Manager, Youth Experiences

How You'll Contribute

The National Geographic Society is an impact-driven global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonders of our world. The division serves this mission by amplifying and extending the work of NGS explorers into classrooms and communities, helping educators and young people develop an explorer mindset and inspiring them to learn about, care for, and protect our world. The division seeks to help the world understand the importance of geography - seeing the connections, interdependencies, and patterns that shape human and natural systems on our planet.

To accomplish its goals and to extend reach and impact, the Education and Community Engagement team cultivates strategic partnerships; manages education-focused endowments, fellowships and grants; creates and disseminates education content and programs for Explorers and a K-16 audience domestically and internationally; connects Explorers to classrooms and communities; and engages youth in the mission by building Explorer-focused innovative, co-curricular opportunities. Building upon the Society's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion these educational resources and experiences will elevate missing voices, bring a multiplicity of perspectives, and be accessible on a continuum of no-low-high tech capacities at scale across the globe.

The Manager, Youth Experiences serves on the Education and Community Engagement Division's Impact Partnership and Youth Initiatives Team and supports the build and implementation of Explorer-focused high-impact experiences that engage youth of all backgrounds in our mission and lead them to care and act on behalf of our planet and its people.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Youth Experiences and working alongside team members and with colleagues across the Society, the Manager will be charged with managing key youth experiences including, but not limited to, the Slingshot Challenge, a global educational youth challenge which aims to inspire changemakers ages 13-18 to use their voice and ingenuity to tackle the planet's most pressing environmental topics. The ideal candidate has strong project management experience building opportunities for young people, experience managing external relationships and running youth programming, and a demonstrated ability to manage grant reporting and develop evaluation methods.

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include 

Program Management (85%): 

• Outreach and Recruitment Management: Manage outreach and recruitment processes, in collaboration with other team members, to support youth participants and bring new participants to the program. Research, identify, reach out and build relationships with potential collaborators. Support and track implementation of deliverables associated with new collaborators globally.  Assist with constituent communications for youth programs, answer questions, point youth to relevant resources and coordinate email sends with internal partners. 

• Programming Management and Execution: Manage the execution and implementation of youth, educator, and alumni virtual and in-person programming and events, in coordination with team members, including workshop programming for Slingshot Challenge participants and program alumni ages This includes working with team members, identifying and onboarding presenters, tech setup, calendar invites, run of show documents, and slide deck preparation, as well as in-person event logistics such as arranging travel, meals and local transportation in global settings.

• Measurement and Evaluation: Manage the continuous learning and improvement of Slingshot in collaboration with evaluation and youth team members by conducting research, performing data analysis tasks and supporting impact tracking and content development related to program impact, including funder reports and slides. Actively build relationships with program participants and alumni to surface "impact stories" that demonstrate programmatic outcomes have been achieved.

• Agreement and Contract Management: Develop and administer contracts and payments across the program in coordination with the legal and finance teams, including funding payment for youth award recipients. 

Team, Divisional and Organizational Collaboration (15%): 

• Contributes to multiple initiatives across the Education and Community Engagement team; serves on internal cross-platform workgroups to maximize strategy results and scale. 

• Develops and maintains strong positive and empathetic working relationships with other NGS divisions and external teams.

• Contributes expertise to support divisional goals and processes as well as impact programs across the broader Education and Community Engagement team. 

• Supports a culture of inclusion, respect, empowerment, and accountability, while strongly promoting innovation.

What You'll Bring 

Educational Background

Bachelor's degree in related field.

Minimum Years and Types of Experience   

5+ years of experience in non-profit and/or education.

Necessary Knowledge and Skills

• Possess strong project management skills and high attention to detail.

• Highly developed oral and written communication skills and ability to work with individuals and groups at all levels.

• Experience working with youth including managing youth challenges, youth development expertise, engaging youth leaders, youth capacity building expertise, and co-designing with youth.

• Ability to develop and manage relationships with external organizations. 

• Experience supporting measurement and evaluation of projects by tracking progress, maintaining documentation, and facilitating collaboration.

• Analytical skills with the ability to gather, track, and present data to support decision-making.

• Ability to work on multiple projects, under deadlines, with changing priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

• Must be able to work collaboratively across a broad range of constituents and willing to seek out ideas to innovatively co-create.

• Technical proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, and G-Suite tools.

Desired Qualifications

• Spanish language skills 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 $90, $95,000.00.

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. 

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