Director, Education Grants

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 wonder of our world. The Education department 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 department 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 its reach and impact, the Education Department 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 elevate missing voices, bring a multiplicity of perspectives, and are accessible on a continuum of no-low-high tech capacities at scale across the globe.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Endowments, Explorer-Led Programs, and Grants, the Director, Education Grants collaborates with the Director, Education Programs and colleagues to lead the strategy development and execution of the Education-focused grants and Explorer-led portfolio, in alignment with the Society’s strategic plan. The Director, Education Grants is responsible for managing a Senior Specialist who will monitor and oversee the daily operations of grants and will work with the Senior Specialist to ensure thorough and timely processing of grant applications, strategic recruitment of new applicants, and grantee portfolio management in alignment with the grants strategy.

Success in this role requires a proactive and collaborative mindset, with the ability to both develop and tactically operationalize strategy, manage complex relationships with internal and external stakeholders, employ analytical and evaluation skills, and make data-informed decisions aligned with the Society’s strategic mission.

Your Impact

Strategy, Program Development, and Implementation (25%)

• Co-leads strategy development and implementation for the education grants portfolio at all funding levels, including developing a long-term plan for funding calls (e.g. Request for Proposals (RFP)) and focused funding opportunities, applicant recruitment, selection, and grantee support. 
• Co-develops and oversees a plan for measuring and extending the impact of grantee outputs and impact.
• Using their experience and subject matter expertise in global education and grantmaking spaces, the Director understands the relevant field(s) of the scholarly education practice and innovation, stays networked and informed on emerging trends, and scans for opportunities in the education grants portfolio.
• Serve as a thought partner as we implement NGS’s DEI Guiding Principles and globally inclusive learning design principles, particularly as they relate to engaging with underrepresented groups as part of the education grants recruitment strategy.
• Contributes to continuous learning, evaluation, and feedback of Education grants portfolio, using findings to inform continuous improvement and future investment.
• Serves as a thought partner to Senior Director, Endowments, Explorer-Led Programs, and Grants in the design of strategic priorities and vision for education funding opportunities, including endowments, grants, and funding for Explorer-led programs.
   

Program Management (55%)

• Oversee the Level I and Level II grant application review and award recommendation, and grantee portfolio management process aligned to NG Next 
• Co-lead the development and execution of funding calls (e.g. RFPs).
• Depending on business needs, may act as primary contact for Explorers leading the Society’s larger investment programs, and serve as an internal expert on those projects, including understanding the context in which they occur, and coordinating collaborations to support Explorers’ work across the Society
• Depending on business needs, may support the evaluation and recommendation of funding opportunities (grants and Explorer-led programs).
• Communicate with Explorers to stay apprised of new discoveries, high profile academic p