Director, Social Media

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

1d • $140,000 - $176,000

About The Position

The University of Southern California (USC) is seeking an innovative, strategic, and results-driven Director of Social Media to lead the university's social media strategy and digital storytelling efforts. This senior leadership role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive social media vision that elevates USC's brand, strengthens its reputation, and advances institutional priorities including enrollment, student engagement, philanthropy, alumni relations, and community impact. The Director of Social Media will oversee the university's social media ecosystem, lead content strategy, manage social media professionals and student creators, collaborate with stakeholders across campus, and leverage data and emerging technologies to drive measurable results. This position is ideal for a creative leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, analytics, and innovation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Digital Media, or a related field.
• Seven to ten years of progressive experience in social media strategy, digital marketing, communications, or brand management.
• Three to five years of leadership and staff management experience.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing large-scale social media campaigns with measurable outcomes.
• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling, and content strategy skills.
• Experience managing multiple social media platforms, publishing tools, and analytics systems.
• Strong understanding of marketing and communications trends in higher education or similarly complex organizations.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Communications, Marketing, Higher Education Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit, public sector, or other mission-driven organizations.
• Expertise in social media advertising, influencer partnerships, and audience development.
• Experience with crisis communications and reputation management.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards, inclusive communications, and digital content best practices.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a university-wide social media strategy aligned with institutional goals and marketing priorities.
• Serve as the university's lead social media strategist, ensuring a cohesive and consistent brand presence across all platforms.
• Identify opportunities to enhance visibility, reputation, and audience engagement through innovative campaigns and digital initiatives.
• Establish social media policies, governance standards, and best practices for university departments and affiliated units.
• Lead the creation of compelling content that highlights student success, academic excellence, research innovation, faculty expertise, athletics, alumni achievements, and campus life.
• Direct editorial planning and oversee a comprehensive content calendar across university channels.
• Ensure all content reflects USC's mission, values, and brand standards.
• Partner with creative teams to develop high-quality multimedia content, including video, photography, graphics, and live-streamed events.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop social media staff, student ambassadors, interns, content creators, and agency partners.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performing team culture.
• Partner with Admissions, Advancement, Alumni Relations, Athletics, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and other campus stakeholders to support institutional initiatives.
• Provide strategic consultation and training on social media best practices across the university.
• Develop strategies to grow audiences, increase engagement, and strengthen online communities across platforms.
• Oversee community management efforts that build meaningful connections with prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, staff, donors, and external stakeholders.
• Monitor social conversations and identify opportunities to engage with relevant trends and topics.
• Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate campaign effectiveness and overall channel performance.
• Analyze audience behavior, engagement metrics, reach, conversions, and emerging trends.
• Deliver executive-level reporting and strategic recommendations to university leadership.
• Utilize data-driven insights to continuously improve performance and outcomes.
• Collaborate with university leadership and communications teams to develop and implement social media crisis communication protocols.
• Monitor digital channels for reputational risks, emerging issues, and public sentiment.
• Provide strategic guidance and timely communication during crisis situations.
• Stay current on evolving social media platforms, audience behaviors, industry trends, and digital technologies.
• Evaluate and implement new tools and engagement strategies to enhance performance.
• Explore opportunities to leverage AI-powered content development, social listening, and audience engagement technologies.

Benefits

• USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at [phone], or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior