Senior Manager, Paid Media

How You’ll Contribute

The Advancement division identifies, 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 across the Society 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.

The Annual Giving and Membership (AGM) team manages a high impact fundraising and stewardship program through integrated and data-driven marketing and communications campaigns across multiple channels. Reporting to the Director, Digital Fundraising, the Senior Manager, Paid Media will be a strong communicator who is creative in their approach to solving problems, able to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, and understand the key elements of successful advertising campaigns. The Senior Manager is responsible for assisting with paid media strategy, creating multi-channel campaigns by collaborating with colleagues, and serving as a key implementing manager to meet growing revenue goals through digital ads, and other digital channels to acquire, retain, steward, and reactivate donors at both the membership level and mid-level.

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include: 
 

Paid Media Management and Strategy Assistance (65%)

• Create, implement, optimize, and test online advertising campaigns of all types (CPA, PPC, SEM, social media, programmatic, streaming video and audio, etc.) to reach fundraising and other goals such as lead generation, upgrades, sustainer acquisition/conversion, and reactivation. 

• Help develop paid media strategy, serving as a subject matter expert to colleagues and providing sound counsel on how to best approach and optimize multi-channel paid campaigns. 

• Collaborate with AGM team members and others in Advancement as needed to integrate paid placements with other channels across key audiences and programs.

• Oversee development of campaign and media assets, including leading vendors, partners, and key internal staff in the development of advertising copy, display imagery and content, video and interactive clips, and other content as needed.

• ManageLead and oversee trafficking and quality assurance tactics to ensure placements, coding, tracking parameters, and other campaign details are functioning as expected.

• Build and maintain relationships with key vendors, platforms, and technology partners.
   

Paid Media Campaign Assessment (20%)

• Report on campaign results proactively and regularly, as well as on an ad-hoc basis, sharing results, insights and recommendations for future optimizations, campaign direction and annual plans.

• Collaborate with the Advancement Operations, the Strategic Insights and Initiatives team, and key vendors to assess campaign performance and optimize existing or create new reporting views and tools

• Lead and manage testing plans that align with department priorities and incorporate audience and creative themes with the broader AGM team.

• Manage budget and spend on campaigns of varying size and scope. 

Platform, Technology, and Trend Awareness (10%)

• Stay abreast of digital marketing trends and recommend new paid media tactics, concepts and approaches to optimize, inform and adapt broader fundraising strategy.

• Learn the key and relevant features of ad and fundraising platforms, CRM and eCRM tools, and relevant vendor services to help campaign implementation and optimization.  

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

What You’ll Bring

Educational Background
Bachelor’s degree preferred. 

Minimum Years and Type of Experience

7+ years of progressive experience working in direct response digital marketing or fundraising including the planning, budgeting, and buying of digital media. Fluent in current and emerging trends in digital fundraising and robust eCRM and ad platform experience. Experience working at an organization during a large-scale fundraising campaign is highly valued. 

Necessary Knowledge and Skills

• Adept in Google Ad Manager and Meta Business Manager, and other ad platforms.

• Proven member and/or donor fundraising experience.

• Experience in creating and managing successful digital and/or omnichannel campaigns.

• Competent when working with writers and designers to bring ad ideas to life based on best practices and learnings from optimizations.

• Track record of innovating and launching new tactics and programs. 

• Detail-oriented, highly organized, and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a goal- and deadline-oriented matrixed team environment.

• Service- and solutions-oriented with strong relationship management and interpersonal skills.

• Strong analytical skills, including ability to gather and analyze a variety of information and develop appropriate recommendations for action.

• Ability to exercise good judgment and work with minimum of instruction and supervision when necessary. 

• Ability to maintain high standards of confidentiality and professional integrity.

• Competency in word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software (MS Office or Google Workspace) required. 

• HTML, Photoshop, or related skills to make campaign optimizations when needed

Desired Qualifications

• Familiarity with Engaging Networks and/or other fundraising platforms and databases preferred.

• Prior experience helping with strategy and the ability to leverage data to increase results.

• Ability to relate to people of diverse backgrounds, training, and experience.

• Possess a growth mindset and high emotional intelligence.

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.

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; 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

Remote - Our Remote designation includes staff who must work in another location in the U.S. or abroad, such as our regional leads for our Education and International teams or regional fundraisers in Advancement. Staff may also be designated as Remote by their supervisors (with approval by the Senior Team lead) because of their job duties, and are afforded this status when it is beneficial to NGS, their respective team, and the employee.

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.