Project Manager, Advancement

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.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff of the Advancement Team, the Project Manager (PM), Advancement is responsible for enabling predictable execution, operational discipline, and leadership visibility across Advancement priorities. As the Society prepares for and executes a major multi‑year comprehensive campaign, the PM, in consultation with the Chief of Staff, will translate Advancement strategy into clear plans, timelines, and milestones, ensuring cross‑functional initiatives are delivered consistently, transparently, and on time.

Responsibilities include managing the integrated project planning and milestone tracking; coordinating work across Campaign Engagement & Stewardship, Leadership Giving, Institutional Partnerships, Advancement Operations, Global Special Events and Annual Giving & Membership; identifying risks early and recommending course corrections; and leveraging Monday.com as the single source of truth to provide executive dashboards, capacity insights, and real‑time progress reporting that supports informed decision‑making by Advancement leadership.

Your Impact

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.

What You’ll Bring

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; 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.

We 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.