Director, Retail

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.

• Create proformas for National Geographic Retail, including predicting revenues and expenses in various scenarios
• Provide expert recommendations on design of stores (Base Camp and Hotel) and use of square footage within each
• 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
• Research and select appropriate technologies, including point of sale and inventory management, and manage transition from current system

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

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

• After Base Camp and the Hotel are open, meet revenue targets – per caps, gross revenue, net revenue, etc.
• 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.
• Discern insights based on market and visitor trends, key business performance metrics, and operational feedback to adjust and optimize, as well as developing forecasts
• 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
• 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 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

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

• Experience building and leading a team, preferably during the planning and opening of a new store
• Experience running a full retail P&L with accountability for revenue targets
• Experience creating and managing department budget
• Ability to work in a fast paced, multi-phase project environment with shifting priorities
• 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

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.