Career Center

ORGANIZATION 

The College Art Association (CAA), as the preeminent international leadership organization in the visual arts, promotes the arts and its understanding through advocacy, intellectual engagement, and a commitment to the diversity of practices and practitioners. Based in New York City, CAA is a learned society and a professional association that supports those who study, teach, write about, advocate for, and/or create art and design. CAA honors diversity and acknowledges the extraordinary range of backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, work styles, education, rank, skills, and experiences that make the advancement of art and design integral to culture.  

Of paramount importance to CAA is the promotion of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access within the fields of art, art history, and design. As CAA strengthens and builds its programs, committees, staff, and board it aspires to foster an inclusive culture welcoming of visible and invisible differences, including but not limited to age; ethnicity; gender; gender identity; language differences; nationality; parental status; physical, mental, and developmental abilities; race; religion; sexual orientation; skin color; socioeconomic status; and human styles. CAA defines inclusion as a collaborative work-in-progress. It encourages all CAA constituents to embrace and adopt the ongoing practice of inclusion while advancing art, design, and their histories. 

CAA advances the highest standards of instruction, knowledge, and practice in the visual arts to stimulate intellectual curiosity and advance skills that enrich the individual and society. To realize this vision CAA: 

• Represents, promotes, and advocates for the visual arts nationally and internationally; 
• Creates new opportunities for dialogue among members; 
• Explores new forms of communication using innovative and improved technology; 
• Addresses career development and workforce issues to assist professional growth; and 
• Strengthens organizational leadership, membership, and financial support. 

CAA’s Annual Conference is among the largest international gatherings of post-secondary visual arts and design professionals in the country, celebrating, advancing, and sharing research and creative work. In 2021, the first ever all-digital conference included over 365 sessions, a book and trade fair, and a range of content that spanned from traditional fields of study to contemporary issues. CAA also publishes four scholarly journals in art and art history— The Art Bulletin, Art Journal, Art Journal Open, and caa.reviews—as well as a weekly email newsletter. In addition, CAA provides grants to subsidize the publication of scholarly manuscripts in art, art history, and visual studies. 

Over the past three years CAA has worked to build a stronger community and lay the framework for long-term sustainability. A six-year strategic plan was launched in 2020 aligned with five fundamentals to create a long-term sustainable business model for the association. It includes a multifaceted development function and an emphasis on utilizing digital-first technologies to provide value to an expanded membership by championing access, inclusivity, and diversity. 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Manager of Member Services and Membership Strategy will be responsible for the administration and management of member services as well as membership strategy at CAA and will do the following:  

• Develop and implement a comprehensive membership growth strategy that prioritizes member acquisition, retention, and engagement.
• Embrace the core mission of CAA, work to understand the challenges experienced in the arts and academia by CAA members, and the challenges for professional associations in the current climate.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including members, sponsors, and partners.
• Oversee member services contractors and develop/refine procedures for better servicing CAA members.
• Work cross-functionally with the Senior Manager of Communications, Marketing, and Media Strategy to:
  • Develop and manage marketing campaigns to promote the organization’s services and benefits to potential and existing members, ensuring consistency in CAA’s brand identity across all platforms and materials.
  • Conduct market research and analysis to identify growth opportunities.
  • Determine what communications should be sent to members and create a schedule for deployment (specifically outreach to lapsed members, renewals, and other strategic notifications/reminders).
• Analyze data to measure the success of membership growth efforts and make data-driven recommendations for improvement.
• Keep up to date with industry trends and membership best practices.
• Maintain and address issues with member records in the CAA Association Management System.
• Keep the CAA senior leadership team abreast of member concerns and/or complaints.
• Work on special projects as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree (advance degree preferred).
• Minimum of five years membership management and/or strategy experience with proven managerial ability (experience within a non-profit preferred).
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.) and/or ability to train/learn quickly. Database experience strongly preferred.
• Exceptional customer service/member service skills; strong commitment to delivering member satisfaction.
• Superior communication skills, specifically speaking/writing persuasively and listening attentively.
• Excellent critical thinking/problem solving skills; solution-oriented and proactive.
• Ability to self-direct and multi-task, prioritize/manage time effectively, and move seamlessly between projects/tasks with an eye on ever-shifting priorities.
• Willingness to adapt to continual change and commit to constant improvement.
• Passion for/interest in the arts strongly preferred.

About College Art Association

The College Art Association (CAA), as the preeminent international leadership organization in the visual arts, promotes the arts and its understanding through advocacy, intellectual engagement, and a commitment to the diversity of practices and practitioners. Based in New York City, CAA is a learned society and a professional association that supports those who study, teach, write about, advocate for, and/or create art and design. CAA honors diversity and acknowledges the extraordinary range of backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, work styles, education, rank, skills, and experiences that make the advancement of art and design integral to culture.

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