National Geographic Society (NGS) is embarking on an exciting period of growth and innovation which includes expanding its in-house engagement and marketing team and building an advancement communications group to support the organization’s fundraising, programmatic and mission-oriented goals. With a focus on brand and digital engagement, NGS is building an entrepreneurial team of in-house expertise comprised of strategic communications, marketing, digital and multi-media professionals housed within the communications division of NGS.

The Communications Division leads the development and execution of integrated communications and marketing strategies to further the mission of the National Geographic Society and advance its position as one of the world's most trusted non-profit organizations and global brands. Driven by the Society's vision to be more globally known for its impactful Explorer-led mission programs, the Division's creative and strategic minds develop strategic communications, marketing campaigns, creative, content, and media to promote the Society's strategic plan and key priorities. The Division comprises six departments: Engagement and Marketing Strategy, Brand, Creative, Strategic Communications, Executive Communications, and Content and Editorial.

The Engagement and Marketing Strategy department is an exciting new team within the Communications division at NGS. The department designs and implements a marketing strategy for the Society to deepen engagement with core audiences and plays a key role in supporting a culture of philanthropy at NGS. The team is driven by a deep understanding of audience behaviors and motivations — designing digital experiences, outreach campaigns and acquisition strategies to meet their needs.

The Senior Manager, Paid Media will drive cross-departmental alignment around campaign strategies and paid media efforts, with an emphasis on SEM/paid search, paid social advertising, PPC campaigns, out of home and digital media buys. This individual manages a robust paid media budget, orchestrates media buys, optimizes campaigns to meet KPIs and departmental objectives and analyzes and reports on performance.

This is an opportunity to be a thought partner and strategic advisor to the broader Communications team and key stakeholders across NGS, serving as the resident paid media strategist. Through the creation, execution and optimization of paid media campaigns, this role will play a significant role in driving membership, event attendance, educational opportunities and donor engagement.

This role reports to the Senior Director, Audience Engagement and will work in close collaboration with Marketing colleagues, the VP of Engagement and Marketing and various teams across NGS.

Responsibilities include:

Paid Media Strategy (45%)

• Create, optimize, and test online advertising, PPC, SEM, social media and out of home campaigns to enable fundraising and other marketing and engagement goals.
• Serve as paid media strategist and subject matter expert to colleagues on the Engagement and Marketing Strategy, Public Programming, Education, and Advancement teams, providing sound counsel on how to best approach and optimize multi-channel paid campaigns.
• Stay abreast of digital marketing trends and recommend new paid media tactics, concepts and approaches to inform broader marketing strategy.

Paid Media Campaign Execution (35%)

• Collaborate with the Insights Manager and Strategic Insights and Initiatives team to assess campaign performance and identify key opportunities for increased effectiveness.
• Manage budget and spend on campaigns of varying size and scope, ensuring cross-platform audience reach.
• Build and maintain relationships with key vendors, platforms, and technology partners.

Performance Optimization (20%)

• Drive growth and optimization of paid media channels by setting goals on conversion and engagement strategies, impressions/total reach, and cost per click performance.
• Develop key campaign performance metrics and report results monthly to internal business units at NGS to help inform or revise current and future campaigns.
• Develop and test new audience segments (i.e. retargeting, lookalikes, custom audiences, etc.).

Requirements and Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience working in digital marketing, including the planning and buying of digital media.
• Ideal experience will include previous non-profit experience and an understanding of how an organization cultivates and engages with donors. Agency and corporate experience will also be strongly considered.
• Proven experience serving as a subject matter expert on paid media and offering sound counsel to key stakeholders.
• Prior experience managing buys and campaigns with significant budgets.
• Proven experience deploying analytics and making real time data-driven decisions to optimize campaigns and improve upon future performance.
• Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communications skills.
• A passion for the Society’s mission to use science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the planet.
• An entrepreneurial spirit and desire to be part of a team embarking on a new journey.
• Humility, creativity, and leadership with the ability to work cohesively and collaboratively across teams and functions.

Job Designation:

Hybrid - this position has been designated Hybrid, meaning your position will be performed from NGS Base Camp three fixed days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) and can be performed remotely for two fixed days a week (Monday and Friday). The salary for this position starts at $92,000.

Education:
Bachelor’s degree required. Credentials in marketing, communications, or fundraising are a plus.

To Apply:

Jenn Saldarelli, Vice President at Chaloner is leading the search.  Please apply at www.chaloner.com.

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.