nd - 24th March 2027. Because of the scale of this event, and the size of the team, all members are expected to be involved in aspects of conference planning and delivery, including attending the event itself.

Specific tasks regarding the PSA Annual Conference may include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting the annual conference, which can include: responding to delegate enquiries, sharing information with delegates, reconciling accepted presenters and registrations, assisting with exhibitor communications, producing relevant data, assisting with venue planning and logistics, and playing a key role within the team on-site for the three-day conference
• Supporting colleagues with communications to specialist groups regarding their role at the annual conference, particularly around their proposed AGMs
• Overseeing delegate badges, collating data and liaising with suppliers and couriers.
• Supporting conference registration and checking registration data, particularly in relation to membership discounts
• Assisting with the production of online conference information and the delegate guide

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• The above role description is not exclusive or exhaustive, and the post-holder will be required to undertake such duties as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post. All members of staff are required to be professional, co-operative and flexible in line with the needs of the post and the organisation
• On occasion, this may entail supporting colleagues in work areas outside of this job description
• These duties are subject to change from time to time as determined by business priorities. If duties and responsibilities change significantly, the job description may be reviewed and amended in consultation with the post-holder.
• The post-holder is expected to provide general support in running the PSA office
• Compliance with PSA policy, including absence, appraisal, health & safety, and GDPR

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Experience:

• Proven experience of providing excellent administrative services and organisational planning, particularly in relation to membership services
• Financial processing of member and customer transactions, including Direct Debits
• Experience of dealing with a range of people in a friendly but professional manner

Skills:

• Highly organised with good administrative skills including meticulous attention to detail and ability to juggle priorities
• Digital competency including experience of customer relationship management systems (CRMs) and content management systems (CMS) for websites
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in written and verbal communications to people at all levels
• Competent at using design tools to produce regular newsletters and promotional materials
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills

Capabilities & Attitudes:

• Enjoys and is confident in engaging with members face to face, via email and verbally
• Ability to understand member needs, and ensure the systems are in place to support members at each stage
• Friendly and approachable team player who can also work independently and take initiative where needed
• Able to develop own skills and capabilities within the team

Desirable:

• Previous experience of administration, planning and executing projects, events and services in a supporting role
• Experience in using Oomi CRM and WordPress CMS
• Experience of using CANVA and similar tools
• An interest in politics and experience working within higher education.
• Previous experience of working in a similar learned society and  professional membership body
• Some experience of working with invoices, budgets and an understanding of financial data

Compensation & Benefits

• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays.
• 30-minute unpaid lunch break
• Employer contribution to pension ( 10% for employee contribution of 5% of salary) following probation.

Conditions of employment

• You must have the right to work in the UK

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely
• The post-holders are normally required in the office one day a week (on Wednesdays).
• There is some requirement to work outside normal office hours on occasion to attend various PSA events and to travel within the UK.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends with no overtime payments but the flexibility to claim time off in lieu.

How to apply

• Please submit your application by 25 September 2026, sending a covering letter together with your CV to [email protected]. Your covering letter should convey your suitability for the role, paying particular attention to the areas set out in the Person Specification. Please also complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.
• We appreciate that each candidate who applies for this role will have a range of expertise they can offer, and we are keen to hear about this in your own words. We understand that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can be helpful and be used as an accessibility tool. However, you must ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience and how it relates to the job description. If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please email [email protected].

Interviews

• Interviews will be held via Teams during the week commencing 5th October 2026. If there are any dates you cannot attend, please let us know in your application.

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