Membership Assistant

About the Role

The Planetary Society is seeking a friendly, detail-oriented Membership Assistant to help deliver an outstanding experience to its members worldwide. This role, reporting to the Senior Manager of Advancement Operations, is often a member's first point of contact and handles day-to-day administrative tasks.

Key Responsibilities

• Member Relations:
• Operate HQ telephone system, serving as primary telephone reception staff, answering calls, and retrieving/distributing voicemails.
• Answer or route emails sent to the organization’s email accounts.
• Greet visitors, guests, and give office tours.
• Fulfillment:
• Track, prepare, and ship acknowledgments and premiums to members and donors.
• Receive and store premiums, educational, and promotional materials, maintaining inventories.
• Package, address, prepare postage, and deliver premiums to the post office or shipping company.
• Record items shipped in member records and update inventories.
• Manage and maintain sample packages from all direct mail pieces.
• Process returned mail by recording undeliverable premiums, updating forwarding addresses, and contacting members for clarification.
• Data Entry, Maintenance, and Reporting:
• Change data in records based on pre-built queries.
• Perform routine data integrity work within Salesforce, including deduplication, updating constituent records, changes in contact information, and inconsistencies in membership records.
• General Support:
• Support the Advancement Department with other duties as required.
• Assist in maintaining the cleanliness of the office.
• Participate in Advancement Department meetings.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Salesforce or a comparable CRM (or comfort learning one).
• Microsoft Office.
• Google Workspace.
• Shipping/fulfillment or mail-processing software as applicable.

Qualifications

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S.
• High school diploma or equivalent; Associate’s degree or some college preferred.
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage a high volume of repetitive tasks and meet regular processing deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive donor/member information and financial transactions with discretion and confidentiality.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work well with a wide range of people in person, by email, and by phone.
• Experience working with packaging, shipping, postage, and inventory control.
• Valid California driver’s license and access to a vehicle.
• Physical requirements: Reaching, crouching, kneeling, stooping, using short ladders or step-stools. Lifting and moving packages weighing up to 40 lbs. Prolonged use of computers and other technology.
• A commitment to The Planetary Society's core values: passion, credibility, optimism, integrity, and effectiveness.

Compensation

• Salary range: $57,000-$60,000 annually, based on experience.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 403(b) retirement savings plan.
• 12 holidays + 2 Floating Holidays, vacation, and sick leave.
• Group Term Life insurance.
• Long-term and short-term disability.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

Application Instructions

Applications will only be considered by emailing application materials to [email protected]. Applications sent through LinkedIn will not be reviewed. This recruitment will remain open until filled; however, you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as the application period may close at any time. The first round of application review will begin immediately.