How You’ll Contribute
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. The public-facing portion of this renovation will be the new National Geographic Museum of Exploration. Components of the new museum 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. The capstone of the renovation is a one-of-a-kind nighttime experience in the courtyard.Your Impact
Your Impact
Responsibilities Include:
Program Development & Curation (30%)
Develop and advance a year-round slate of public programs for the Museum of Exploration, including but not limited to: lectures, workshops, tours, family days, performances, film screenings, and community festivals while aligning with the Society’s mission and strategic goals.
Collaborate with internal teams and National Geographic Explorers to develop compelling program content and themes accessible and inspiring for a variety of audiences.
Work closely with the Education division to develop and implement museum education programs
Event Production & Management (40%)
Manage the end-to-end advancement of assigned programs, including planning, staffing, logistics, ticketing, and vendor coordination.
Maintain and optimize program budgets to ensure cost-effective execution while meeting revenue and impact goals.
Ensure a high-quality guest experience through thoughtful program design, considerations specific to audience age, and attention to detail.
Coordinate with internal departments (A/V, Facilities, Security, Marketing) to ensure seamless execution of events.
Develop marketing materials in collaboration with the Marketing team to support successful event attendance
Strategy, Evaluation & Impact (20%)
Develop programs that achieve annual revenue/attendance targets.
Track key performance metrics (attendance, revenue, guest feedback, educational outcomes) and use data to iterate and improve on programming.
In collaboration with the Director, help to develop and implement departmental processes and best practices
Support the scaling of successful programs for touring or virtual formats.
Work with the Advancement team to support event sponsorship, including providing, assets and logistics support as needed
Management (10%)
Contribute to a strong team culture, focused on creativity, teamwork, innovation, and service of the overall National Geographic mission
Manager the work of the Family & Educational Programming Event Specialist, providing guidance, support, and day-to-day supervision to ensure successful planning and delivery of events.
What You’ll Bring
Educational Background
Bachelor’s degree preferred
Minimum Years and Type of Experience
5+ years of experience in public programming, event management, or performing arts curation with a strong emphasis on developing and delivering programs.
Necessary Knowledge and Skills
Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder public events from concept to execution.
A passion for science, exploration, culture, or the arts , with the ability to translate complex topics into engaging experiences for children and families.
Experience working with speakers, artists, or content creators; familiarity with working with nonprofit or mission-based organizations a plus.
Effective written and oral communications skills
Proficiency Nonprofit Cloud, Monday.com, Google Office, Microsoft Office Suite, Keynote and ticketing software is desired
Astute attention to detail
Ability to manage competing priorities and multitask while under tight deadlines
Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate well with all levels
Availability to attend evening and weekend events
Excellent organizational, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills
Desired Qualifications
Background in museum programming, performing arts, or educational events
Experience developing family or educational programs in close collaboration with Educational teams
Experience with revenue-generating public programs and/or grant-funded initiatives
Supervision
1+ direct report
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 salary range for this position is $80,700.00 - $85,000.00.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.