Senior Manager, Space, Science & Innovation Programs

Company: National Geographic Society
Location: Washington
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

How You’ll Contribute The National Geographic Society invests in a diverse, global community of National Geographic Explorers who are leading a new age of exploration in support of our mission: to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world through science, exploration, education, and storytelling. These bold individuals represent more than 140 countries, and their vast array of backgrounds, perspectives, and fields bring us to the far reaches of the globe. The Science & Innovation (S&I) team oversees the Society’s funding efforts in science, conservation, and technology, develops and manages major mission programs, and establishes programmatic partnerships with like-minded non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Reporting to the Senior Director, Space and HH&C, the Senior Manager, Space will support the programmatic, operational, logistical, and administrative duties for a nascent Space portfolio. In this role, the Senior Manager leads assigned programmatic activity under the direction of the Senior Director to ensure programmatic priorities are met while tracking and reporting on progress, indicators, and impact of programs. The successful candidate will be a versatile and motivated self-starter that has the ability to perform in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment both independently and in collaboration with the team. Your Impact Your Responsibilities Include: Program Management (60%): In collaboration with the Senior Director, grows and manages the Space portfolio on behalf of the National Geographic Society by creating and managing work plans, partnerships, convenings, Explorers, budgets, and impact metrics and outputs. Work closely with the Senior Director and team members to manage programmatic workflow including: Managing S&I Space projects across all funding levels to include creating and managing project documents, detailed timelines, measurement and evaluation matrices, and logic models; strategic planning; real-time troubleshooting; and overall daily management. Developing and updating work plans and budget tracking/planning/projections on a continual basis. Creating and managing the implementation of requests for proposals (RFPs), to include conceptualization of RFPs and management of RFP documents, identification of priority topics and management of landscape analyses, recruitment of applicants, application review management and coordination, and selection of proposals. Articulating with internal teams to ensure overall program success and representing and advocating for Space program needs with internal stakeholders across the National Geographic Society. Operational and Financial Management: Manages program operations and budget and builds efficiencies across the team. With direction from the Senior Director, actively manages the S&I Space portfolio budget and revises the budget periodically to align with evolving priorities. Ensure that ethical science and conservation are foundational to all we do in S&I and across the Society. Build and maintain relationships with prospective and active Explorers. Act as contact for Explorers leading S&I Space projects across all funding levels and and be an internal advisor on higher-level investments. Communicate with Explorers to stay apprised of new discoveries, high profile academic publications, and/or media-friendly results that should be elevated, and coordinate internally through established processes for review and amplification. Support the identification, cultivation, and management of partnerships. ? Strategy and Development (30%): Manages the development of projects and programs in-line with the strategic vision of the program in partnership with the Senior Director and aligned with strategic priorities. Provides strategic counsel to Senior Director and S&I leadership specific to delivering Space portfolio goals and future actions. Oversees team members and/or contractors who are conducting literature reviews, compiling data and/or preparing reports specific to new program development/initiatives. Schedules knowledge-sharing interviews, drafts presentations and concept documents, and attends symposia necessary for knowledge collection and constituent identification. Contributes to the identification and advancement of programmatic priorities by conducting landscape and gap analysis and recommendations. Is deeply familiar with programmatic content assets to ensure accurate usage of assets for Storytelling, Communications, and NG/Disney purposes. Compiles and synthesizes programmatic scientific information for a storytelling and content audience to ensure they are able to develop rich content assets. Develops talking points and inputs for Senior Director and Chief Science & Innovation Officer when they represent the program. Serves as spokesperson for the Space portfolio with partners and at relevant meetings and events as needed/requested by the Senior Director. Team, Divisional, and Organization Collaboration (10%): Leads collaborative engagement between internal and external stakeholders for the S&I Space portfolio; manages all aspects of the portfolio while informing stakeholders of program lifecycle and making recommendations for program success through thought-partnership and tactical management. Represents the Science & Innovation division and the S&I Space focus area at meetings with other NGS divisions while serving on internal cross-platform workgroups as a programs expert. Collaborates and works closely with matrixed teams within S&I and the National Geographic Society as a whole (Communications, Storytelling, Explorer Engagement, Education, Legal, Program Ops, Finance, etc.) to brainstorm, draft, edit, track progress, and manage the delivery of assets. Partners with Advancement and Communications on program messaging and language for donor and annual reports and communications key messaging documents. Collaborates with NG Editorial to understand information needs for various media products including magazine articles, digital stories, documentaries, digital immersive experiences, maps, etc., and facilitates connections for NG Editorial and TV with Explorers and scientists for information gathering sessions. Coordinates with the Media Asset Management team to curate assets for NGP, Advancement, Communications and other stakeholder needs. Manages and mentors staff and interns. May oversee relationship management with third party resources and/or contractors. What You’ll Bring Educational Background Bachelor’s degree, preferably in science or design, with experience working in a space-related field. Master’s Degree in space-related field (e.g. astronomy, aerospace engineering, planetary science), preferred Minimum Years and Type of Experience 7 years programmatic-related experience. Experience working with local communities and stakeholders, and experience in project management preferred. Necessary Knowledge and Skills Excellent project management and organizational skills using established project management practices and high attention to detail. Experience preparing and managing projects using Gantt charts, developing strategic roadmaps, creating project plans. Experience managing budgets and contracts. Experience developing presentations in both narrative and creative formats. Creative thinker and proactive problem solver with exposure to design thinking, human centered design or similar problem-solving frameworks to guide the development of creative solutions to complex problems. Deep expertise working on contracts. Expertise in communicating complicated scientific information to non-scientific audiences. Ability to work on multiple projects, under deadlines, with changing priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Flexibility, attention to detail and proactive mindset. Dedicated to efficient productivity and project management. Demonstrated expertise in technology including presentation creation (PowerPoint and Keynote) and social media content creation and management. Experience managing projects using Google Suite, Airtable, Jira, Wrike or other software and exposure to using Miro or other digital whiteboarding tools. Understanding of scientific method. Highly developed oral and written communication skills and ability to work with individuals and groups at all levels. 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 $96,900.00 - $102,000.00. 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 (May not apply to all roles that are required to work during high volume seasons or essential workers. Please check with the hiring manager for confirmation.); 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 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 Tuesday and Wednesday. Hybrid staff are also always welcome to come in additional days each week if preferred. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. W e 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.

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