Senior Specialist, Membership

National Geographic; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 71,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan with 6+

Flexible paid time off

Job summary

National Geographic Society seeks a Senior Specialist in Washington, DC to drive the Contributing Membership program within the AGM team. You will own production, data, budgeting and collaboration to meet fundraising goals across acquisition, retention and stewardship efforts.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree and at least four years in nonprofit fundraising with direct mail experience, plus exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Four years in nonprofit fundraising including experience in creating effective direct mail campaigns.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, ability to translate complex organizational missions into emotional and compelling narratives for donors.
• Detail-oriented, highly organized, and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a goal- and deadline-oriented matrixed team environment.

Responsibilities

• Campaign Production & Project Management: oversee direct mail and email campaigns, ensure timelines and deliverables.
• Cross-functional collaboration: liaise across Digital, Operations, Campus & Experiences, Communications and external partners.
• Quality assurance & editing: lead editorial process for acquisition, retention, stewardship; manage proofs with vendors.
• Process support: maintain workflows for donor operations and propose improvements.
• Documentation: develop and maintain project docs, schedules, resources, and SOPs.

Skills

Written & verbal communication

Direct mail campaigns

Analytical skills

Vendor management

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Raiser's Edge

Job description

How You’ll Contribute

The National Geographic Society Advancement team identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards individuals as well as foundation, government, and corporate partners who invest in the Society to support science, technology, education, exploration, and storytelling. The Annual Giving Membership (AGM) team designs and executes a high impact fundraising and stewardship program through integrated and data-driven marketing and communication campaigns across multiple channels. Reporting to the Director of Membership, the Senior Specialist will actively contribute to the Contributing Membership program through ownership of and collaboration on production, data, budget and other areas. The Senior Specialist will help the Membership team meet its growing revenue goals related to acquisition and retention, while also contributing to stewardship and engagement efforts across the broader AGM team.

Your Impact Responsibilities Include Campaign Production & Project Management (65%)

Manage campaign implementation: Support the day-to-day operations for recurring direct mail and email marketing and stewardship campaigns by managing processes, timelines, and ensuring key deliverables stay on schedule.

Cross-functional collaboration: Act as a liaison between the Digital, Operations, Campus & Experiences and Communications teams, among others, as well as external partners, to facilitate collaboration, communication, and smooth project execution.

Quality assurance and editing: Lead and continuously improve editorial process to ensure high-quality standards across acquisition, retention, and stewardship efforts. Manage proofing and review stages internally and with vendors as needed.

Process support: Ensure the systems, workflows, and processes supporting acquisition, retention and stewardship operate effectively and on schedule. Identify issues and challenges and elevate, recommending and participating in process improvements.

Documentation: Help develop and maintain project and program documentation, including schedules, deliverables, resource requirements, key operational details, workflows, SOPs and best practices. Review and update quarterly.

Program Improvement and Creative Thinking (15%)

Audience Engagement: Serve as a key liaison between internal teams and external partners to finalize AGM data selects, segmentation, printing, shipping and other components of integrated, cross-channel campaigns. Manage segmentation schedules and review and validate audience pulls to ensure alignment with campaign objectives, project requirements, and fundraising best practices.

Program Optimization and Improvement: Identify opportunities to streamline processes, share knowledge, and develop innovative approaches to donor management and campaign execution. Update and contribute to team performance tracking documents, listing opportunities for improvements and/or operational reviews.

Build Testing and Creative Priorities: Use creative thinking to identify new segmentation opportunities, testing approaches, premium ideas, and ways to more effectively engage, retain, and steward members throughout their relationship with NGS. Add and update ideas into team testing priorities and upcoming planning documents.

Operations, Budget & Resource Management (15%)

Expense Tracking: Maintain and update budget tracking documents with final results to support accurate financial reporting, forecasting, and reconciliation.

Inventory & Materials: Manage the acquisition, tracking, and inventory of program materials, supplies, and premiums to ensure optimal inventory levels and cost-effective utilization.

Team Communication: Distribute project-based status reports, schedules, summaries, and reference materials to maintain alignment, awareness, and transparency across the AGM team. Ensure team and Director are aware of any performance or process discrepancies with timely and proactive email updates if/when discrepancies occur.

Perform other duties as assigned. (5%)

What You’ll Bring

Educational Background

Bachelor’s degree required.

Minimum Type and Years of Experience

Four years in nonprofit fundraising including experience in creating effective direct mail campaigns.

Necessary Knowledge and Skills

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, ability to translate complex organizational missions into emotional and compelling narratives for donors.

Detail-oriented, highly organized, and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a goal- and deadline-oriented matrixed team environment.

Must be service and solutions-oriented with strong relationship management and interpersonal skills.

Strong analytical skills, including ability to gather and analyze a variety of information and develop appropriate recommendations for action.

Ability to effectively manage vendor and/or consultants to create, review, and implement direct response campaigns.

Ability to exercise good judgment and collaborate with minimum of instruction and supervision when necessary.

Ability to maintain high standards of confidentiality and professional integrity.

Competency in word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software (MS Office or Google Workspace) required.

Successful experience working collaboratively across multiple diverse teams to drive activity that achieves or exceeds individual and team goals.

Desired Qualifications

Working knowledge of Raiser's Edge (or similar) database preferred.

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 $71,250.00 - $75,000.00.

• 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.

Who We Are

The National Geographic Society uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Our mission is only complete when our staff, explorers, educators, youth and partners are seen, valued, and heard. We embrace each person’s identity, experiences, and abilities, and we commit to cultivating an environment where everyone benefits from opportunity, mutual respect and a sense of belonging.