Job Title

Head of Membership

Department

Audiences Directorate

Reports to

Director of Audiences

Purpose of Role

The Head of Membership is Art Fund’s product owner and commercial lead for its core membership portfolio. This is a critical leadership role within the Audiences Directorate, spanning product strategy, commercial performance, and member experience.

The primary purpose of this role is to hone Art Fund’s membership structure, pricing, benefits, and value proposition across each audience segment – and to develop and execute the strategic plan that will drive sustainable membership growth, combat churn, and maximise lifetime value.

This role works in collaboration with colleagues across digital, development, and finance and  operations to ensure the products developed are compelling, scalable, and commercially optimised. The postholder is responsible for membership volumes, revenue, and the overall financial health of the membership portfolio.

Key Accountabilities

1. Product Strategy, Architecture & Proposition Development

• Be the internal authority on what Art Fund's membership products are: their structure, pricing, rules, and benefit ecosystem across NAP, SAP, TAP, and other products.

• Own the product roadmap and lifecycle for the full membership portfolio, ensuring propositions remain competitive, relevant, and financially sustainable.

• Define pricing strategy and value modelling for each membership type, ensuring perceived value clearly outweighs cost and supports both acquisition and long-term retention.

• Develop flexible product concepts – including introductory structures, segment-specific propositions, or tiered benefit models – to increase relevance and lower barriers to entry for under-served audiences.

• Lead the development and launch of the Young Art Pass, grounded in audience insight and positioned to build a new generation of Art Fund members.

• Ensure all propositions are inclusive, accessible, and designed for the widest possible audience.

2. Commercial Performance & Budget Ownership

• Own the membership budget, including income targets, acquisition and retention expenditure, and net unrestricted income contribution.

• Set annual acquisition and retention targets by segment and channel.

• Monitor commercial performance across the portfolio – volumes, revenue, LTV, and margin – identifying variances and taking action to address them.

• Develop business cases for new products, benefits, and investment propositions, with clear financial modelling and risk assessment.

• Oversee partnership and third-party commercial arrangements, ensuring alignment with membership values and income objectives.

3. Member Retention, Lifecycle & Experience

• Own the renewal and retention strategy across the portfolio, with particular focus on reducing churn and improving lifecycle value at each stage of the member journey.

• Act as the custodian of member experience: responsible for the quality and consistency of all touchpoints – from acquisition through to renewal and lapsed re-engagement – across digital and offline channels.

• Develop and refine a loyalty framework that rewards higher-value members, combats attrition, and differentiates Art Fund membership from competitors.

• Work with the Head of NAP Marketing and Head of Youth Marketing to ensure renewal and retention communications are proposition-led and segment-appropriate.

• Ensure the member benefits and offers portfolio is continually reviewed and showcased effectively to influence visiting behaviour and deepen museum partner relationships.

4. CRM, Technology & Operational Delivery

• Act as the senior membership business owner within Art Fund's CRM programme, owning the membership requirements workstream and working closely with the CRM Project Manager and Digital Experience colleagues to ensure the system delivers a robust, accurate, and frictionless member experience.

• Ensure CRM, marketing automation, and operational platforms are configured and used to optimise acquisition, retention, and personalisation at scale.

• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements, including GDPR and DMCCA.

• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, using test-and-learn approaches to iterate on processes, journeys, and product features.

5. Data, Insight & Market Intelligence

• Be the internal authority on membership intelligence: maintain a clear view of the competitive landscape, member sentiment, and market trends.

• Direct the commissioning and interpretation of member research, brand tracking, and market analysis to generate insight that shapes product and proposition decisions.

• Analyse cohort data, utilisation rates, churn metrics, and LTV to continuously refine the membership offering.

• Champion a data-driven culture within the Membership team, building analytical capability and embedding insight-led decision-making.

6. Cross-functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Work as a key member of the Audiences Directorate leadership, contributing to directorate strategy, planning, and culture.

• Provide the insight and evidence that informs directorate KPI reporting and strategy.

