Director, Retail Jobs

How You’ll Contribute

The National Geographic Society headquarters, based in Washington, D.C., is undergoing a $300 million public space renovation project to be completed in 2026 (called Base Camp). The new public space will include a state-of-the-art lobby, theater, iconic photo gallery, exhibition space, immersive walk-through attraction, one-of-a-kind outdoor nighttime projection show, retail store, restaurant, rooftop bar, education center, tour program, and event space. The project also includes a National Geographic branded hotel. The transformed campus of National Geographic will be prepared to receive up to 1 million visitors per year and will be open 7 days per week.

National Geographic Live, a speaker series hosted in theaters and performing arts centers across North America that feature immersive storytelling and unforgettable imagery, is also a part of the broader Campus team. The NG Live team will also run programming at Base Camp after the project is complete.

The Director of Retail will report to the Head of Campus Planning and Operations and will be responsible for leading the planning of the new retail stores in Base Camp and the Hotel, including design and layout of the store and storage spaces; product strategy, sourcing, and pricing; organizational structure and hiring; and related technology. After Base Camp and the Hotel open, the Director of Retail will be responsible for providing an exceptional customer experience and for meeting and exceeding financial targets.

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include

Department Strategy and Planning (40% to start, shifting to 10% after opening)

• Provide expert recommendations on design of stores (Base Camp and Hotel) and use of square footage within each
• Create proformas for National Geographic Retail, including predicting revenues and expenses in various scenarios
• Research and select appropriate technologies, including point of sale and inventory management, and manage transition from current system
• Recommend size, layout and organization of storage and inventory space
• Work with web and mobile experience team to integrate store customer journey into the broader Base Camp experience

Building and Leading Team (30% / 30%)

• Recommend necessary organizational structure for NG Retail, including number of positions, roles, hours, and timeline for hiring
• Create a culture of learning, developing staff internally from junior positions and providing opportunity for advancement
• Develop staff training programs that will prioritize excellent customer service and advancement of membership goals while maximizing retail revenue
• Ensure retail team is integrated into the broader Campus team
• Recruit, hire, and train the full team prior to opening

Product Strategy and Procurement (30% / 20%)

• Recommend a product strategy for NG Retail, considering customer, integration with Base Camp experience, and maximizing profit
• Recommend purchasing, pricing, sales, and discount strategies to maximize profits
• Build and leverage relationship with Disney’s consumer products team to access licensing deals
• Work with Brand, Sustainability, and Science & Innovation departments to ensure products sourced are consistent with National Geographic brand and values
• Provide robust support for internal department custom product purchasing needs
• Develop inventory operations system, including buying, receiving, inventory; ensure internal controls and loss prevention guidelines are followed
• Develop and maintain the visual appearance of the stores and merchandising displays

Revenue and Reporting (5% / 30%)

• Monitor sales performance on a daily basis and set regular cadence for assessing the full retail program to identify areas of opportunity and pivoting to improve guest experience, topline revenue, and profits
• Work with Marketing, Visitor Experience, Experiences, and other teams to understand the customer journey and develop and implement marketing plans for the Store specifically
• Create a robust retail reporting platform to easily identify trends, top sellers, per caps, etc.
• After Base Camp and the Hotel are open, meet revenue targets – per caps, gross revenue, net revenue, etc.
• Work with Finance, Visitor Experience, IT, and other teams to integrate Base Camp data and reporting to other systems as needed; provide daily sales reports and reconciliations
• Discern insights based on market and visitor trends, key business performance metrics, and operational feedback to adjust and optimize, as well as developing forecasts

Event Strategy Support (5% / 10%)

• Work with National Geographic Live team to understand their programming and identify areas of opportunity to have retail items available for attendees to purchase
• Work with event sales team to be aware of rental groups on campus and identify areas of opportunity sell items to renting party in bulk and/or have retail items available for attendees to purchase

Educational Background

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Minimum Years And Type Of Experience

5+ years of management experience with 10+ years experience in the museum or visitor attraction retail industry

Necessary Knowledge And Skills

• Proficiency in both the Microsoft Office suite and Google Workspace tools
• Merchandising (trend analysis, visual merchandising direction, data-driven decision making, strategic thinking, growth mindset)
• Management and development of people
• Strong business acumen and knowledge of marketing strategies
• Ability to partner with internal and external stakeholders
• Expertise in visitor attraction or museum retail industry, including knowledge of systems and strategies
• Understanding of the current trends in the retail industry
• Strong work ethic and ability to develop and implement new systems and policies
• P&L management and financial analysis
• Sound judgement and strategic thinking
• Superior written and oral communications skills

Desired Qualifications

• Experience building and leading a team, preferably during the planning and opening of a new store
• Ability to work in a fast paced, multi-phase project environment with shifting priorities
• Experience running a full retail P&L with accountability for revenue targets
• Attention to detail and ability to understand and prioritize multiple requests and projects while meeting deadlines
• Proactive, positive, customer service mindset
• Ability to work nights and weekends as needed; on call 7 days a week
• Experience creating and managing department budget

Supervision

The Director will immediately supervise the Store Assistant Manager and Merchandise Operations Associate, but they will be responsible for recommending an appropriate organizational structure to support the future store operations, including all retail functions (e.g. buying, receiving, merchandising, sales and customer service, etc.)

Job Designation

Resident

Salary Information

As a leading nonprofit organization, National Geographic Society offers competitive salary and total rewards to attract, develop, and retain an innovative and dynamic workforce.

The salary range for this position starts at $120,000

Job Designation

Resident - Our Resident category recognizes that certain staff need to be physically present at Base Camp to do their work. Some Resident staff must always be onsite to do their jobs, while others may only need to be physically present some of the time. Some Resident staff may need to come into Base Camp every day, some may need to come in to meet looming deadlines and to get work done, and others may require a more unique schedule. The days Resident staff come into the office will be determined by their teams and workflow, and they should work with their supervisors to determine their specific schedule. And throughout the year, their schedule can be adjusted based on cyclical work cycles, deadlines, and/or ebbs and flows of work. As a guideline, Resident staff will be in the office between 3-5 days a week.

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.