Event Sales Manager

How You’ll Contribute

Who We Are
The National Geographic Society headquarters, based in Washington, D.C., is undergoing a significant renovation project on its campus (called Museum of Exploration), which will be completed in 2026. Components of the new guest experience will include a state-of-the-art pavilion entrance, auditorium, iconic photo gallery, exhibition space, immersive walk-through attraction, retail, food and beverage, education center, archives, tours, and exciting new event space. The capstone of the renovation is a one-of-a-kind nighttime experience in the courtyard.

The Strategy and Revenue Team is responsible for creating the overall business strategy of all revenue streams on campus that meet or exceed gross and net revenue targets across all business lines including, but not limited to ticketing sales, tours group sales, food and beverage, retail, event rentals, and event programming.

How You’ll Contribute
Job Description Summary

The Event Sales Manager will report to the Vice President of Strategy and Revenue. The position will play a critical role in the sales strategy and its implementation as well as communications, project management, market research, and production of all Museum of Exploration event rentals and associated catering coordination. The Event Sales Manager will also manage all internal team coordination as it relates to event rentals. Including but not limited to catering, AVI, security, facilities, NG Live, upper management, and internal stakeholders to ensure seamless execution of events. Coordination with the MOE marketing team to co-create a national marketing campaign that meets or exceeds the financial and attendance goals as well as all KPIs and reporting of marketing performance. The Events Sales Manager will be responsible for all sales, marketing and attendance projections and reports.

This position requires meticulous attention to detail, collaboration with colleagues at all levels of the organization and external vendors and partners, and a proactive approach to work with a positive mindset.

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include:

Sales Strategy and Pipeline Development: (30%) 

• Work in tandem with internal stakeholders to maximize the Museum space to achieve attendance, revenue and mission goals across the organization.

• Collect market relevant data to drive innovation and inform ad spend

• Ensure up to date KPI and sales analytics reporting and continuous year end projections to ensure we achieve goals

• Support budgetary spend development and assist with the annual budget processes.

• Ongoing evaluation of MOE space use logistics ensuring optimization of attendance, revenue and mission

• Work closely with VP, Revenue & Strategy to develop and implement a comprehensive sales strategy to drive revenue from event rentals. Build and manage a pipeline of qualified leads, utilizing CRM tools to track progress and ensure timely follow-ups.

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities, including outreach to corporate clients, associations, and community organizations.

 Revenue Growth & Performance Management: (30%)

• Achieve and exceed annual revenue targets through proactive sales efforts and closing high-value deals.

• Work in collaboration with VP of Revenue and Strategy to develop pricing strategies, packages, and promotions to maximize revenue potential while maintaining alignment with the museum's mission and brand.

• Regularly analyze sales performance metrics and adjust strategies to optimize results. 

Client Relationship Management: (10%)

• Represent National Geographic Society’s Museum of Exploration Events program internally and externally.

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with prospective and existing clients to encourage repeat business and referrals.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for event inquiries, providing exceptional customer service from initial consultation through event execution.

• Collaborate with the event operations team to ensure flawless delivery of client events.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: (10%)

• Partner with marketing and communications teams to develop sales collateral and promotional campaigns targeting event clients.

• Work closely with the Museum’s programming and development teams to identify opportunities for integrated sponsorships and co-branded events.

• Provide regular updates to leadership on sales performance, market trends, and client feedback.

Administrative: (10%)

• Responsible for all interdepartmental communications related to event rental planning

• First line of approval of calendar requests for Museum event rental and other space use within the Museum as well as the maintenance of the calendar system. 

• Create and manage all event documentation, sales reports, and client presentations

• Lead all event related vendor relationships including vetting and contract negotiations and maintenance. 

• Ensure all event rental documents are organized and accessible in the shared database

• Maintains goals, roadmarker, and all other project management in Monday.com and or other project management tools. 

Team and Organizational Collaboration: (10%)

• Responsible for expertise in implementing and supporting strategic goals and processes.

• Propose, create, hire and train all needed event staff

• Ensures the customer service standards of the events staff and that of all other department staff involved in the execution of events including the catering staff.

• Support a culture of curiosity, empathy, responsibility, inclusivity, while strongly promoting collaboration and innovation.

• Develop and maintain strong, positive and empathetic working relationships with key departments and external partners to ensure work is executed at a high level and outcomes are met.

• Create SOPs for all event rental systems, training, operations, reporting, approvals and reviews.

What You’ll Bring

Educational Background

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Arts Management preferred.

Minimum Years and Type of Experience

5 years of work experience with 2+ years’ experience in a similar role.

Necessary Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of and experience working in event rentals at a related industry – visitor attraction, museum, facilities, construction, hospitality, and/or events

• Effective written and oral communications skills

• Experience in cross departmental project management

• Proficiency in both the Microsoft Office suite and Google Workspace tools.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with a proactive and adaptable approach.

• Working knowledge of sales related CRM systems data input, retrieval, and analysis  

Desired Qualifications

• Prior museum event revenue sales experience 

• Experience preparing accurate sales reports, using scheduling and business communication tools 

• 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

Supervision

No direct report

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.

The salary range for this position is $87,400 - $92,000.

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

Resident - Our Resident category recognizes that certain staff need to be physically present at Base Camp to do their work. Some Resident staff must be at Base Camp every day to do their jobs, while others may only need to be physically present onsite some of the time to meet looming deadlines or to get work done and may require a unique schedule. As such, this category has been revised to provide maximum flexibility depending on what’s required for each individual role. 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 may be adjusted based on cyclical work cycles, deadlines, and/or ebbs and flows of work.

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.