Membership Manager

National Council for Voluntary Organisations

Hours
35 hours per week

Length of contract
12 month

Salary
£45,760 - £52,711 per year

About the Organisation

For over 100 years, NCVO has stood shoulder to shoulder with communities, championing and celebrating voluntary action. Our membership is made up of over 17,000 voluntary organisations across England, from small, grassroots community groups and social enterprises, to large, far-reaching charities. We believe that communities are strengthened by voluntary action. We therefore want charities to thrive and be empowered to deliver for people and communities.

​We focus on empowering charities and volunteers by ensuring they have the knowledge, tools, and resources they need. We advocate for and with our members, giving voice to those not often heard, and harnessing the collective power of partners to ensure the voluntary sector is valued. We bring charities together so they can learn, connect, and create a greater impact.

​As the voluntary sector and volunteering adapt to new challenges and a changing context, so must NCVO. We are therefore prioritising work to evolve as an organisation to ensure we live our values of ambition, inclusion, openness, and collaboration in everything we do internally and externally. ​We have around 80 staff and an income of more than £7m per year. With our members at the heart of everything we do, our mission is to unite to champion the remarkable role of charities and volunteers because stronger charities make for stronger communities.

About the role

The ideal Membership Manager is an experienced people manager and membership professional with a track record in leading membership strategy, engagement, and retention. They will bring excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, confidence in managing budgets, and a deep understanding of the voluntary sector.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, and motivate the membership staff team, fostering an inclusive culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion, continually improving performance, capability, and ways of working to deliver high-quality member services.
• Manage the effective delivery of the membership offer, ensuring it is relevant, focused, and high-quality, aligning with the overall membership strategy to increase income and remain accessible to a diverse range of organisations. Includes collaborating with others to support NCVO’s digital transformation and evolve the customer experience, utilising AI and other tools to tailor the member journey.
• Drive membership growth and retention, contributing to the achievement of income targets specific to membership activities, including renewals and partnerships, by effectively implementing membership plans and initiatives. Collaborate with other teams to lead the promotion of membership, advising on messaging, insights, and audiences as you work to ambitious targets. 
• Manage the membership budget, supporting the Head of Membership and Engagement to responsibly forecast and meet financial targets.
• Manage the provision of high-quality customer service for members, ensuring efficient membership administration and a positive member experience through the optimised use of the CRM system and continuous improvement of processes. 
• Collaborate effectively with fellow function managers within the Voice and Impact directorate and other NCVO teams to ensure a unified approach to member engagement and embed a member-centric culture across the organisation.
• Collate and analyse membership data and trends to identify gaps in the market and inform functional improvements to acquisition and retention. Strategically share insights that enhance the member experience and support broader organisational strategy. Act as a trusted advisor to colleagues collaborating on relevant projects.
• Contribute to the identification and negotiation of membership partnerships, supporting the strategic goals of the Membership and Engagement team.

Skills, Competencies & Experience

Experience:

• Demonstrable experience in planning, implementing, and optimising membership strategies to drive growth, retention, and income, leveraging data insights and ensuring high-quality member service.
• Proven history of effectively leading, motivating, and developing staff to achieve performance objectives, managing HR processes, and fostering an inclusive team culture.
• Practical experience in effectively managing allocated budgets and resources for functional projects, demonstrating a track record of financial control and successful delivery of financial objectives, particularly within the context of the voluntary sector.

Skills:

• Effective financial and project management skills, including the ability to manage an allocated budget and resources for the membership function, ensuring the successful delivery of initiatives and objectives.
• Effective data management and analysis skills, with the ability to interpret complex data, draw strategic insights, and communicate findings clearly to inform decision-making. Strong skills in implementing and utilising a CRM system (Dynamics preferred).
• Highly developed interpersonal, influencing, and collaboration skills, capable of building rapport and working effectively with internal colleagues and external stakeholders at all levels.

Knowledge:

• Good knowledge of the voluntary sector in England, including challenges and opportunities for diverse organisations. Additional knowledge of NCVO’s unique role supporting charities in England.
• Strong understanding of membership organisations, their business models, and best practice in member engagement, recruitment, and retention.

Compensation & Benefits

• 25 days’ Annual Leave and office closure between 25 December and 1 January inclusive. 
• ​2.5 extra ‘wellbeing’ days off during the year
• ​Enhanced pay for sick/maternity/adoption leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Season ticket loan
• Monthly homework allowance for permanent homeworkers
• Monthly office worker allowance 
• Generous employer pension contribution of 8.5% of salary,
• Pension scheme (linked to employee contribution)
• Training and development opportunities.
• Hospital Saturday Fund health cash plan
• ​24-hour free and confidential employee assistance programme

Working locations

• Home-based

How to apply

• Application form1
• Application form2
• Please complete both parts of the application, quoting the reference SDM, and email to [email protected]
• If you have any queries regarding our vacancies or experience any issues downloading or submitting your application form, please email [email protected].

Interviews

• Shortlisting date: Thursday, 2nd October 2025
• Interviews: Tuesday, 7th October 2025.

Policies

NCVO is fully committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in our sector. We want this to be reflected in the diversity of our employees, and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and identities.

We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups in the voluntary sector and those with diverse lived experiences. As part of our commitment to employing disabled people, all disabled candidates who meet the minimum requirement for all competencies on the person specification will be guaranteed an interview.

Please let us know if you have access needs or require reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process.

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