Chief of Staff (Campus & Experiences)

National Geographic Society•Washington, DC

10d•$190,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

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 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. The capstone of the renovation is a one-of-a-kind nighttime experience in the courtyard. In addition to this new on-campus experience, National Geographic Society has an existing businesses of touring speaker series, exhibitions, and immersive experiences that will be growing and expanding. The departments that are responsible for the development, production, operations, and profitability of these products are a part of the Campus & Experiences Division. The Chief of Staff reports to the Chief Campus & Experiences Officer (CCEO) and serves as a crucial centralized point of communication, coordination, and management of key division programs, projects, goals, and budgets. This role will be a strategic partner to division leadership, creating and streamlining processes, managing special projects, and ensuring we are communicating well within our division and with colleagues across NGS.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree preferred.
12+ years related experience with 5+ years’ management experience; experience in museums, attractions, exhibitions, touring entertainment, facilities, and/or construction a plus.
Prior Chief of Staff experience in a highly fast pace environment preferred
Excellent organization skills and deep attention to detail
Thrives in a fast-paced, multi-phase project environment with shifting priorities, and delivering results under pressure
Strong emotional intelligence, relationship building with executives and staff at all levels, and stakeholder management
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent ability to craft a message (both verbal and visual) for its intended audience
Exceptional ability to orchestrate strategic and complex cross-functional work with sharp business acuity and creativity
High level of integrity, judgment, and discretion to handle sensitive and confidential information
Deep experience and skill in overseeing work and outcomes in a matrixed organization, without direct reporting structures in all cases
Willingness to work nights and weekends as needed and be on call 7 days per week
Excellent budget development and management skills; knowledge of profit and loss statements
Works quickly and with urgency; extremely responsive to all internal and external customers and stakeholders
Ability to anticipate problems and find creative solutions to challenging situations
Extraordinary interpersonal skills and ability to communicate professionally in a fast-paced, dynamic team environment
Ability to exercise good judgment and while working independently

Nice To Haves

experience in museums, attractions, exhibitions, touring entertainment, facilities, and/or construction a plus.
Prior Chief of Staff experience in a highly fast pace environment preferred
Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Management of Division Initiatives and Projects (30%)
Develop, establish, and maintain systems and processes for division planning, CCEO and other leadership reviews, and task tracking (utilizing Monday.com )
Drive the development of C&E management and culture initiatives; working with leadership to create an action plan and then working with various team members to execute against it
Develop and lead the division-wide onboarding process for new hires, ensuring equity and consistent approach so that staff are equipped with the tools and information that they need and managers are well-trained and enabled to take ownership of job-level training
Work with other divisions on cross-functional projects as assigned by the CCEO
Lead, organize, and execute special projects as needed
Serve as division privacy liaison
Communication and Stakeholder Management (30%)
Serves as a liaison between the CCEO and colleagues, team members, customers, and other key stakeholders; help to assess opportunities and issues for those that require the CCEO’s attention vs. those that are best handled by others; ensure items sent for CCEO review are vetted and complete
Manage division meeting cadence, creating strategy and agendas for Division All Staff Meetings, regular Leadership Meetings, Direct Report Meetings, and others; lead meetings as required; manage meeting / event planning and execution as required; take notes and ensure action items are assigned promptly are fulfilled appropriately
Recommend the best cadence and forms of internal division communication to a diverse audience of desk staff and non-desk / floor staff; lead efforts to develop and execute these channels
Manage division presentations to NGS executives and teams, full NGS staff, and external audiences; develop outlines, slide decks, talking points, and executive briefings
Strategic Planning and Goals Management (20%)
Lead the goals / objectives / activities development and consolidation process for the division
Lead the development of action plans for goals
Establish a cadence and process for tracking progress on goals and ensuring they are completed on time; summarize progress across critical metrics to deliver on strategy and mission
Identify areas of risk for the division and for specific projects / issues; recommend mitigation actions
Budget Management (20%)
Lead budget planning and consolidation process for the division; serve as centralized liaison to the Finance department on budget issues
Review and monitor budgets on a regular basis; work with cost center managers to ensure spending is below budgeted amounts
Develop and maintain a strategic view of division financial resources; looking for opportunities to reduce costs and / or making recommendations to reassign funds as needed
Manage Campus Leadership cost center

Benefits

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
a variety of National Geographic discounts and perks