Members Don't Join for Dollar Value

About the Role

At Steward, we are redefining the association landscape by challenging the status quo of member recruitment. We understand that human beings do not make decisions based on cold spreadsheets or calculated ROI alone; they make decisions based on emotion, desire, and the human need for connection. We are looking for a visionary Membership Strategy Consultant who understands the deep intersection of behavioral economics, neuroscience, and digital strategy. In this role, you will help our clients move past the 'dollar-value' trap and build engagement models that speak to the heart before they speak to the mind.

• Develop and execute membership recruitment strategies that prioritize 'persuading benefits' over 'rationalizing benefits' to drive deep emotional engagement.
• Audit existing association benefit programs to translate technical features into compelling narratives that address member pain points, fears, and desires.
• Collaborate with association leaders to restructure their value propositions, ensuring that financial justifications are used to support, rather than lead, the sales process.
• Apply principles of behavioral science and negativity bias to reduce friction in the member journey and mitigate post-purchase regret.
• Create high-impact digital content and copy that leverages psychological triggers and storytelling to move prospective members to action.
• Advise on multi-channel marketing campaigns that connect digital strategy directly to high-level organizational goals and long-term member retention.

• Proven experience in membership marketing, association management, or high-level copywriting with a focus on psychological persuasion.
• Deep understanding of behavioral economics principles, such as those highlighted in the research of Rozin and Royzman regarding negativity bias and emotional decision-making.
• Ability to translate complex data and 'Spock-like' logic into relatable, human-centric marketing narratives that resonate on an emotional level.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to present strategic concepts to executive-level stakeholders and boards of directors.
• Familiarity with digital customer acquisition strategies and the ability to align technical tools with human-driven outcomes.
• A passion for continuous learning, mirroring the multi-disciplinary background of our leadership in business growth and digital engineering.

• Fully remote work environment offering flexibility and a focus on high-impact output rather than hours logged.
• Opportunity to work directly with industry leaders like John Hooley, a Zend Certified Engineer and Customer Acquisition Specialist.
• Professional development support for those interested in behavioral science, digital strategy, and association management.
• A culture that values diverse interests and life experiences, from sailing and climbing to community volunteering.
• Access to exclusive insights and proprietary research into the future of member engagement and recruitment.

Required Skills