• Act as the primary membership voice in cross-departmental initiatives, including Development, Finance, Digital Experience, and Museum of the Year.

• Work with the Head of Media to ensure earned media strategies support membership growth objectives.

• Represent Art Fund's membership interests with external partners, sector bodies, and museum partners as required.

7. Team Leadership

• Lead, motivate, and develop the Membership team, including direct reports: Senior Operations Lead, Head of National Art Pass Marketing, Head of Youth Marketing, and Senior Manager: National Art Pass Network.

• Foster a high-performing, inclusive team culture that encourages collaboration, creativity, and accountability.

• Coach and develop team members, supporting professional growth and building capability in data, digital, and product disciplines over time.

• Clear barriers to success and model the values and working practices that Art Fund aspires to.

Other Activities, Duties and Responsibilities

As a senior member of the Audiences Directorate, the postholder will contribute to Art Fund’s broader strategy and culture, including its commitments to championing diverse and inclusive museum collections, workforces, and audiences; reaching new and younger generations; and supporting a sustainable cultural sector. The postholder will work within the guidelines and policies set out in Art Fund’s Employee Handbook, and will carry out any other reasonable duties as requested by the Director of Audiences.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience

·       Proven and substantial experience of managing membership schemes or commercial loyalty/ subscription programmes.

·       A strong track record of driving both acquisition and retention growth, with measurable commercial outcomes.

·       Experience of product lifecycle management: from proposition design and pricing through to benefit curation, segmentation, and renewal strategy.

·       Demonstrated experience managing and navigating CRM or technology transformation programmes relevant to membership delivery.

·       Experience of R&D, product innovation, and prototyping including developing propositions for new or under-served audience segments.

·       Proven experience of developing and activating third-party or brand partnerships to drive acquisition.

·       Proven budget management experience at a scale, including ownership of income targets and cost efficiency.

·       Experience of contributing to organisational strategic and business planning processes.

·       Some experience of creating and developing fundraising propositions to mobilise support.

Knowledge

·       Extensive knowledge of subscription and membership economics: pricing, LTV, churn drivers, cohort behaviour, and renewal dynamics.

·       Sound knowledge of how to design personalised, frictionless member experiences across digital and offline channels.

·       Strong analytical knowledge, including experience interpreting CRM data, engagement metrics, and customer research to drive decisions.

·       Knowledge of marketing technology ecosystems including CRM platforms, marketing automation, and data-driven personalisation tools.

·       Sound creative judgment and understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with an art brand.

·       Solid understanding of relevant regulatory frameworks, including GDPR and emerging digital consumer protection requirements.

·       Knowledge of the competitive cultural or leisure membership landscape.

·       Familiarity with the National Art Pass, Art Fund’s mission, and the UK museum and gallery sector.

·       Knowledge of young person or youth marketing strategies.

Skills/Abilities/Competencies

·       Excellent commercial and financial acumen, including the ability to model pricing, define value propositions, and forecast income and LTV.

·       Strong data-driven mindset: comfortable interpreting complex datasets and translating insight into clear product decisions.

·       Good stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership skills, with a track record of working effectively with marketing, digital, technology, and operations colleagues.

·       Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex propositions clearly to senior leadership.

·       Strong negotiation skills, particularly in relation to commercial partnerships and supplier relationships.

·       Ability to manage competing priorities across a complex portfolio, balancing strategic development with operational delivery.

·       Experience using data analysis or business intelligence tools (e.g. Apteco, Dotdigital, or similar platforms).

Personal Attributes

·       Naturally curious and commercially ambitious, with a passion for building products people genuinely value.

·       Resilient and adaptable, comfortable operating through ambiguity and transformation.

·       A collaborative leader who builds trust across teams and brings people with them.

·       Commitment to coaching and developing others, and to fostering an inclusive, high-performing team culture.

·       Genuine belief in the importance of arts and culture, and in Art Fund’s mission to help people experience art.