We invite you to apply for an open Board position with the AIGA Philadelphia Board. All positions are volunteer positions. The term is January 2025 – December 2026.
Our Review Process
As part of our ongoing effort to remain diverse, equitable, and inclusive, all identifying markers (name, school, business, etc.) will be removed from application materials to allow for the most objective review of skills and experience. The AIGA Philadelphia Board will review these edited documents to determine the best candidate for the position.
Board Requirements
Attendance of one board meeting per month
Five hours per week (rough estimate)
Attendance in as many events as you can
Attendance in two board retreats (all-day events) a year
You have experience with Google Drive and Slack (strongly preferred)
You have experience serving on a volunteer nonprofit board or an existing committee. Bonus points if you’ve previously served on an AIGA local chapter board.
You are eager to contribute to the local creative community
You believe relationship-building and stakeholder engagement are essential to the growth of the chapter
Strong business acumen with a broad understanding of fundamental business principles
Experience in a leadership role or vital coaching role
Ability to set overall strategy and drive process improvement
Commitment to a two-year term in the position to support the design community
All new board members will be expected to attend group anti-racism training within the first 90 days on the board.
The Vice President of Operations (VPO) supports the President and the board. This role allows the VP to deepen their knowledge about the board and the leadership expectations. The VP is expected to fill in the blanks whenever an area requires coverage and will assume the responsibility and duties of the President in the absence of the President. Lastly, this position handles the day-to-day operations of the chapter and maintains operational structures, strategies, and budgets.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH:
You will work with the President and VP of Strategy to define the chapter’s vision and oversee the operational and fiscal direction of the chapter
Define and implement operations strategy, structure, and processes
Manage the quarterly and annual budgeting process and P&L responsibilities
Monitor chapter performance to identify issues and propose solutions proactively
Coordinate support to operations throughout the business
Interview, train, and mentor the new board members
Provide regular performance updates to the executive leadership team
Find ways to make the chapter more efficient and agile
Provide ongoing support to the board of directors and collaborate on initiatives that require additional support
You will work with the President and its executive team to create an operating budget
Recruit board members and build committees
WHO YOU ARE:
You believe relationship-building and stakeholder engagement are essential to the growth of the chapter
Strong business acumen with a broad understanding of fundamental business principles
Experience in a leadership role or vital coaching role
Ability to set overall strategy and drive process improvement
As Secretary, you will provide administrative support for the board in order to optimize workflow. You will record the minutes of all meetings of the board and provide sufficient notice and meeting reminders. The Secretary shall have custody of all applicable records of AIGA Philadelphia. You shall keep a correct and permanent record of the Chapter contact list, including Membership, maintain appropriate and accurate accounts and records of all Chapter activities. The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to them by the President or the Board of Directors.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH:
You will work with the President and VP of Strategy to define the chapter’s vision and oversee the operational and fiscal direction of the chapter
Define and implement operations strategy, structure, and processes
Manage the quarterly and annual budgeting process and P&L responsibilities
Monitor chapter performance to identify issues and propose solutions proactively
Coordinate support to operations throughout the business
Interview, train, and mentor the new board members
Provide regular performance updates to the executive leadership team
Find ways to make the chapter more efficient and agile
Provide ongoing support to the board of directors and collaborate on initiatives that require additional support
You will work with the President and its executive team to create an operating budget
Recruit board members and build committees
WHO YOU ARE:
You will attend all board meetings, record minutes, and distribute minutes to the board in a timely fashion
You will collect and organize board member updates prior to board meetings, and submit these update to the President to include in meeting agendas
You will oversee the upkeep and archive of chapter resources such as digital file cabinet, onboarding material, and other documentation
You will manage logistics for meetings and events, such as securing venues, ordering food, and purchasing materials; for virtual events and meetings, you will secure a webinar platform and oversee on-site virtual support
As the Treasurer, you will manage the chapter’s financial resources and and along with the Vice President of Operations, the financial planning. The chapter will rely on this position to perform risk management and provide recommendations on how the board is utilizing funds for chapter initiatives. The Treasurer is the guardian of the chapter’s accounts and financial records. This position will be responsible for all cash management procedures.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH:
You will assume responsibility for cash management procedures and ensure that the chapter is in good standing with federal and state tax rules.
