National Disability Services (NDS) is Australia's peak body for disability service organisations and has been supporting and representing the disability sector for more than 80 years. Our valued members collectively operate several thousand services for more than 300,000 Australians with disability and employ a workforce of more than 100,000 people across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities. NDS has a strong and influential presence in every state and territory across Australia.
At NDS, our work is purposeful, collaborative and grounded in impact. We play a key role in shaping a stronger, more sustainable sector that improves outcomes for people with disability. We influence national reform, advocate for high quality providers and help our members navigate complexity in a changing environment. Every role at NDS contributes to this impact, whether you work in policy & advocacy, member services, marketing & communications, operations, projects or corporate services.
At NDS, our values underpin everything we do. NDS employees have a passion to make a difference, are member focused, value diversity and lived experience, share knowledge and expertise and prioritise progress over perfection. NDS supports our people to achieve their goals with a range of benefits including flexible working arrangements, employee wellbeing progams and opportunities for growth and learning.
To find out more about NDS, please visit our website at https://nds.org.au
Job Description
About the Role
Location: Melbourne, (but flexibility with location)
Working Arrangement: Hybrid (1 day in the office per week)
Hours: Full-time, 38 hours, 5 days per week.
Status: Permanent
Industrial Instrument: Non Award
The Membership Service Lead leads nationally coordinated membership acquisition, retention and engagement activities, working across NDS to support growth and a consistent, high-quality member experience.
The role translates the Member Offer into practical engagement plans, builds relationships with current and prospective members, and uses member insights and data to improve services. It also oversees member-benefit partnerships from identification and negotiation through to implementation, performance monitoring and renewal.
Key Responsibilities:
Membership growth and retention
In partnership with Marketing and Communications:
Develop and deliver national membership acquisition, retention and renewal plans aligned with NDS strategy.
Develop tailored approaches for different member and market segments, informed by data, member needs and sector conditions.
Identify risks to retention and coordinate timely interventions with State and Territory Managers and relevant internal teams.
Build and maintain trusted relationships with selected members, including senior decision-makers.
Consistent national member engagement
In partnership with Marketing and Communication, develop and maintain a member engagement framework that defines core touchpoints and service expectations.
Partner with State and Territory Managers and member-facing teams to deliver a consistent member experience while allowing for local priorities and relationships.
Coordinate onboarding and early engagement for new members so they understand and can access relevant benefits, services and contacts.
Increase staff awareness of membership benefits, products and services so member enquiries are handled confidently and consistently.
Member value, insights and continuous improvement
Contribute to the ongoing development and implementation of the Member Offer including services and benefits.
Gather and analyse quantitative and qualitative member feedback to identify trends, unmet needs and opportunities.
Champion consistent CRM use, data quality and documentation of member interactions across member-facing teams, to monitor engagement and inform priorities.
Monitor relevant sector and market developments and translate insights into practical recommendations.
Lead improvements that increase the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of membership processes and the member experience.
Partnerships that benefit members
Develop and maintain a partnership portfolio aligned with member needs, the Member Offer and NDS strategic plan.
Identify, assess and recommend potential partners and member-benefit opportunities using clear value, risk and feasibility criteria.
Lead partnership discussions and negotiations within delegated authority and coordinate appropriate legal, financial and executive review.
Ensure partnership objectives, deliverables, responsibilities, financial arrangements, member offers, data requirements and reporting obligations are clearly documented.
Oversee partnership implementation and relationship management, working with internal owners to ensure commitments are fulfilled.
Monitor member take-up, feedback, value, commercial performance and partner delivery.
Ensure partnership communications are accurate, accessible, brand aligned and clearly explain member benefits.
Planning, reporting and governance
Contribute to regular reporting on membership activities and partnership performance.
Maintain accurate records of agreements, risks, actions and reporting obligations for the membership and partnership portfolio.
Manage relevant budgets and expenditure in accordance with NDS policies, delegations and financial procedures.
Escalate material membership, partner, contractual, financial, reputational or service risks promptly.
Build your skills and capabilities and of any direct reports through learning and development activities.
Other Responsibilities (applicable for all NDS employees):
Bring a member first approach and mindset to my work.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as required by manager/supervisor from time to time.
Comply with NDS policies and procedures at all times, including but not limited to HR, Quality, Work Health & Safety (WHS), IT, Security and Data Privacy.
Respond to reasonable contact from NDS outside standard work hours if required as part of role responsibilities.
Develop accessible versions of documents for internal and external distribution.
Demonstrate the NDS values of Build respectful relationships, Lead change, Deliver clarity & impact, Support and develop others and Embrace diversity.
Desired Skills and Experience
Skills & Experience
Demonstrated success in membership development, business development, account management, customer engagement or a comparable role.
Strong relationship management and influencing skills, including with senior internal and external stakeholders.
Experience identifying, negotiating, implementing and monitoring partnerships
Ability to analyse member feedback and data, identify insights and translate them into practical actions and recommendations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentations, briefings, proposals and reports.
Strong planning and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver agreed outcomes.
A collaborative, proactive and adaptable approach, with sound judgement and attention to detail.
Commitment to accessibility, inclusion and improving outcomes for people with disability.
Knowledge of the Australian disability services sector and the operating environment of disability service providers is desirable.
A relevant tertiary qualification in business, marketing, communications, stakeholder engagement or a related discipline is desirable.
Ability to undertake travel
What We Offer
Impact and purpose - Opportunity to do work that matters.
Work life balance - Hybrid work, flexible arrangements, part time and job share options
Leave - Paid parental leave, additional Christmas closedown leave, study leave, option to purchase leave
Professional Development - Learning allowance, access to NDS events and learning, online LMS and courses
Health and wellbeing - EAP, online wellbeing platform, flu vaccination reimbursement, Mental Health First Aid Officers
Culture - Staff events, employee working groups, diversity and inclusion initiatives including RAP and DIAP
Recognition - Service awards, peer recognition program, annual CEO awards
To Apply
We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and value diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We encourage all applicants, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, LGBTIQA+ and culturally diverse communities to join NDS.
NDS is committed to supporting equal employment opportunities for individuals with disability and will provide reasonable workplace adjustments. We encourage potential applicants with lived experience to contact NDS to discuss any questions regarding individual workplace adjustments. NDS also provides adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you identify as a person with disability and require adjustments to the application, recruitment, selection and/or assessment process, please advise via recruitment@nds.org.au or 02 9256 3141 and indicate your preferred method of communication (email or phone).
Applications close: 21st October 2026. Please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your Skills & Experience in the areas listed above by clicking on the Apply button. For further information please contact recruitment@nds.org.au. Please do not send your application to this email address, as it's for enquiries only.
The successful applicant must be prepared to undertake a pre-employment police check.
