Assistant Director, Community Engagement

The Assistant Director oversees the Community Engagement team, including strategic planning, budget development, staff leadership, and performance management. Working collaboratively across Membership & Strategic Engagement, Marketing, Education, Meetings, Local Sections, Divisions, and other ACS business units, this role drives initiatives that advance ACS strategic goals and strengthen member loyalty and lifetime value.  This position reports directly to the Vice President, Membership & Strategic Engagement and is based in our Washington, D.C. office. 

• Create and maintain vibrant communities that foster collaboration, peer-to-peer learning, professional networking, and career growth.
• Develop engagement journeys that connect the community with relevant ACS benefits, programs, and opportunities.
• Advance inclusive community practices that encourage participation from diverse member segments.
• Build programs that strengthen community connections and create clear pathways for ongoing engagement with ACS.
• Design scalable engagement models aligned with the needs of students, early-career professionals, mid-career members, and retired chemists.
• Develop initiatives that expand the value proposition of ACS membership and deepen member loyalty.
• Develop and execute engagement strategies that increase membership acquisition, retention, renewal, and member satisfaction

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators related to community growth, engagement, retention, volunteer participation, and member satisfaction.
• Utilize member behavior data and community analytics to optimize engagement strategies and improve outcomes.
• Develop dashboards and reporting frameworks that demonstrate program impact and return on investment.
• Conduct audience segmentation and engagement analysis to identify growth opportunities and inform strategic decision-making.
• Evaluate emerging trends and recommend innovative approaches to increase member value and community participation.

• Develop strategies that support members through key career and life transitions.
• Design targeted engagement and retention programs that reduce churn and increase renewal rates.
• Partner with Membership, Marketing, and Product teams to develop recruitment, onboarding, and re-engagement strategies.
• Identify and implement interventions for at-risk and disengaged members.
• Develop programs that convert community participants, event attendees, students, and prospects into active members.

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing community engagement team.
• Manage departmental budget, operational planning, and resource allocation.
• Collaborate across ACS business units to align community engagement strategies with organizational priorities.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on community engagement and building, volunteer engagement, and retention strategies.
• Represent ACS with volunteer leaders, strategic partners, and external stakeholders.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Association Management, Chemistry, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in community engagement, customer success, association management, or related fields, including leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success driving measurable growth in member/customer engagement, retention, renewals, or acquisition.
• Experience leading teams, managing budgets, and implementing strategic initiatives.
• Strong understanding of customer lifecycle management, engagement strategy, and customer/member retention principles.
• Experience using CRM platforms, engagement analytics tools, and reporting systems.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to build consensus and influence across a matrixed organization.

• Strong data analysis skills with ability to derive insights from engagement metrics.
• Experience with conversion tracking, funnel analysis, and membership attribution models.
• Knowledge of A/B testing methodologies for optimizing member conversion experiences.

• Experience working in professional societies, associations or subscription-based businesses.
• Knowledge of volunteer engagement and governance-driven organizations.
• Experience developing customer/member loyalty programs and engagement strategies.
• Familiarity with community platforms, digital engagement tools, and audience segmentation methodologies.
• Understanding of scientific or technical professional communities.

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Growth in member engagement across ACS programs, communities, and volunteer opportunities.
• Membership acquisition attributable to engagement and community initiatives.
• Community retention and renewal rate improvements.
• Member satisfaction and Net Promoter Score (NPS) improvements.
• Increased member lifetime value and engagement depth.
• Team effectiveness, program execution, and budget performance.

• Pathways for advancement within ACS membership and community teams
• Leadership development programs and community management certifications
• Cross-functional collaboration with marketing, content, and program teams
• Speaking opportunities at conferences and community management events

Cover Letter Required: Along with your application, please submit a cover letter addressing the following two questions. Candidates should provide specific examples and measurable outcomes where possible.

2. Tell us about a time when you led a team and partnered across multiple departments (such as marketing, product, education, events, customer success, or volunteer leadership) to achieve a significant organizational goal. What was your role, how did you align stakeholders, and what was the outcome?

This role is based in our Washington, DC office. ACS employees work a hybrid schedule, consisting of working onsite two days per work week, as decided by functional area. The balance of the week is open to working remotely, though employees are always welcome onsite each day if they choose.

A reasonable rate of compensation for this position is between $145,000-$155,000 per year.

ACS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account or health care savings account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and 4-week work from anywhere; each benefit is subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply based on skills, experience, and location. 

Any actual offer of employment, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be made in the sole discretion of ACS. ACS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.