Membership Development Manager

isla exists to enable transformation within the global event sector, standardising approaches to sustainability to ensure we’re raising the bar across the board, founded around a central ambition to provide solutions and funding to the industry to facilitate meaningful and lasting changes on a global scale.

We’re looking for a proactive, results-driven professional who excels at strategic relationship-building and has a natural talent for identifying and capitalising on commercial opportunities.

This is a unique opportunity to play a key role in expanding isla’s membership base, driving growth, and enhancing member engagement within a dynamic and evolving industry, with substantial growth potential within the organisation.

Overview of the role

As the Membership Development Manager, you will be instrumental in expanding isla’s membership community by driving new member acquisition, enhancing retention, and identifying growth opportunities across the organisation. You will be responsible for managing the full membership sales cycle—from outreach and pipeline management to closing deals and reporting on metrics—to ensure that revenue and membership targets are achieved. 

Success in this role means actively promoting isla’s value to prospective members, developing meaningful relationships within the industry, and collaborating cross-functionally to create an exceptional member experience that fosters long-term engagement and satisfaction. Through your efforts, isla will strengthen its market position, increase revenue, and continue to expand its impact within the event sector.

You will be reporting to our Commercial Director.

Key accountabilities

• Drive membership growth and revenue; manage the full sales cycle to support commercial growth, identifying opportunities for new memberships, upselling additional services and sponsorships to meet or exceed revenue targets.
• Outreach and engagement; conduct proactive outreach and manage inbound membership inquiries, customising communications to attract and engage prospective members effectively.
• Pipeline and performance management; manage membership sales pipelines, prepare regular reports on growth, retention, and revenue metrics, and ensure targets align with company goals.
• Member satisfaction and retention; collaborate cross-functionally to conduct regular check-ins, satisfaction surveys, and feedback sessions to enhance the member experience and improve retention.
• Industry presence and promotion; represent the company at industry events and networking opportunities to promote membership offerings and expand the member community, working closely with marketing to drive renewal and engagement campaigns.

Experience

We’re seeking an individual who can develop strategy and deliver hands-on sales expertise, capable of both setting direction and executing on membership growth initiatives.

• Experience in a business development, sales or commercial role, ideally within a membership organisation or within the event sector. 
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets whilst working in a revenue generating role in a small business 
• Experience driving growth within a membership organisation
• A genuine passion for advancing corporate sustainability efforts; even if your level of sustainability knowledge is limited. 

If your experience doesn’t fit the descriptions above, but you believe you have the skills and knowledge to deliver in the role, please don’t hesitate to apply! 

Salary: £35,000 – £40,000 pa depending on experience + OTE

Position: Full time (37.5h pw)

Start Date: Q1 2025

Probation: Four months 

Holiday: 33 flexible days (inclusive of flexi-bank holidays) and 4 fixed days

Pension: 3% contributions 

Location: We would prefer this role to be delivered in-person / hybrid (London) but will consider remote for the right candidate. However, you will need to be willing and able to travel for required meetings and events, and collaborate with the team at least once a quarter.

Recruiting Diversely 

We are actively recruiting from all communities for this role, and building towards an inclusive culture. We aim to serve the needs of our staff within a supportive, respectful and just culture. 

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage anyone who believes this role would suit them to apply as their authentic selves without fear of prejudice.

To Apply 

You’ll be submitting your application directly to the Commercial Director – not a generic inbox. 

Please email tom@weareisla.co.uk with your CV and a considered note* to introduce yourself and tell her why you think you’re a match for this role.

Please be aware that Tom receives a high volume of emails and will endeavour to reply to every application within a week, however if you haven’t heard directly within this timeframe, please assume you will not be invited to interview. 

*Notes can be written, video or audio. For audio or video, please keep these to a max of two minutes.