Senior Director, VIP Engagement & Events

National Wildlife Federation

National Wildlife Federation

Administration, Sales & Business Development

Herndon, VA, USA

Posted on May 8, 2026

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has grown into America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state and territorial affiliates and seven million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and stripes. The mission of NWF is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. We advance this mission through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, advancing environmental justice, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.

To advance our mission, the Federations seeks a Senior Director, VIP Engagement & Events to lead the design, planning, and execution of a range of special events, excursions, and supporter engagement initiatives aimed at raising the profile of the Federation’s important work and further building relationships with the Federation’s most loyal supporters and volunteer leaders.

Although the role excludes responsibility for governance functions (such as managing governance processes, staffing committees, or producing meeting materials), the Senior Director will be responsible for executing NWF Board of Directors meetings and related events, and they will serve as a relationship manager for select Board members. Partnering closely with the Chief Development Officer and the Senior Vice President for Philanthropy and Supporter Engagement, the Senior Director will foster strong working relationships with the executive office, governance team, finance, and with colleagues across Development toward the goal of ensuring volunteer leadership opportunities at NWF are productive and engaging, and that involvement is sustainable even after service concludes.

PRINCIPLE DUTIES

Events & Program Development:

  • Supports the Chief Development Officer in further building and managing relationships with a range of VIPs, including some of the Federation’s most generous supporters and influential friends
  • Collaborates with the Donor Relations, Gift Planning, Individual Giving and Membership teams in the development of key themes, messaging, and desired outcomes, ensuring all communications, related collaterals, and production content complement stated purposes
  • Designs, plans, and executes online and live event strategies, managing all aspects of logistics; leads staff, volunteers and contractors in event planning, execution and follow-up; oversees production; administers panel/presenter selection and management; and takes the lead in developing the run of show
  • Manages relationships with vendors and service providers for both online and offline events, from requests for proposals to vetting, selection and contracting; develops scopes of work and service deliverables; serves as the primary point of contact between vendors and NWF; reviews invoices for accuracy, ensuring adherence to contractual obligations; and processes invoices for payment
  • Develops and maintains budgets; provides periodic updates to leadership and other key staff; and handles event “close out”, ensuring the processing of invoices and the development of final reports in a timely manner
  • Oversees production of meeting materials, agendas, and other collaterals (including nametags, binders, and takeaways) for select engagement opportunities and events; coordinates transportation, lodging, and catering as necessary; and supports participant engagement as needed
  • Administers the Supporter Engagement budget; provides monthly reporting and reprojecting of forecasts; develops annual operating budgets and long-term plans and strategies for Supporter Engagement
  • In coordination with Development leadership, helps facilitate team retreats; oversees related logistics and production; contributes to agenda planning and content development
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Board Liaison & Engagement:

  • With a focus on engagement, the Senior Director is one of two primary liaisons to the Board of Directors, working collaboratively with the Governance team, and the Chief Development Officer to help directors connect and engage effectively
  • Develops engagement plans informed by affinity and interest and offers regular communications about Federation staff, activities, programs and focus areas, oftentimes leveraging other communications and collaterals and simply sharing them as appropriate
  • Conducts field outreach and responds to inquiries surrounding meetings, events, or programs, maintaining a sufficient orientation to matters until they are resolved. This often requires directing inquiries to others, and it often involves serving as a liaison between directors and NWF executives and staff.

Board Meetings:

  • Accountable for planning logistics associated with NWF Board meetings, making final decisions on site selection and plans with the Chief Development Officer and others.
  • Responsible for logistics, including managing requests for proposals; identifying and securing facilities; negotiating contracts and service agreements; developing and administering budgets; handling registration, managing on-site details and troubleshooting; coordinating marketing and mailings; overseeing on-site staffing; and invoice reconciliation and payment.
  • While they will not be responsible for meeting content or the development of governance-related materials or agendas, it is expected that the Senior Director will coordinate with the governance team to understand desired outcomes, scheduling, and logistics needs

