Manager, Exhibit Production

How You’ll Contribute

Who We Are
The National Geographic Society headquarters, based in Washington, D.C., is undergoing a significant renovation project on its campus (called Base Camp), which will be completed in 2026. Components of the new guest experience will include a state-of-the-art pavilion entrance, auditorium, iconic photo gallery, exhibition space, immersive walk-through attraction, retail, food and beverage, education center, archives, tours, and exciting new event space. A fully sustainable, on-brand hotel may also be built and operated by a third party on the campus. The capstone of the renovation is a one-of-a-kind nighttime experience in the courtyard.

The Operations team provides an outstanding experience to everyone who comes to our headquarters, including visitors, donors, and staff. We are focused on planning for and operations of visitor experiences and campus-wide operations. The team is responsible for providing services that all staff rely on, including cleaning, mail and packages, office space management, building engineering, interactive technology, and sustainability.

How You’ll Contribute
Job Description Summary

The Exhibit Production Manager reports to the Director, Experiences Production and Fabrication and manages the production, logistics, construction and installation of exhibitions. This position works directly with NG, carpenters, painters, and engineers, to manage the build and construction of museum and traveling exhibits. The role supports the Exhibit Creative Team for the planning, development, and fabrication of new exhibits at the Museum of Exploration. The position will direct the operations staff and coordinate with other building services divisions. The Exhibit Production Manager manages the operations and maintenance of all the exhibition spaces within the Museum of Exploration. The role supports the Print Lab with production and installation, as well as the Manager of Traveling Exhibitions on storing, crating and shipping of National Geographic traveling exhibits.

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include:

• Manage the daily operations, logistics, personnel scheduling, production and digital archive of exhibit construction and installation. (30%)

• Manage vendors, subcontractors (internal and external) and security on the operations needs of the museum and other programming facilities. (10%)

• Manage the daily operations needs and maintenance for the Museum of Exploration. (20%)

• Work with Exhibit and Public Experiences staff to plan future Museum and Traveling exhibitions. (10%)

• Support the production, shipping and condition reporting of traveling photo exhibits. (10%)

• Manage operation of the Museum workshop and off-site storage operations. (15%)

• Manage IPM plan for Museum workshop and on-site storage areas. (5%)

What You’ll Bring

Minimum Education Required

Bachelor’s Degree – or relevant experience required.

Minimum Years and Type of Experience

7+ years of relevant technical exhibitions operations experience.

Knowledge and Skills Required

• Ability to effectively work with others

• A strong aptitude for scheduling equitable work shifts of multiple employees

• A strong aptitude for tools and standard construction practices

• Familiarity with A/V, electronic and mechanical principles and techniques

• Knowledge of museum standards and practices

• Technical knowledge of fabrication and construction, electronics and other relevant skills related to experience and exhibitions production and transport.

• CNC operation experience a plus

• Knowledge of budgeting, contracting and other business practices

• Excellent oral and written communications skills

• Comfortable working at heights, either on a ladder or a mechanical lift

• Comfortable working with heavy objects

• Ability to operate a forklift

• Excellent computer fluency

• Ability to travel for projects is required

Supervision

3-4 staff and contractors

Salary Information

The National Geographic Society offers a competitive and holistic total rewards package. Our compensation structure and transparent pay philosophy are based on industry-specific market data for similar-sized nonprofit organizations.

The salary range for this position accounts for a wide range of factors including but not limited to organizational need; specific skill sets; experience and training; certifications; and more. At the National Geographic Society, individuals are typically hired at or near the starting point of the salary range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

The range for this position is $80,700 - $85,000.

In addition, the National Geographic Society offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance; engaging and comprehensive wellness program; 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching contributions after 6 months of employment; flexible paid time off benefits with up to 22 days of paid annual leave per calendar year (15 days for new hires in their first year, prorated based on the number of pay periods remaining in the year) and 10 days of sick leave; 12 paid holidays and a paid winter break between December 25 and 31; paid parental leave, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility benefits; learning and development opportunities; Lifestyle Spending Account; pet adoption assistance and insurance; pre-tax transportation benefits with a generous employer subsidy; employer-paid life insurance and disability benefit; and a variety of National Geographic discounts and perks.

Job Designation

Resident - Our Resident category recognizes that certain staff need to be physically present at Base Camp to do their work. Some Resident staff must be at Base Camp every day to do their jobs, while others may only need to be physically present onsite some of the time to meet looming deadlines or to get work done and may require a unique schedule. As such, this category has been revised to provide maximum flexibility depending on what’s required for each individual role. The days Resident staff come into the office will be determined by their teams and workflow, and they should work with their supervisors to determine their specific schedule. And throughout the year, their schedule may be adjusted based on cyclical work cycles, deadlines, and/or ebbs and flows of work.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position. We are looking for someone with relevant skills and experience, not a checklist that exactly matches the job description. We want to help you grow and in return, you help us grow into a stronger, more inclusive organization.