Description

Role Overview:

The Natl. Director, Association / Affinity Group Programs leads our full spectrum of association and affinity-group benefit programs — from strategic planning and partner management to operational execution, performance monitoring and team development. You will own the end-to-end success of these programs and shape how we scale, serve, and grow our relationships with associations and affinity groups nationwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, execution, and growth of Member Benefits’ association and affinity-group programs — identifying new opportunities, refining program models, and delivering value for clients, members and internal teams.
• Serve as the primary relationship owner for key industry and carrier partners: build and maintain strong partnerships, ensure partner satisfaction, define service levels, monitor performance and continually iterate on program offerings.
• Work collaboratively with the CIO, COO and other senior leaders to align association/affinity-group programs with company-wide technology, operational and strategic priorities — ensuring seamless processes, scalability, and strong system integration.
• Translate partner and association feedback into actionable improvements: collaborate with marketing, product, operations, and member services teams to refine program design, communication, enrollment/billing flows, and digital member experience.
• Lead the launch of new programs: oversee partner onboarding, internal resource alignment (technology, operations, marketing), go-to-market planning, and rollout execution.
• Define and build the team structure required to support growth: partner with leadership to identify hiring needs (business development, account management), recruit and manage team members, set clear role descriptions, train, mentor and facilitate career development.
• Set, track and report on KPIs relating to partner success, internal efficiency (e.g., enrollment turnaround, service metrics), revenue growth, member satisfaction and retention. Use data to drive decisions and continuous improvement.
• Act as an external ambassador for Member Benefits: represent the company at partner and association meetings, industry conferences, events and thought-leadership forums.
• Maintain a strong pulse on trends in the association, professional affinity-group and group-benefits industry — including regulatory changes, carrier innovations, membership-based program models, digital platform adoption — and leverage insights to inform our strategy and positioning.
• Travel as needed (domestic) to maintain partner relationships, attend events and engage with key stakeholders. 

Requirements

Ideal Qualifications & Attributes

• Proven experience leading programs or business units in the association/affinity-group or group-benefits space, including full-lifecycle program development.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage strategic partnerships and vendor/carrier relationships.
• Strong operational mindset: able to work across functions (product, marketing, technology, operations) to move initiatives from strategy to execution.
• Data-driven and metrics-oriented: comfortable defining KPIs, using dashboards, interpreting results, and making fact-based decisions.
• Leadership experience: building, managing and developing teams; fostering collaboration; setting clear expectations and driving culture.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills: able to present to senior leaders, articulate vision and engage internal/external stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker who also can roll up their sleeves and get things done — adaptable, entrepreneurial, comfortable with ambiguity and growth.
• Travel flexibility and comfort being out of the office periodically for partner/association engagements.
• Bachelor’s degree required; 10+ years of experience required in program management, business development, or partner-focused roles. 5+ years of experience with professional / state bar associations or affinity-group programs is a strong plus..

Preemployment Requirements:

• Background investigation (employment contingent upon completion)
• Pre-employment drug screening
   

Physical Requirements: 

• Must be able to talk, hear, and see (close vision). Frequent sitting and use of hands for computer and office equipment. Occasional standing, walking, and reaching.
• Reasonable accommodations provided for individuals with disabilities.
• Moderate travel is required for partner meetings, conferences, and events.