Director of Competitions

NARST

Director of Competitions leading NSTA's STEM education initiatives and partnerships. Overseeing competition lifecycle, strategy, and operational management for high-quality participant experiences.

Posted 5/12/2026full-timeRemote • Virginia • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $120,000 - $130,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

PMP

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Be part of a dynamic team dedicated to transforming science education to benefit all through professional learning, partnerships, and advocacy.
The Director of Competitions oversees the portfolio of competitions NSTA administers through both public and private partnerships in coordination with the Sr. Director of Competitions.
This position is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational management, and continuous improvement of multiple STEM-based competitions and enrichment programs.
This role oversees the full competition lifecycle—from program design and registration through judging, awards, and post-event evaluation—ensuring high-quality participant experiences, operational efficiency, and alignment with organizational mission and educational goals.
The Director serves as a cross-functional leader, working closely with internal teams, external partners, volunteers, and sponsors.
Establish program goals, success metrics, and operational priorities across multiple competitions working with the sr. D and each competition’s Project Manager.
Translate organizational strategy into actionable plans for competition staff and program managers.
Lead competition strategy in alignment with organizational mission, educational impact goals, and funder priorities.
Ensure competitions adhere to grant requirements, sponsor deliverables, and reporting standards.
Provide high-level direction while ensuring tactical teams have clear guidance, timelines, and performance expectations.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, scalability, and participant experience.
Monitor operation performance and ensure consistent standards and responsiveness across all competition programs.
Oversee large-scale seasonal competition cycles involving high submission volumes, short turnaround times, and fixed deadlines.
Ensure operational teams maintain high standards of fairness, consistency, and transparency in evaluation.
Review program data, participation metrics, and post-competition evaluations.
Use performance metrics to guide operational improvements and strategic planning.
Produce internal and external reports to support grant compliance, sponsor reporting, and organizational impact storytelling.
Implement systems and tools that improve efficiency, automation, and cross-team coordination.
Ensure staff follow documented standard operating procedures and quality control processes.
Ensure tactical teams are aligned with branding, compliance, data reporting, and sponsor requirements.
Serve as the primary liaison between competition staff and internal departments such as marketing, technology, finance, and development.
Coordinate timelines and deliverables across departments to support competition launches and major milestones.
Provide coaching, performance feedback, and professional development within a mission-driven nonprofit culture.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Experience leading large-scale program operations
Good organizational skills with the ability to multi-task managing complex and competing project timelines.
Ability to collect and analyze data and be able to draw conclusions related to achievement of set goals.
Collaborative and interpersonal skills to work amongst a large team.
Ability to lead deadline-driven programs
Bachelor’s degree in Program Management, or related field.
Minimum 6-8 years of successful management experience with supervision of at least two direct reports or related experience with supervisory experience.
Experience with managing complex programs or large-scale education initiatives, national-level student competitions preferred.
Experience working with the military a plus.
PMP certification.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Unlimited vacation
Remote work environment
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
Sick leave
Paid parental leave
A retirement plan with a generous employer match
Professional development

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

program managementdata analysisperformance metricsoperational managementcompetition lifecycle managementstrategic leadershipcontinuous improvementproject managementgrant compliancereporting standards

Soft Skills

organizational skillsmulti-taskingcollaborative skillsinterpersonal skillscoachingperformance feedbackprofessional developmentleadershipcommunicationteam coordination

Certifications

PMP certification