Summary
The Director of Membership and Engagement leads cultivation and growth of First Book's 600,000+ educator network while driving member retention and revenue growth through data-driven strategies. This role operates with full autonomy over the membership lifecycle and collaborates across the organization to ensure impactful, mission-aligned member experiences.
Job Description
ABOUT FIRST BOOK
First Book is a leading nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to removing barriers to quality education for children in need. Through innovative public–private partnerships and a national network of more than 600,000 educators, program leaders, and community organizations, First Book has distributed over 250 million books and educational resources to under-resourced communities. Our work spans e-commerce (First Book Marketplace), research and insights (First Book R&I), and tailored program development (First Book Accelerator), all designed to elevate the voices and needs of educators serving children in low-income communities.
About the Role
The Director of Membership and Engagement leads cultivation of the First Book Network and its members, and informs new member acquisition strategies across the organization. Reporting to the Vice President of Global Strategies, this role operates with a high degree of autonomy and full ownership of the membership lifecycle—including lead generation, segmentation, member journeys, multi-channel marketing, and performance metrics.
The Director collaborates closely with teams across the organization—including e-commerce, nonprofit partnerships, corporate-sponsored programs, and Marketing & Communications—to ensure all member-facing experiences are user-friendly, impactful, and aligned with First Book's mission. This role will also be instrumental in supporting the launch and growth of First Book’s first-of-its-kind online community for educators.
For this role, First Book seeks a digital marketing expert committed to social impact—someone capable of driving Network and revenue growth, designing and implementing member acquisition and retention strategies, informing colleagues on program design and execution, and guiding organizational decisions through a mastery of marketing metrics.
The ideal candidate is data-driven, entrepreneurial, and passionate about creating meaningful experiences that deepen engagement and accelerate growth.
What You’ll Own
Member Retention & Engagement
- Own the full member lifecycle—from onboarding through long-term loyalty.
- Design and implement member journeys, communication campaigns, and engagement strategies that strengthen brand affinity and Marketplace activity.
- Develop scalable systems that recognize and foster member loyalty.
- Build segmentation strategies that increase engagement and drive targeted activation.
- Partner with the VP of Global Strategies and internal teams to support the development and growth of First Book’s new online community.
Member Growth Strategy
- Lead prospecting and lead generation initiatives that expand the First Book Network.
- Develop campaigns and materials that clearly communicate the value proposition and member benefits.
- Design strategies that reach new audiences and leverage existing members to broaden reach.
- Lead transformational reporting and data visualization of the membership conversion pipeline, identifying friction points and growth opportunities.
- Test and optimize registration, audit, and lead capture processes to reduce barriers and improve conversion.
- Collaborate with Marketing & Communications and external agencies on digital strategy for ongoing acquisition campaigns.
Multi-Channel Marketing
- Design and oversee performance-oriented campaigns across paid media (Meta/Google), email, SMS, and direct mail.
- Define KPIs and manage budget allocation for multi-channel engagement.
- Monitor campaign performance and use insights to inform organizational strategy and investment decisions.
- Promote Marketplace value, community-building initiatives, and membership benefits through integrated marketing efforts.
Strategic Programmatic Design
- Bring a Network growth strategy lens to new business proposals and partnership discussions.
- Determine member engagement success metrics for new business pursuits.
- Review and/or build the member engagement budget for new business proposals.
- Collaborate with partner managers and e-commerce teams to align on programmatic priorities and Marketplace strategies.
Reporting & Coordination
- Oversee tracking, reporting, and analysis of all member engagement strategies and campaigns.
- Lead internal dashboard presentations to inform leadership decision-making.
- Supervise and mentor the Member Engagement Manager, with potential for team growth aligned with Network expansion.
- Perform additional duties as assigned, consistent with the scope of the role.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business, nonprofit management, communications, marketing, or a related field required.
- Minimum 7 years of experience owning digital, membership, or engagement-driven growth strategies across multi-channel campaigns and performance measurement.
- Minimum 3 years of experience leading complex programs, vendors, and direct reports with clear accountability for outcomes.
- Proven ability to drive measurable growth outcomes, including member acquisition, retention, engagement, and/or revenue-adjacent conversions.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in nonprofit, association, education, social impact, or membership-driven organizations preferred, though not required.
- Related certifications in digital marketing, community engagement, and AI are desired.
Skills & Experience
- Demonstrated commitment to social impact, with experience applying marketing and engagement strategies to mission-driven outcomes.
- Proven ability to design and own strategies that drive measurable member or customer growth, retention, and long-term engagement.
- Demonstrated success leading performance-oriented, multi-channel marketing initiatives with accountability for results and continuous optimization.
- Strong command of marketing metrics, analysis, and reporting, with experience using data to inform strategy and investment decisions.
- Proficiency with an email deployment platform required; Salesforce Marketing Cloud or comparable enterprise platform strongly preferred.
- Experience managing paid digital campaigns (e.g., Meta and/or Google Ads), including testing, optimization, and ROI assessment.
- Working proficiency with analytics and CRM platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack); e-commerce or marketplace platform experience (e.g., Magento) desired.
- Experience using AI-enabled or automation tools to enhance customer experience, targeting, testing, or marketing efficiency.
- Experience with online community platforms (e.g., Hivebrite, Mighty Networks, or similar) a plus.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and align teams around shared goals.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:
Total Rewards - In compliance with the District of Columbia Wage Transparency Act, First Book will provide the pay range for this position to applicants upon request or as part of the job posting.
Salary Range: $80,000 – $89,000 annually.
All full-time employees are eligible for the following:
- Medical and dental insurance coverage
- Life insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage
- Paid vacation and sick leave
- 12 paid holidays annually
- 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching contributions
- Employer-provided parking stipend (Washington, DC)
TO APPLY
- Submit a resume and a cover letter detailing your interest in this position.
- Only applications submitted through First Book's approved platform will be considered.
- Applications submitted through external or unapproved sites will not be reviewed.
- First Book does not accept unsolicited recruiter submissions and does not pay fees for resumes submitted outside of a formal written agreement.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
First Book is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, personal appearance, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation, political affiliation, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, District of Columbia, or local law.
ACCOMMODATIONS
First Book is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and to individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in accordance with applicable law. Applicants requiring accommodations during the application or interview process should submit a written request to First Book’s Human Resources department.
WORK PRESENCE & EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS
- The role is structured as a hybrid position.
- Therefore, this position requires regular in-office presence at First Book's Washington, DC office on designated days to support internal collaboration and partnership activities.
- Reasonable accommodation will be considered in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
- Relocation assistance is not provided.
CONNECT WITH FIRST BOOK
https://www.facebook.com/FirstBook
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