With the Vice President of Operations, you will develop an operating budget, and work with the board to determine long-range financial goals and planning
You will prepare and present monthly and end-of-year finance reports to the board, which will include profit and loss statements for all events and programs
You will conduct regular audits with the chapter President and Vice President of Operations and other interested board members to secure transparent operations
You will collaborate with the President and Vice President of Operations in completing an annual report that will be submitted to AIGA National
You will maintain relations with banks, financial advisors, insurance agents, and accountants
You will secure insurance for Commercial Liability and Directors and Officers Liability, in addition to liquor liability for special events, as needed
You will send letters of receipts and W-9 form to chapter sponsors and donors
Maintain all treasurer-related files and records to be transferred to the incoming treasurer → Ensure a complete set of files is delivered to the next Treasurer
WHO YOU ARE:
You get excited about risk management and investments
You have experience with Google Spreadsheets and financial management software (experience using QuickBooks strongly preferred)
You are eager to contribute to the local creative community
The Professional Development Director will lead the chapter’s efforts in supporting our professional members to improve and advance in their careers. This person will focus on events, workshops, lectures, and discussions that help our members through the arch of their careers, including but not limited to industry best practices, portfolio and resumé development, career advancement, etc. The Professional Development Director will lead the committee that will produce a professional development conference every two years (formerly @in: The In-House Conference).
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH:
You will develop and implement strategies to support the professional development of our professional community
You will design and develop events, workshops, lectures, and discussions focusing on industry best practices, portfolio and resumé development, career advancement, and other topics relevant to professional development
You will form and lead a committee to produce a professional development conference every other year
You will collaborate with the Program Director and Community Engagement Director to identify opportunities to engage the current community
You will create and administer an annual community satisfaction survey
As the Program Director, you will lead AIGA Philadelphia’s chapter programming efforts. The Program Director will plan and implement program initiatives for our membership. They will be responsible for the delivery and overall success of these programs.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH:
You will identify programming ideas and work with the Executive team to map out a program schedule and timeline
You will develop a list of venues and event vendors for approximately 2 marque programs/events a season
You will work with the programming team (Education, Mentorship, Professional Development, Exhibitions) to ensure positive chapter impact
You will collaborate with the Community Engagement & Partnership Director to identify and secure local sponsors
You will work with a team to secure venues and oversee event operations and logistics
You will work with the Communications Director and team to create marketing initiatives to increase awareness of programs
You will track, record and compile program performance data
You will prepare and maintain event budgets alongside the Executive Team and Treasurer
WHO YOU ARE:
You are a planner and enjoy organizing and budgeting in an efficient manner
You have experience with event planning (strongly preferred)
As the Email Marketing Director, you will grow our email reach by developing an email campaign strategy. The Email Marketing Director will work with the Communications Director and Social Engagement Director to execute communication strategies and keep membership engaged by developing exciting content for our monthly email newsletter. You will develop various email templates to use for different needs, such as a Newsletter, Letter from the President, and generic event emails. We are looking for someone who will commit to deadlines, work with the rest of the board to promote events, and is excited to use their knowledge to advance our current email marketing.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH:
Maintain and moderate our Mailchimp
Collaborate with the Communications Director and Social Engagement Director to ensure that all digital communication is aligned with our branding
Create an engaging monthly email newsletter to share with our membership
Manage and build an overall email marketing strategy
Create various email lists and campaigns
Create and design various CTAs and email templates
Test every campaign’s success and suggest methods for improvements
Develop and present reports monthly
Attain knowledge of our social media channels and processes and assist with social media as necessary
Report monthly email metrics to board
Meet monthly with the Communications team
WHO YOU ARE:
You are able to deliver creative content
You have strong communication and writing skills
Self-motivated and independent
Experience with email marketing platforms, such as Mailchimp, and sharing analytics
As the Community Engagement Director, you will lead efforts in maintaining and growing the local community. The Community Engagement Director will focus on developing and maintaining our creative community. They will create a retention strategy and collaborate with different members of the board to engage existing members and create networking spaces for them within the chapter. The Community Engagement Director will facilitate membership recruitment and retention, but the focus will be on the local community, with equal access for AIGA members and non-members.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH:
You will develop and implement strategies to strengthen and grow our creative community.
