Senior Manager, National Geographic Brand & Franchise Management

Senior Manager, National Geographic Brand & Franchise Management

Job Summary

The Senior Manager, National Geographic Brand and Franchise Management will shape and drive brand-defining initiatives, build high-impact partnerships and programs, and serve as a key connector between National Geographic and The Walt Disney Company.

Reporting to the Director of Brand & Franchise Management, the Senior Manager will work cross-functionally and cross-company to grow the brand, deepen audience engagement, and expand National Geographic’s mission. This role will be instrumental in driving brand visibility, the development of new brand initiatives, activating brand partnerships, and leveraging stakeholder relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive franchise growth through Global Brand Initiatives.

• Lead key initiatives, such as Nat Geo Kids or Travel Lifestyle.

• Align strategy across Verticals, LOBs and regions.

• Partner across matrixed organization to drive Nat Geo expansion outcomes.

• Support globalization of brand initiatives, creative processes and developing toolkits and brand materials for internal and external use.

• Collaborate with Corporate Brand, Marketing COEs, Consumer Products & Expeditions on growth activations.

• Identify and activate partners for brand-building activations.

• Elevate brand storytelling with high impact creative.

• Ensure brand consistency across creative and messaging.

• Lead Global Brand Initiatives

• Support the development of a unified global National Geographic brand strategy that aligns with business vision, goals, and mission.

• Execute best in class campaigns in support of brand growth.

• Leverage audience data, market trends, and competitive intelligence (in collaboration with Disney Brand Research) to inform strategy, and measure impact, fostering a test-and-learn culture to continually optimize performance.

• Drive creative excellence, shape creative direction.

• Maximize brand reach and cut through working with National Geographic regional brand and franchise leads around the world to execute on unified global strategy.

• Collaborate & Influence

• Align global strategy across Verticals, LOBs and regions, driving a one National Geographic consumer approach through collaboration National Geographic and Disney Consumer Products, Publishing, Travel and Expeditions, and Disney Parks.

• Establish key relationships with partners in each National Geographic segment to deeply understand nuances of each business to integrate brand strategies.

• Cultivate and develop existing distinct and ownable National Geographic franchises that will power multiple lines of businesses for holistic brand success.

• Execute with Excellence

• Work closely with marketing, editorial, creative, communications, social, legal, and sales teams to shepherd brand campaigns from concept to launch, including aligning stakeholders around shared goals and ensuring delivery on KPIs and timelines.

• Own and drive the planning and execution of cross-platform campaigns that align with National Geographic’s editorial priorities, audience insights, and commercial goals.

• Identify ways to increase support for brand initiatives.

• Develop toolkits and brand materials for internal and external use.

• Ensure brand consistency across creative and messaging.

• Team Leadership

• Foster a team culture of creativity, collaboration, high-trust and high-performance to deliver on business goals and expectations.

• Basic Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in brand strategy, marketing, partnerships, or a related field at a comparable level.

• Proven success in leading cross-functional brand or commercial initiatives in complex stakeholder environments.

• Strategic & creative thinking with the ability to drive impactful execution with a hands-on, solutions-oriented approach.

• Proven ability to navigate in highly matrixed organizations through the successful development of collaborative relationships.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong storytelling and executive presence.

• Analytical thinker with expertise in turning insights and data into clear, actionable strategy.

• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

• Strong cross-cultural experience with a global mindset.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Brand Management, Business, or a related field.

• Knowledge of the media landscape, especially documentary or factual content.

• Demonstrated success in building and evolving global brands and teams.

• Proven experience in senior executive-level brand management roles, ideally with a focus on media and entertainment.

• The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA and Washington, D.C. is $126,800 to $170,000 per year and in New York, NY is $132,800 to $178,000 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

About National Geographic:

• National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between Disney and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education.

About The Walt Disney Company:

• The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

• This position is with National Geographic Partners PAY SVC, which is part of a business we call National Geographic.

• National Geographic Partners PAY SVC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

• To learn more about Disney's policies on the use of AI for candidates, click here.

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