Is Newington Hiring or Hemorrhaging?

This post was written by Chuck Adams, N5UN, and a version of this was originally posted to the My ARRL Voice Facebook group. I found it yesterday while perusing the group, and it hit me as something I’ve been meaning to write myself. I asked Chuck for permission to repost it here, with some modifications, and he graciously gave me permission to do so….Dan

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Is Newington Hiring or Hemorrhaging?

By Chuck Adams, N5UN

While we are told the League is “stronger than ever,” the “Help Wanted” ads tell a different story. If you follow the ARRL News, like I do, you know what I mean. The number of job postings seems to be growing, and there is a pretty long list of open, critical positions. The professional “front line” of our hobby is hollowing out.

Current vacancies

The March 19, 2026 edition of the ARRL Letter listed the following openings:

• W1AW Station Manager: The “heart” of our heritage. ARRL is searching for a new leader for this critical asset.
• Senior RFI Lab Engineer: Our “spectrum shield” is vacant.
• Contest Program Manager: I have confirmed that this position has been vacant for six months (per former staff). ARRL management has now downgraded this function and is now looking for an “Awards Program Supervisor.”
• PR & Outreach Manager: No one to tell our story or manage this crisis.
• Membership Manager: No one at the helm to stop the $59 per head exodus.
• LoTW Support Associate: As noted by Dave Bernstein (AA6YQ), the job description now explicitly requires the “ability to maintain composure under stressful conditions.”

I’m not sure why these positions have been vacant for so long, but it’s probably a combination of things, including:

• The requirement that employees work on-site in Newington.
• Relatively low pay. It isn’t cheap to live in Connecticut.
• The reputation that the ARRL has gained of being a toxic workplace.

A question that I’d ask is with all these positions vacant, what exactly are we paying $59 for? I’d also ask what, if anything, the Board is doing to help rectify this situation? They are, after all, ultimately responsible for the health of the ARRL.

It’s been suggested that the silence from Newington is causing donors to sit up an take notice. It’s also been suggested that it might take an uprising among the donors to see any meaningful movement at HQ. These folks are contributing more than $59/year and certainly want to see their money put to good use. With so many critical positions vacant, that’s not easy to do.