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

  • Minimum 5+ years of experience in event management.
  • Passion for the preservation and protection of wildlife and wild places a plus
  • Experience in fundraising and supporter engagement is highly desirable
  • Experience managing professionals, volunteers, and vendors required
  • Excellent customer service skills and ability to interact comfortably with VIPs and executives, and the demonstrated ability to resolve challenges with grace and expediency
  • Superior interpersonal skills, professionalism, attention to detail, and excellent writing and communication skills
  • Superior time management and organization skills
  • Ability to take initiative, work independently, and, when necessary, as an integral part of the team
  • Ability to travel domestically, and work occasional nights, weekends and holidays
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Cvent, and familiarity with CRM, various databases management reporting tools, and web development tools is highly desirable

DESIRED COMPETENCIES

  • Demonstrates awareness of positional power and privilege and its attendant impacts
  • Consistently brings a high level of empathy and emotion intelligence
  • Exhibits a responsible and respectful demeanor with colleagues and partners
  • Actively seeks feedback, direction, and guidance from all team members
  • Strategic thinker, self-starter, well organized, strong communicator, and relationship builder
  • Strong skills related to strategy development, execution and follow through
  • Energy and enthusiasm for our mission, coupled with initiative and know-how, and the ability to lead, mentor and inspire others

NWF VALUES

Your actions are expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlife Federation: collaboration, mindfulness, empowerment, inclusivity, and mission focus. Your competencies should include:

  • Being motivated by values of equity and responsibility to those most marginalized;
  • Consistently bringing a high level of empathy and social skills to work and interpersonal interactions;
  • Being committed to deepening an environmental justice approach in policy priorities, program development and partner engagement;
  • Actively seeks feedback, direction, and guidance from all team members and keeps staff informed of decisions that impact them;
  • Being dedicated to advancing NWF’s internal equity transformation and compelling partners and allies to incorporate equity into their work, and;
  • Passion for and commitment to NWF's mission.

Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s required equity competencies at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

The Senior Director will execute events and excursions across the US, requiring approximately 8 to 12 overnight trips a year for planning, site visits, and implementation, in addition to business travel associated with team building and training.

LOCATION AND WORK MODE

With a portfolio of work spanning the US, the Senior Director will be expected to keep a schedule that aligns with and is conducive of collaborating with NWF offices and teams. Remote work will be considered, in addition to candidates who live in the Washington, DC region.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $95,000 to $109,000, commensurate with experience.

We are proud of our designation by Mogul as a Top 100 Workplace with the Best Benefits, and by Forbes as one of America’s best small employers! We value work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere with flexible scheduling. We want you to be able to integrate work and personal life with attention to your self-care, so that your work schedule is not depleting. We offer benefits so you feel restored and fueled through the day and week.

We offer these supports to help manage your mental, emotional, and physical health:

  • Paid time off: Vacation that starts off at three weeks accrual based on a full-time schedule, unlimited wellbeing (this time can be used for physical, spiritual, emotional, cultural, religious or financial wellbeing for yourself, a partner, or family member – including pets), and 11 holidays
  • We close down for a paid winter break between December 25 to January 1 to recognize end of-year stress, and time for reflection, rejuvenation, and spending time with family.
  • Up to 16 weeks of fully paid Family and Medical Leave
  • Low-cost health, dental, and vision insurance options – all outpatient mental health is covered at in-network rates
  • Therapist available at no cost
  • Pet insurance and discount perk program
  • Annual wellbeing allowance

In addition to your salary, we offer the following supports to your personal finances:

  • Retirement plan with immediate match and vesting
  • Annual year-end retirement contribution
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Adoption and Surrogacy assistance
  • Pet adoption stipend
  • Student Loan management

Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s benefits package at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.

APPLICATION

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates should submit a cover letter and resume.

For more information on our recruiting process, please review our Careers page: https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers

We strive to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of wildlife and people in a rapidly changing world. We recruit, employ, train compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at nwf.org/equity.

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build the competencies and knowledge that translates to our openings. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of excellence. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.

Please let us know if you require accommodations during the application or interview process by reaching us at hrhelp@nwf.org or 703-438-6244.

If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.

See more open positions at National Wildlife Federation