Project Manager, Advancement

National Geographic Society; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 86,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Wellness program

401(k) with matching

Paid time off

Holidays and leave

Job summary

National Geographic Society is seeking an experienced Project Manager for the Advancement team to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives. You will plan campaigns, donor initiatives, and events with clear milestones, risk management, and governance structures, working closely with senior leaders.

The role requires 5+ years in project/program management within nonprofit settings, exceptional communication, and strong ability to align resources with strategic goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in related field.
• 5+ years in project management or operations, nonprofit environment preferred.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication with senior leadership.
• Strong project and program management with risk, dependency mapping, governance expertise.
• Advanced proficiency in project mgmt tools; Monday.com experience essential.

Responsibilities

• Develop structured, time-bound project plans for Advancement priorities with milestones and ownership.
• Establish governance, intake, prioritization and approvals across portfolio.
• Partner with Chief of Staff and VPs to set priorities and balance portfolio against goals.
• Manage cross-functional delivery, timelines, dependencies, and critical paths.
• Build executive dashboards and automated reporting to improve accountability.

Skills

Communication skills

Project management

Risk management

Governance

Monday.com

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Project Management/ Communications/Nonprofit Management

Tools

Monday.com

Job description

How You'll Contribute

The Advancement team cultivates, solicits, and stewards individuals, as well as foundation, government and corporate partners who invest in the Society to drive impact through science, technology, education, exploration, and storytelling. The team collaborates with Society teams - and often works closely with NGP/Disney - to build transformative and impact-driven strategic partnerships. The team also produces global events that deepen connections and leverage the Society's power to convene, and directs robust annual, major and planned giving programs empowering the Society with a broad base of public support.

Responsibilities Include

Project Planning, Governance & Prioritization (35%)

• Develop structured, time-bound project plans for Advancement priorities (campaigns, appeals, events, donor initiatives), with clear milestones, dependencies, and ownership.
• Establish and manage project governance, including intake, prioritization, and approval workflows across the portfolio.
• In collaboration with the Chief of Staff, will partner with Advancement VPs to set priorities, align resources, and balance the Advancement portfolio against strategic goals and capacity.
• Maintain a centralized view of active and upcoming work to ensure alignment with priorities and available resources.
• Identify risks, constraints, and competing priorities early; drive mitigation strategies and informed trade-offs.

Execution Management & Delivery Enablement (25%)

• Enable and coordinate execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives by managing timelines, dependencies, and critical paths.
• Proactively engage stakeholders across both complex and routine initiatives to maintain alignment, surface risks early, and build confidence in timelines and delivery.
• Drive consistent, on-time delivery through proactive coordination, follow-ups, and escalation.
• Monitor project health, resolve issues quickly, and sustain delivery momentum.
• Continuously improve delivery practices to increase efficiency, predictability, and quality.

Stakeholder Alignment & Capacity Management (20%)

• Act as a central coordination partner across Advancement.
• Partner with the Chief of Staff and senior leaders to prioritize initiatives and align work with team capacity.
• Surface trade-offs, risks, and constraints to support clear, timely decision-making.
• Clarify roles, responsibilities, and expectations to reduce friction and strengthen collaboration.

Project Management Systems, Reporting & Insights (20%)

• Manage Monday.com as the system of record for project tracking, workflows, and reporting.
• Build and maintain executive dashboards with real-time visibility into progress, risks, ownership, and milestones.
• Implement automated workflows and reporting to drive accountability and consistency.
• Ensure platform adoption, data integrity, and scalability across Advancement.
• Deliver clear, actionable insights to leadership through synthesized project reporting.

Educational Background

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Communications, Nonprofit Management, or a related field preferred

Minimum Years And Type Of Experience

5+ years of experience in project management, program management, or operations roles, preferably in a non-profit environment

Necessary Knowledge and Skills

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey project plans, timelines, risks, and updates to senior leadership
• Strong project and program management expertise, delivering complex, cross-functional initiatives using best practices in risk management, dependency mapping, and governance (intake, prioritization, and approvals)
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and consistently meet time-sensitive deadlines
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify risks, assess trade-offs, and recommend solutions
• Demonstrated discretion and professionalism when handling confidential and sensitive information
• Advanced proficiency in project management tools, with advanced experience in Monday.com for workflow design, tracking, and reporting

Desired Qualifications

• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification (or equivalent) strongly preferred
• Understanding of Advancement, fundraising campaigns, donor engagement, or higher education environments
• Familiarity with change management principles, driving adoption of new tools/processes and project management tools
• Exposure to marketing, communications, or campaign-based work environments

Supervision

No direct reports.

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 $85,500.00 - $90,000.00.

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
• 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.