Specialist, Science and Innovation Programs, Land

Company: National Geographic Society
Location: Washington
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

How You’ll Contribute The National Geographic Society invests in a diverse, global community of National Geographic Explorers who are leading a new age of exploration in support of our mission: to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world through science, exploration, education, and storytelling. These bold individuals represent more than 140 countries, and their vast array of backgrounds, perspectives, and fields bring us to the far reaches of the globe. The Science & Innovation Programs team oversees the Society’s funding efforts in science, conservation, and technology, develops and manages major mission programs, and establishes programmatic partnerships with like-minded non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and corporate partners. Reporting to the Director, Science & Innovation Programs, Land, the Specialist will support the programmatic, operational, logistical, and administrative duties for the Land focus area. In this role, the Specialist leads assigned programmatic activity under the direction of the Director to ensure programmatic priorities are met while tracking and reporting on progress, indicators, and impact of programs. The Specialist will provide critical and tactical support that contributes to a well-functioning Science and Innovation division and portfolio, including administrative and organizational support, project management, budget coordination, stakeholder management, and data metrics and tracking. The successful candidate will be a versatile and motivated self-starter that has the ability to perform in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment both independently and in collaboration with the team. Your Impact Your Responsibilities Include Program Management Support (60%) Executes tactical components of programmatic strategy under direction of leadership and in support of the Science & Innovation team. Includes but not limited to: Identifies and interprets internal and external issues; elevates issues and inefficiencies where appropriate; recommends solutions, best practices, tools, and improvements needed; liaises with divisional Operations lead in development and utilization of streamlined processes and refinement of current processes. Organizes data and implements data best practices, performs desk research on scientific topics to inform grant-making opportunities, data validation, and manipulation; collaborates with team members to create NGS forms, reports, campaigns, and dashboards to visualize program impact tied to our programmatic and grant-making priorities; summarizes data and metrics for use in divisional reporting, presentations and other necessary products. Under direction of leadership, tracks projects and schedules, notifies relevant parties of approaching deadlines, updating schedules, project trackers, and other relevant documents. Funding and Grants Contributes to the internal review of scientific grant applications under the direction of the Director, Land. Contributes to overall funding and grant review activities for the Land focus area. Acquires full understanding of programs’ goals, impact and deliverables and manages internal communications to ensure program teams remain in alignment and milestones stay on track. Contributes to work planning and program strategy discussions. Under the direction of the Director, Land, partners in monitoring program metrics and evaluation in collaboration with the Strategic Insights and Initiatives team. Provide on-site event support at key convenings in partnership with team Coordinators. Administrative Support: (30%) Assist in program operation needs using NGS systems such as workday, Google docs, Wrike and Salesforce. Supports the coordination of contracts, legal, presentations, invoices, mailings, travel, and logistics. Ensures program payments and invoices are distributed and paid on time. Helps review program materials and ensures website and other program content is up to date in partnership with NGS communications team. Works with internal teams to order program needs such as supplies, swag, materials and gear. Supports Director in creating and distributing meeting agendas. Ensures meeting information and decisions are captured and follow-up actions occur. Team, Divisional, and Organizational Collaboration: (10%) Develop and maintain strong positive and empathetic working relationships with Explorers and the Explorer Engagement team. Liaise with Explorers and Explorer teams on programmatic needs and contract deliverables. May serve on internal cross- platform workgroups where relevant expertise is needed. Collaborates within the Programs team as well as between the Programs team and other NGS departments. What You’ll Bring Educational Background Bachelor's degree in a geosciences discipline, landscape conservation, or a related field required. Minimum Years and Types of Experience 3 years of relevant experience preferably supporting non-profit programs and grant making. Experience conducting field-based scientific research or conservation projects is a plus. Necessary Knowledge and Skills Understanding of the scientific method. Highly developed oral and written communication skills and ability to work with individuals and groups at all levels. Ability to work on multiple projects, under deadlines, with changing priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment Ability to manage tasks and responsibilities that span multiple teams. Coordinating and managing appointments, meetings, and multiple schedules. Technical proficiency with Salesforce and Google-suite tools. Presentation design a plus. Must be highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to learn quickly and adapt to new situations. Desired Qualifications Field-based research or experience is favorable but not required. Supervision None 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 $60,800.00 - $64,000.00. 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. W e 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.

Keywords: National Geographic Society, Rockville , Specialist, Science and Innovation Programs, Land, Science, Research & Development , Washington, Maryland