The National Geographic Society is an impact-driven global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonders of our world. The Education department serves this mission by amplifying and extending the work of NGS explorers into classrooms and communities, helping educators and young people develop an explorer mindset, and inspiring them to learn about, care for, and protect our world. The department seeks to help the world understand the importance of geography - seeing the connections, interdependencies, and patterns that shape human and natural systems on our planet.

To accomplish its goals and to extend reach and impact, the Education Department cultivates strategic partnerships; manages education-focused endowments, fellowships and grants; creates and disseminates education content and programs for Explorers and a K-16 audience domestically and internationally; connects Explorers to classrooms and communities; and engages youth in the mission by building Explorer-focused innovative, co-curricular opportunities. Building upon the Society’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion these educational resources and experiences elevate missing voices, bring a multiplicity of perspectives, and are accessible on a continuum of no-low-high tech capacities at scale across the globe.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Strategic Innovation, the Sr. Specialist will serve as the day-to-day project manager for the National Geographic Student Travel program, a new educational travel initiative offering high-impact, immersive trips for students in middle school, high school, and gap year. The Sr. Specialist will work on other key initiatives and partnerships in support of the Education mission by executing tactical elements of the strategy including project management, content development, and by offering administrative and organizational support. The Sr. Specialist’s contributions are essential components of the experiences designed to engage educators and youth in our mission and lead them to care and act on behalf of our planet and its people.

• Program Management (60%):
  • Under supervision, manage specific aspects of the educational travel program (Student Travel) and other key Strategic Innovation & Youth Initiatives experiences to satisfy team objectives. This includes day-to-day management of program plans, timelines, budget, scholarship program, and programmatic operations.
  • In coordination with the supervisor, carefully develop, maintain, and manage the relationship with the Student Travel vendor and our partners at National Geographic Expeditions.
  • Work alongside internal and external partners to design, develop, and coordinate educational program materials such as trainings, webinars, and toolkits.
  • Coordinate work across multiple departments to meet program needs such as the marketing and brand efforts with Communications and developing a new scholarship program with the Advancement and DEI teams.

• Team, Divisional and Organizational Innovation and Collaboration (30%):
  • Contributes to multiple strategic initiatives across the Education team including supporting our new work with Cengage and Disney; serves on internal cross-platform workgroups to maximize strategy results and scale.
  • Develops and maintains strong positive and empathetic working relationships with other NGS divisions and external teams.
  • Contributes expertise to support divisional goals and processes as well as impact programs across the broader Education team.
  • Supports a culture of inclusion, respect, empowerment, and accountability, while strongly promoting innovation.

• Administrative and Organizational Support (10%)
  • Assist with the scheduling of meetings, taking notes and planning agendas, and updating team organizational tools, such as work plans and roadmaps across Education initiatives.
  • Administer contracts, payments, and vendor support across the program in coordination with the legal and finance teams.

• Highly developed oral and written communication skills, customer service orientation, and ability to work with individuals and groups at all levels.
• Must be detail-oriented, highly organized, and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong project management and relationship management skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a goal- and deadline-oriented team environment. Must be self-directed and able to work confidently and successfully in a fast-paced, rapidly expanding operation within a dynamic, multi-faceted organization.
• Service and solution-oriented flexible thinker who can shift as needed to address new priorities within a growing division and organization, understanding that other duties will be required.
• Technical proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, and G-Suite tools.

• Experience working with educational travel programs.
• Experience working cross-functionally, particularly with Communications, Marketing, and Advancement.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and work with limited instruction and supervision, when necessary.

Hybrid - At the Society, we believe in the advantages of coming together to build community, mentor and learn from colleagues, and connect more deeply with our mission. As a result, the majority of our staff are Hybrid. Our Hybrid category requires that staff work at Base Camp two days each week: every Wednesday plus either Tuesday or Thursday. Because we recognize that we can effectively work remotely, this designation has been updated to provide more flexibility, both in the days staff choose to come into the office and how often they are expected to be at Base Camp. And of course, Hybrid staff are also always welcome to come in additional days each week if they prefer.