You will maintain the current community list (members and non-members) and add new contacts from event registrations
You will plan social events and networking opportunities for our community to connect with each other and AIGA
You will attend events and engage with prospective community members
You will be the main point of contact for membership, supporting new members and reminding existing members to renew their membership
You will collaborate with the Program Director and Professional Development Chair to identify opportunities to engage the current community
You will create and administer an annual community satisfaction survey
WHO YOU ARE:
You enjoy building relationships and making people feel welcome
You are eager to contribute to the local creative community
The Special Events Director is responsible for leading two signature biennial AIGA Philadelphia events on alternating years: the Community Awards (including Fellows and Fresh) and the Philadelphia Design Awards.
COMMUNITY AWARDS:
In an effort to celebrate our community and those local creatives making a positive impact, the Community Awards will expand on previous Fellow awards. The Community Awards will recognize outstanding creatives in various areas of influence and will include a community-focused award reception. The Special Events Director will lead the inaugural Community Awards, and will expand on previous Fellow Awards to conceive the program.
A central component of the Community Awards will be the recognition of the chapter’s Fellow. The Fellow program is a means of recognizing longtime members who have made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in our practice. The Special Event Director identifies qualifying members for this award and oversees the voting process.
PHILADELPHIA DESIGN AWARDS:
AIGA Philadelphia invites designers to submit their work to a biennial awards competition, giving them the opportunity to present their work to a prestigious panel of internationally recognized judges. The Director gets a first-hand peek at the work, manages communication with the applicants and award-winners, and helps organize a reception and exhibition.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH:
Form and lead committees to produce Community Awards and Philadelphia Design Awards (alternating years for each event).
For the Community Awards
Identify categories (including Fellows and Fresh) and nominees
Oversee the nomination and voting process
Produce awards celebration
Coordinate all communications associated with the Awards and the celebration.
For the Philadelphia Design Awards
Source and direct production of program creative: call for entries, submission and judging platform, web graphics, catalog, signage
Contact and secure a panel of prestigious, internationally-recognized judges
Manage submission process and promotion of call for entries
Work with judges on reviewing submissions and selecting winners
Plan exhibition/event that will feature winning work
WHO YOU ARE:
You are a planner and enjoy organizing and budgeting in an efficient manner
You have experience with event planning (strongly preferred)
As the Scholarship &Legacy Director, this person will oversee The Alina Wheeler Memorial Scholarship and preserve the chapter’s history. The Alina Wheeler Memorial Scholarship is an annual scholarship program that will support local design students by awarding financial assistance to pursue their education. With this scholarship, we hope to build upon the foundation of the community we began so many years ago. To learn more about the AIGA Philadelphia Scholarship Fund, click here.
WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH:
You will maintain a record of the chapter’s history and preserve all items of historical importance
You will liaise with former board members to secure information relevant to the history of the chapter
You will manage The Alina Wheeler Memorial Scholarship and the submission process
You will select and onboard judges who will work together to review applications and choose award recipients
You will have the opportunity to award the scholarship recipient(s)
WHO YOU ARE:
You are a planner and enjoy organizing and budgeting in an efficient manner
You have experience with event planning (strongly preferred)
