"Alerted.org

Membership and Operations Senior Manager

Association Management Chicago, IL

Apply

Description

Smithbucklin, a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, with primary offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C., is looking for a   Senior   Operations   Manager for the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS)   to join our Association Management in our   Chicago office. The Senior Operations Manager plays a significant role in the management of NCS’s programs, will hold a key leadership role with the Board and staff team, and supports the NCS Executive Director in all areas of association management.

At Smithbucklin, we embody a culture driven by optimism, ambition, expertise, and thoughtfulness, where every team member is empowered to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Join us in shaping the future of association management, where our values serve as the cornerstone of our success.

What You Will Do:

+ Drive operational oversight for all client activities, ensuring seamless coordination, efficiency, and measurable impact across the team.

+ Develop the annual budget, quarterly financial reports and periodic forecasts in collaboration with Executive Director and finance/accounting staff team—contributing to sound financial stewardship and forward-looking planning.

+ Lead the development, drafting, and ongoing maintenance of governance and organizational documents, ensuring clarity, compliance, and alignment with strategic priorities.

+ Plan, organize, and facilitate in-person and virtual governance meetings, enabling leaders to make informed, strategic decisions.

+ Ensure timely preparation and strategic packaging of board and governance materials, elevating the quality and effectiveness of leadership communications.

+ Orchestrate, draft, and disseminate governance and operational updates, including insights related to membership, financial performance, and strategic-plan progress.

+ Provide direct leadership, coaching, and oversight to the membership, operations, and education staff teams to ensure development, engagement, and performance excellence.

+ Champion customer and member experience, partnering with cross-functional teams to optimize service, responsiveness, and value delivery.

+ Oversee operational expenses with a focus on maximizing efficiency, cost savings, and alignment with organizational priorities.

+ Cultivate trusted, productive relationships between client volunteer leaders and staff, reinforcing collaboration and shared accountability.

+ Lead and manage strategic or emerging initiatives, including ad hoc projects and committees related to membership, operations, finance, or organizational priorities.

This Role Might Be for You If…

+ You are comfortable working with highly credentialed, engaged and intellectual medical practitioners

+ You understand and effectively support volunteer leaders who operate in a fast-paced, high-stakes critical care environment

+ You demonstrate strong leadership qualities and the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external partners.

+ You bring strategic agility, adaptability, and a commitment to excellence to every project and partnership.

+ You thrive when managing a diverse, complex portfolio of initiatives and are energized by cross-team collaboration and innovation.

+ You excel at prioritizing, delegating, and driving projects from idea to execution, even in fast-moving or ambiguous environments.

+ You have experience with performance management and a passion for developing talent, strengthening engagement, and building high-performing teams.

+ You possess refined written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to frame information for executive and governance audiences.

+ You demonstrate exceptional time-management, organizational strength, and attention to detail.

+ You bring a continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to learn quickly, diagnose issues, and propose solutions.

+ You make sound, balanced decisions, especially related to conflict resolution, team dynamics, and operational priorities.

Basic Qualifications

+ Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution, or equivalent experience

+ 7–10 years of relevant professional experience, including direct supervisory responsibilities

+ Experience with budgets, financial reports, and AMS/CMS platforms

+ Demonstrated writing and editing experience

+ Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

+ Experience using project management platforms (Microsoft Teamwork, Asana, Monday.com, or equivalent tools)

Preferred Qualifications

+ Experience with medical provider professional associations/societies

+ Experience with volunteer management in a physician membership association/society is highly preferred

+ Experience working with teams or volunteers located around the world

+ Database experience and website skills are preferred

Where Do You Fit?

As a senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to hone your skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people — regardless of position or compensation — an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.

Our hybrid environment offers you the option of working from home two days per week. Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines.   Smithbucklin considers several factors when determining compensation, including a candidate's recent coursework, training, experience, and certifications, among other considerations. The expected pay for this role is $100,000 - $115,000

Equal Employment Opportunity At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.

Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment. You must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.