Reference and Research Specialist (Storytelling)

How You’ll Contribute

The Storytelling team works to expand the organization’s impact through journalism, photography, film/video, web content, mapping, and data visualization. As one of the largest funders to individual storytellers in this work, it also identifies key grantmaking, and fellowship opportunities with creative talent. Much of the team's programmatic activity is focused on identifying and building capacity for the next generation of diverse storytellers.
National Geographic Society’s Special Collections chronicle 135 years of Society history through historical documents, maps, oral histories, audio and video recordings, photographs, artifacts, and media assets from our current Explorer-led science, storytelling, and education programs. Special Collections shares the story of National Geographic Society's past and present by expertly managing its unique archival, media, and information resources. We seek to create a more inclusive narrative by inspiring users to engage with and build on these materials.
Reporting to the Senior Manager of Reference and Research, the Reference and Research Specialist assists with inquiries about Special Collections materials, evaluates Special Collections audiences, and supports access and education about Special Collection materials. A focus of this position will be to coordinate discovery and access to Special Collections assets. As noted below, we engage in inclusive hiring practices and welcome all applicants who are interested in this position. Educational degrees and experiences in Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) institutions are not required, and we welcome any applicant with relatable experiences and knowledge.
This role is anticipated to be a fixed-term engagement, ending March 31, 2026.

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include:

Reference and Research Services Support (80%)

• Support the Senior Manager of Reference and Research in responding to staff and third party research and reference requests in a timely and professional manner, especially related to the use of digital assets for commercial, educational, and personal use. 

• Support colleagues and facilitate requests using dynamic workflow management tools like Airtable. 

• Promote and facilitate the use of borrowing and interlibrary loan services. Provide administrative support to the program, including the circulation of loaned books.

• Collaborate with Reference and Research program members to develop self-serve resources for Special Collections audiences, including research guides and training materials. 

• Contribute to documentation and analysis of centralized reference services, supporting use by Special Collections staff and creating monthly reports in coordination with the Senior Manager of Reference and Research. 

Audience Analysis and Evaluation (15%)

• In coordination with Special Collections staff, support the collection and analysis of the demographics, behavior, and preferences of core user groups.

• Determine potential strategies for improving user experience and growing Special Collections’ audiences in collaboration with Research and Reference program team members. 

• Support the development of user surveys, interviews, and focus groups.

Other (5%)

• Other duties as assigned

Educational Background

Bachelor’s Degree preferred

Minimum Years and Type of Experience

3+ years of progressive responsibility in Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) or related institutions with demonstrated experience providing information and resources to a diverse clientele. 

Necessary Knowledge and Skills

• Broad knowledge of National Geographic history, organization, and mission.

• Strong customer service focus, with well-rounded analytical and prioritization skills.

• Fluency with digital platforms that support asynchronous collaboration and data collection.

• Experience supporting discovery and access.

• Demonstrated commitment to open and equitable access and ethical stewardship of information.

• Effective written and verbal communications skills. Must have attention to detail.

Desired Qualifications

• Familiarity with digital asset management systems, archival and library cataloging systems or databases.

• Experience in audience development, engagement, and/or user studies.

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.

The salary range for this position is $60,800 - $64,000.

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.