Vice President, Crisis Communications and PR

National Geographic•Washington, DC

20h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Communications, Marketing, and Brand team at the National Geographic Society (NGS) leverages creative and strategic tools to advance the organization's mission and uphold its reputation as a trusted non-profit and global brand. This team is responsible for developing and executing mission-driven, on-brand strategies across integrated communications, marketing, creative, and audience growth, unifying efforts through owned channels, external partners, and earned media. Comprising seven specialized departments, the team includes Creative, Integrated Brand Marketing, Partnerships Marketing, MarCom Operations and Internal Communications, Strategic Communications, Executive Communications, and Crisis Communications and Public Relations. The Vice President of Crisis Communications and PR reports to the Chief Communications, Marketing and Brand Officer. This role serves as a senior strategic advisor, overseeing global reputation management, media relations, and high-stakes crisis response for NGS, and acts as a key liaison with partner communication teams, particularly The Walt Disney Company. The primary focus is to safeguard the brand's reputation by leading communication strategies during and in preparation for high-risk situations, serving as a spokesperson, and guiding executive leadership. Additionally, the VP will work to enhance the Society's visibility as an impact-driven nonprofit and advance its overall narrative through a comprehensive communications strategy, securing consistent earned media amplification to support owned media efforts and raise brand awareness and relevancy among key audiences. This position is crucial for message development and for cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with top-tier journalists, industry influencers, and international media outlets.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, English or related field.
15+ years of progressive leadership in PR, corporate affairs, or crisis management, with significant experience in high-profile, brand-sensitive, global environments.
7 + years of management experience.
Proven track record supporting C-suite level executives as well as operating arms of businesses to ensure effective, consistent and coordinated communications.
Significant experience and comfort level working with media — from opinion editors and news reporters to social and digital media platforms with excellent news judgment, media relations skills and crisis communications skills.
Ability to identify compelling narratives, develop clear messaging and tell stories that demonstrate impact.
Excellent understanding of the changing media landscape, including media relations.
Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to work with a variety of internal constituents.
Ability to handle sensitive information confidentially and exercise high discretion and professional judgement.
Adept at navigating complex, fast-moving public issues and able to guide teams through complex challenges with composure and resilience.
Strong leadership, management and interpersonal skills with the ability to mentor team members effectively.
Strong project management and prioritization skills.
Experienced in managing agencies to produce strong work product.
Ability to work some late nights and weekends and periodic national and international travel.

Nice To Haves

Experience facilitating a strong and effective organizational culture.
Experience leading teams and strategies managing change and a complex organization.
Experience in advocacy, non-profit, and/or fundraising space a plus.
Experience working with a legacy brand a plus.
PR agency experience a plus.
Strong relationships with journalists — especially those covering science, the environment, education and/or nonprofits, within the U.S. and internationally — a plus.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary strategic advisor to the C-suite on all matters involving public perception, risk mitigation, and executive positioning with direct interaction with CEO and CLO.
Develops and leads comprehensive, society-wide communications strategies that align with long-term growth and operational priorities.
Develop recommendation for key thought leadership opportunities in support of broader MarCom plans.
Oversees the creation and evolution of long-term crisis preparedness strategies, including the development of response playbooks and rapid-deployment "holding statements."
Lead high-level negotiations and strategic decision-making during crises to stabilize the organization and ensure a unified response.
Maintains relationship with key partners’ communication leadership and effectively manages agency resources.
Help shape the Society’s integrated communication and marketing plans by providing strategic counsel to support alignment with the Society’s values and best practices in inclusive content and social impact communications.
Lead the command center during critical incidents, managing real-time communication across multiple mediums to address misinformation or emerging threats.
Shape and defend the organizational narrative during high-visibility global crises (e.g., legal disputes, regulatory issues).
Act as the primary high-level spokesperson for sensitive or complex company news, providing public reassurance and managing media inquiries.
Design and oversee crisis simulation programs and media training for senior leadership to ensure decisiveness under pressure.
Build and maintain top-tier relationships with key journalists, industry influencers, and international media outlets and ensure high-quality press coverage and influencer opportunities.
Develop reputational monitoring protocols and recommendations including progressing utilization of advanced analytics and monitoring tools to track public sentiment and identify potential risks before they escalate.
Lead development and execution of an annual strategic PR and earned media communications plans in partnership with key divisional stakeholders and ensure consistent and amplified brand messaging across all earned, owned, and shared media channels.
Lead the development of external positioning and messaging strategies for NGS including drafting external-facing communications – talking points, speeches, press releases, and blog posts.
Create and lead media training sessions for National Geographic spokespeople, including executives and Explorers.
Oversee leadership team’s efforts to identify and secure speaking engagements at desired conferences and events and provide content support, where needed.
Coach team to proactively identify and secure thought leadership opportunities including thought pieces, op-eds, earned media and other external-facing outreach opportunities in line with broader strategy.
Oversee direct reports that serve as collaborators with external partners and that liaise with internal subject-matter experts and departments to ensure factual accuracy.
Manage team members who execute message development/positioning, written narratives, accompanying visuals, presentations, etc.
Develop vision for the team and build innovative solutions and strategies to complex problems, articulate clear goals, KPIs, insights and plans, and move forward key projects to meet business objectives.
Establish and monitor staff performance and development goals, assign accountabilities, set objectives, establish priorities, conduct annual performance appraisals, and administer salary adjustments.
Partner with Legal, HR, and Security departments to ensure all communications meet regulatory, ethical, and legal standards.

Benefits

medical insurance
dental insurance
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)
10 days of sick leave
12 paid holidays
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
pet insurance
pre-tax transportation benefits with a generous employer subsidy
employer-paid life insurance
disability benefit
a variety of National Geographic discounts and perks