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
Responsibilities Include:
Campus Operations Execution & Quality Assurance (35%) This is the core of the role, requiring you to be a constant, proactive presence across the campus to ensure smooth and high-quality operations.
Serve as the VP's primary proxy for operational assessment, spending significant time in public, office, and tenant areas to maintain situational awareness, proactively identify service gaps or logistical conflicts, and ensure new campus standards are consistently met.
Working with team leaders, help to coordinate operational activities between key stakeholder groups, acting as a central point of contact to compile, assess, and elevate plans, issues, and circumstances to the VP in order to prevent space-use conflicts, to provide clash detection, and to ensure flawless execution of simultaneous internal, external, physical plant, visitor, and other events and daily activities
Regularly walk public and staff spaces to perform quality checks on behalf of Operations leadership, documenting findings and coordinating directly with relevant teams to ensure swift remediation of any issues.
Utilize tools like monday.com, CMMS, and a variety of other systems and dashboards to help the VP tell a complete story about operational performance, correlating operational data (like work orders) with other performance reports and dashboards to drive intelligent resource allocation and team alignment across the VP’s six reports and 200+ team members.
Operational Planning & Continuous Improvement (25%) You will use data and financial tracking as tools to help Operations actively improve the guest and staff experience.
Analyze performance data from all Museum floor teams and other museum users and stakeholders, to identify friction points in the visitor and staff journey; translate these insights into concrete, actionable recommendations for the VP and their team leaders to improve workflows.
Assist in the annual budget process by tracking assigned cost centers, tracking project spending, and working with operations team leaders to provide the VP with clear, concise updates on budget variances to inform strategic decision-making.
Serve as an analytical partner to the VP and their operations team leaders, connecting your on-the-ground observations with performance data (KPIs, guest feedback) to propose tactical improvements that boost efficiency and satisfaction.
Executive Support & Administrative Management (15%) You will directly support the VP to maximize their effectiveness and focus on high-level strategic priorities. Every administrative task is a tool for better operational outcomes.
Proactively manage the VP’s calendar to strategically align their time with critical operational priorities, high-stakes meetings, and essential site inspections across the campus.
Serve as the primary contact for the VP's incoming communications, managing the flow of information to prioritize, delegate, or respond, ensuring that operational needs are addressed in a timely manner.
Prepare the VP for key leadership meetings by creating tactical agendas, compiling necessary operational data, and capturing detailed action items to ensure clear ownership and accountability post-meeting.
Key Project Coordination & Cross-Departmental Collaboration (25%) You will act as a key representative for the VP of Operations, coordinating the VP’s major initiatives and fostering collaboration across the Campus & Experiences division to ensure all projects align with long-term goals.
Serve as an operational subject matter authority in cross-departmental planning meetings, providing status updates on behalf of the VP and ensuring operational requirements are integrated into project plans from the start.
Serve as a key liaison to stakeholder groups, building collaborative relationships to foster a culture of shared ownership and to identify potential risks to the visitor experience or to brand integrity before they escalate.
Help translate high-level discussions at the leadership level into actionable tasks for special projects and new initiatives, tracking progress, providing operational insight, and maintaining clear documentation to ensure successful implementation.
Minimum Years and Type of Experience
3+ years of relevant experience in museum or venue operations or a similar project or logistical role
3+ years of experience working in a fast-paced collaborative environment such as a museum, large-scale visitor attraction, theme park, zoo, or similar setting.
Necessary Knowledge and Skills
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a customer-focused mindset and the ability to build positive working relationships.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with a proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines under general supervision.
Superlative computer and software skills and attention to detail.
Exceptional level of discretion, judgment, and confidentiality in handling sensitive information.
A proactive and resourceful problem-solver with a commitment to high-quality work and follow-through.
Experience with financial statement analysis and budget tracking and reporting processes.
Experience supporting team projects by tracking progress, maintaining documentation, and facilitating collaboration.
Analytical skills with the ability to gather, track, and present data to support decision-making.
Ability to act with professionalism when working with team members and internal partners.
Desired Qualifications
Experience using a collaborative project management tool like monday.com is a strong plus.
Familiarity with the operational dynamics of a public-facing cultural or hospitality venue.
Experience with task-scheduling and accountability tools such as a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
Prior experience supporting a senior leader or executive.
Prior experience working in an environment undergoing significant change or growth.
A genuine interest in and connection to the mission of the National Geographic Society
Physical Requirements
This resident position will spend a significant portion of their time at Base Camp away from the office workstation environment, and must be capable of safely navigating portions of the 1,000,000 square foot campus, including mechanical and service areas, on a daily basis.
Supervision
This position has no direct reports but provides direct administrative and operational support to the Vice President of Operations and project coordination to cross-functional teams to achieve operational objectives.
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 $60,800.00 - $64,000.00.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.