Vice President, Campaign Engagement & Stewardship

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 Advancement Officer, the Vice President, Campaign Engagement & Stewardship provides enterprise leadership for donor engagement, volunteer leadership strategy, and stewardship excellence across the Advancement division. As the Society prepares for and executes a major multi‑year comprehensive campaign, this role is responsible for integrating volunteer leadership engagement and donor recognition frameworks, ensuring the seamless delivery of high‑touch stewardship, cultivation, and recognition experiences that advance campaign and fundraising priorities. The Vice President will serve as a senior integrator and culture‑setter, cultivating a service‑oriented, partnership‑first approach across Advancement that aligns programmatic storytelling, resource allocation, and engagement strategies with donor needs and institutional priorities.

Your Impact Responsibilities

• Enterprise Campaign Engagement & Stewardship Strategy (40%) – Spearhead the strategic integration of volunteer leadership engagement and donor recognition frameworks, ensuring a seamless, high‑touch experience across campaign phases, giving societies, and donor segments. Provide executive oversight for stewardship and engagement strategies supporting the Board of Trustees, Advancement Committee, and principal donors. Manage the Campaign Engagement & Stewardship budget, ensuring investments in recognition, engagement, and stewardship deliver measurable value and align with campaign priorities. Ensure the development and delivery of sophisticated stewardship and cultivation materials that reinforce donor confidence, gratitude, and long‑term commitment.
• Collaboration and Brand Alignment (35%) – Cultivate a service‑oriented culture across Advancement, reinforcing a partnership‑first approach to programmatic storytelling, donor engagement, and internal collaboration. Partner with peer Advancement Vice Presidents to prioritize high‑impact fundraising activities, align messaging, and bridge silos to maximize effectiveness. Collaborate closely with executive leadership, the Vice President of Partnership Marketing and the Vice President of Integrated Brand Marketing to ensure a seamless transition and unified brand alignment across all high‑stakes donor collateral, engagement experiences, and recognition materials. Serve as a senior advisor to the Chief Advancement Officer on donor engagement strategy, stewardship investments, and organizational alignment.
• Operational Effectiveness & Project Management Oversight (25%) – Drive departmental ROI by aligning engagement strategies, resources, and workflows with Advancement priorities and campaign outcomes. Provide leadership oversight of the Project Management (PM) function, ensuring predictable execution, clear prioritization, leadership visibility, and disciplined delivery across Advancement initiatives. Partner with PM leadership and senior directors to optimize workflows, manage capacity, reduce operational risk, and scale effective practices. Ensure Advancement leaders and teams are focused on donors and strategy (not logistics) through strong systems, accountability, and execution discipline.

What You’ll Bring

• Educational Background – Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum Years and Type of Experience – 15+ years’ work experience in nonprofit advancement; 7+ years of management experience.
• Demonstrated success in leading within a collaborative, service‑oriented Advancement environment, aligning stewardship, engagement, storytelling and operations of a non‑profit organization. Understanding of donor lifecycle marketing and the ability to develop tailored strategies for diverse audience segments.
• Strong understanding of how stewardship, engagement, messaging and operational discipline intersect to support fundraising outcomes with proven experience leading the end‑to‑end development and execution of compelling, multi‑channel campaign creative that aligns to overall brand voice and strategic goals.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, prioritization, delegation, and fostering accountability in fast‑paced, evolving environments.
• The ideal candidate can translate a strategic vision into compelling content that acts as the vital link between a brand platform and concrete fundraising objectives.
• Commitment to the mission of NGS – must adhere to the highest ethical standards, demonstrate an empathetic disposition and perseverance, and convey sensitivity to the needs of donors, staff and volunteers.
• Skill at collaborating across multiple departments in a complex organization. Excellent attention to details and follow‑through demonstrated through effective project management experience.
• Strong executive‑level communication skills, with the ability to influence, align and advise senior stakeholders. Presents a high degree of sophistication, self‑confidence and self‑motivation – ability to keep calm under pressure.
• Comfort with multi‑tasking multiple deadlines and projects and follow‑through.

Desired Qualifications

• Exceptional ability to synthesize complex information and guide decision‑making across multiple stakeholders exercising a high degree of initiative, judgment, discretion, and decision‑making to achieve organizational objectives.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a goal‑oriented team environment.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment independently when responding to inquiries and interacting with high‑net‑worth donors, volunteers and staff.
• Strong personal and professional integrity.
• Experience managing and developing senior leaders and a varying range of other NGS staff.
• Experience partnering with project management functions to drive predictable execution and leadership visibility.
• Background in large‑scale campaigns or transformational fundraising initiatives strongly preferred.
• Supervision of 3 direct reports, supervising a team of approximately 10 staff.

Salary Information

The National Geographic Society offers a competitive and holistic total rewards package. The salary range for this position is $209,000.00 – $220,000.00. In addition to competitive base pay, the Society offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance; a wellness program; a 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching after 6 months; flexible paid time off with up to 22 days of paid annual leave per calendar year (15 days for new hires in their first year, prorated); 10 days of sick leave; 12 paid holidays and a paid winter break between December 25 and 31. Additional benefits include 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 an employer subsidy; employer‑paid life insurance and disability benefit; and a variety of National Geographic discounts and perks.

Job Designation

Hybrid – Staff are required to work at Base Camp Tuesday and Wednesday each week, with optional additional days. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

About the Society

The National Geographic Society uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. The mission is completed only when staff, explorers, educators, youth and partners are seen, valued and heard. We embrace each person’s identity, experiences and abilities, and are committed to cultivating an environment of opportunity, mutual respect, and belonging. The Society's headquarters is located in Washington, D.C. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, generous vacation, parental leave, a 401(k) plan, flexible work options and career development.