Content Director, National Geographic Kids & Family (National Geographic)

National Geographic seeks a visionary Content Director to lead the National Geographic’s editorial output for kids and their families. Today, our core editorial products are two magazines, National Geographic Kids and National Geographic Little Kids, and this senior leader will nurture the growth and evolution of those titles while also driving expansion into other media and platforms, extending the reach and raising the ambition of one of the world’s most trusted children’s brands. Reporting to National Geographic’s Editor in Chief, the Content Director will lead a team of editors and a community of contributors, and work collaboratively with partners across the broader National Geographic brand and our parent company, The Walt Disney Company. The ideal candidate brings exceptional creative judgment alongside an ability to influence and lead in a highly collaborative, matrixed environment, where strong outcomes are shaped through partnership that’s guided by shared strategy and ambition.

This role calls for an editorial leader who brings a deep understanding of children’s media and is eager to shape the next chapter of storytelling for kids and their families at National Geographic. The ideal candidate is a veteran leader with experience in children’s content creation across platforms that could include television, video, audio, digital publishing, books, and related creative fields—and they will possesses the kind of strategic vision and entrepreneurial temperament that can power the expansion of our kids and family program into new formats, new platforms, and new business opportunities.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead all editorial direction and decision-making for National Geographic Kids and National Geographic Little Kids, including approving story lineups, writing assignments, layouts, and all published text.

• Serve as a key editorial partner within a highly matrixed organization, collaborating with teams across National Geographic—including the National Geographic Society, consumer products, books, marketing, and others—as well as additional partners across The Walt Disney Company.

• Manage and mentor a team of editors, guiding story development, editorial judgment, and professional growth, as well as external contributors, identifying top-tier talent who we can work with across media types and platforms.

• Ensure that all content meets National Geographic’s standards for accuracy, clarity, visual excellence, and age-appropriate engagement for children ages 3–8.

• Guide editorial tone and coverage to spark curiosity in young explorers while serving as a trusted companion for parents and caregivers.

• Collaborate closely with designers, photo editors, digital editors, cartographers and graphics specialists, and other creative partners to bring stories to life across platforms.

• Represent National Geographic Editorial in cross-functional meetings and initiatives with marketing, sales, subscription, and product teams.

• Help identify and develop creative storytelling opportunities connected to the broader Walt Disney Company ecosystem.

• Partner with colleagues to highlight and extend the work of the nonprofit National Geographic Society and its Explorers through compelling children’s content.

• Oversee and help grow family-focused editorial offerings, including parent-facing newsletters and related initiatives.

• Review and approve social content and other editorial extensions of kids storytelling.

• Participate in weekly production meetings and support publishing timelines.

Basic Qualifications:

• Significant leadership experience in children’s media (5+ years), demonstrating increasing leadership responsibility and authority across a number of platforms (digital, video, audio, social, etc).

• Enthusiasm for working within a large, matrixed organization—and proven ability to influence without direct authority.

• A talent for absorbing input from a variety of partners and guiding work shaped by multiple stakeholders

• Proven ability to develop editorial products, franchises, recurring formats, and special projects that command attention.

• Demonstrated experience leading and mentoring content teams and guiding high-quality storytelling for young audiences.

• Deep understanding of developmental stages for early childhood (ages 3–5) and early independent readers (ages 6–8).

• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work effectively on deadline.

• Keen understanding of industry standards, varied approaches to storytelling, and ability to manage multiple projects at once, on budget and on deadline.

• Self-motivated and resourceful, with the ability to work with minimal supervision, problem solve creatively, and exercise independent judgment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience creating or leading content across multiple formats (e.g., print, digital, video, audio, or related platforms).

• Experience collaborating successfully across editorial, creative, commercial, and organizational boundaries.

• Background in family-focused or parent-facing content.

• Experience collaborating with marketing, sales, subscription, or product teams.

• Familiarity with editorial workflows and content management systems.

• Demonstrated ability to bring fresh ideas to legacy brands while honoring editorial standards and audience trust.

Required Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent professional experience

The hiring range for this position in Washington, D.C. is $168,400 to $225,800 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.