Jobs

We put our people at the heart of everything we do. Fuelled by the passion of the co-op values, principles and culture, we are thriving. Our 150 year legacy drives innovation and collaboration.

Current vacancies

Member Relations Officer

Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week, with hybrid working (at least 2 days per week in the Manchester office)
Salary: £28,791 per annum
Location: Holyoake House, Manchester
Application deadline: Midnight, Wednesday 18 November 2026
Interviews: Thursday 3 December in Manchester

We are delighted to share this new and exciting opportunity for a Member Relations Officer to join our organisation.  

As the voice of the UK’s co-operative movement, we empower and support co-operative enterprise with specialised knowledge and expertise, to grow the co-operative economy and create a fairer society. From football clubs and farms to convenience stores and pubs, there are more than 7,000 co-operatives in the UK, each owned and controlled by their members and based on a set of shared principles and values. By promoting shared wealth through member ownership, we are committed to enable anyone in the UK to form, or join, thriving and sustainable co-ops. 

As Member Relations Officer, you will support Co-operatives UK’s membership strategy through member recruitment and retention activities. You will act as a first point of contact for member enquiries and build positive relationships with current and prospective members. You will also promote membership benefits, products and services, and support member engagement and networking. 

As an organisation we are led by our unwavering values of solidarity, self-responsibility, equity, and honesty, therefore if you share these core values, we would be delighted to receive your application.

Core responsibilities 

We invite all interested parties to learn more about the role and our organisation within the recruitment pack, which can be downloaded from the recruitment documents section.

• Work with the Membership Manager and team colleagues to implement the Co-operatives UK membership and member engagement strategy, in line with strategic and personal goals. 
• Work with Membership Manager and team colleagues to collectively work towards and achieve Co-operatives UK’s strategic KPI’s. 
• Recruit, retain and manage own target members and member groups in order to develop a growing, mutually beneficial and financially sustainable relationship with them.   
• Build and maintain an in depth understanding of our members, their needs and experience of Co-operatives UK. 
• Further develop and maintain understanding of Co-operatives UK’s subscription model, packages, products and income generating services: sharing awareness amongst the membership to ensure member needs are met. 
• Take an active role in providing a meaningful, informative and productive first year’s journey to new and returning members to Co-operatives UK. 
• Be responsible for own member relationships while escalating more complex queries to the Membership Manager and/or Member Services Lead, or Advice Team as appropriate. 
• Working with colleagues analyse our existing and potential markets for membership and the upselling of services to existing members, developing and overseeing contact strategies to specific member groups as agreed. 
• Support members’ engagement with Co-operatives UK and facilitate networking between members, particularly: best practice sharing, mentoring and business referrals, at our events, online and through personal contact. 
• Help inform the design and delivery of our membership awareness and recruitment campaigns ensuring consistently high levels of quality and alignment with our brand, particularly: data and insight gathering, creation and maintenance of marketing material, following up leads and conversion into members. 
• Act as a first point of contact for member and potential member enquiries by phone, email, website or in writing and follow-up within an agreed timeframe. 
• Contribute to the design and delivery of our membership processes ensuring a consistently high member experience, particularly in the areas of: recruitment, membership applications, member communications, enquiries and retention/removal. 
• To maintain and update member records, undertaking membership analysis and reporting on the Co-operatives UK customer relationship management system as and when required. 
• To work with and support the Member Services Lead on matters relating to the wider membership functions ensuring our membership and governance: structures, policies and procedures reflect our co-operative identity and member needs. 
• Develop and maintain knowledge of regulatory and legal requirements relevant to role, support and promote compliance with those requirements within the role and the business. 
• Undertake any other areas of work that may be determined from time to time appropriate and fall reasonably within the level of responsibilities of the post.

Essential skills

• Experience of dealing with enquiries from the public, customers or in a membership context  
• An understanding of and interest in supporting values-based organisations such as co-operatives, community businesses or social enterprises.  
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to build rapport and develop positive working relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders 
• Strong organisational skills, including the effective prioritisation of workloads, management of competing demands and meeting deadlines. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to promote relevant products, services and membership benefits 
• Attention to detail, accuracy, and quality when carrying out process driven tasks such as record keeping and database maintenance

Benefits

At Co-operatives UK we are a mindful, inclusive, and equal opportunities employer. As an organisation that is owned and controlled by its members, we put our people at the forefront of all that we do. We offer: 

• Flexible working options 
• Pension scheme  
• Discounted travel to work schemes 
• Employee wellbeing assistance programme including free eye tests 
• Personal and professional growth and development, including coaching  
• Trade union

How to apply

You can read our candidate privacy notice at www.uk.coop/policy:

• Download the recruitment pack
• Apply via our online application form – CVs cannot be accepted

Application deadline: Midnight, Wednesday 18 November.
Interviews:  Thursday 3 December in Manchester.

Any questions, please email [email protected].

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