Social and Influencer Manager (Contract)

Ruggable•Los Angeles, CA

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

Ruggable is a leading direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand based in Los Angeles, California, with a strong track record of profitable growth and a patented washable rug design. The company's mission is to empower customers with beautiful products that don't compromise on function. The Social & Influencer Manager will be a strategic and organized individual, serving as the connective tissue of the growing department. This role bridges strategy and day-to-day execution, interfacing across multiple departments. The manager will operate with a high degree of autonomy, confidently own workstreams, proactively drive initiatives forward, and effectively manage up to ensure alignment, visibility, and momentum. They will be a key collaborator in integrating social storytelling and influencer activations for robust plans in 2026. The role involves taking ownership of Ruggable’s influencer strategy and gifting approach end-to-end, supporting the identification and sourcing of brand partners, and mentoring the Social Coordinator on social strategy development and social listening skills. The ideal candidate has a pulse on the influencer and creator community, is a natural connector and mentor, and a data-informed, creative thinker who loves the home décor space.

Requirements

7-9 years of experience in social media marketing or influencer management, preferably within the home decor, lifestyle, or DTC space.
Strategic Sourcing Eye: You have a pulse on the influencer space and a knack for finding "hidden gem" creators and understand that the biggest follower count doesn't always equal the best fit.
Experience with influencer management platforms (e.g., GRIN, Archive, CreatorIQ).
Mentorship Experience: You have experience guiding junior team members, interns, and freelancers, and you enjoy helping them develop their skills.
Aesthetic Intelligence: You have a strong eye for interior design and visual storytelling; you understand what "stops the scroll" for a design-conscious audience.
Project Management: Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage complex timelines and approval flows in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in high-growth DTC or consumer product brands.
Social Listening Fluency: Deep familiarity with social listening and analytics tools (e.g., Talkwalker, Brandwatch, Sprout Social). You know how to set up queries, read the data, and explain why it matters to the team.

Responsibilities

Proactively source and vet creators who align perfectly with Ruggable’s aesthetic and campaign goals, identifying partners who can reach new audiences and deepen brand affinity in collaboration with the social creative agency.
Own the full lifecycle of influencer relationships—from initial outreach and negotiation to briefing and long-term relationship building.
Proactively identify opportunities to leverage influencers to strengthen broader marketing plans, identifying how creators can elevate product launches and brand moments.
Translate marketing goals into clear, inspiring briefs for creators and manage the feedback loop to ensure content feels authentic to the creator while hitting Ruggable’s key messages.
Develop and own the gifting strategy for influencer partnerships (inbound, LTK, etc.), including target creator selection, product coordination, outreach sequencing, and post-delivery follow-up.
Maximize authentic unboxings, sentiment, and long-term relationship value through gifting.
Manage gifting budgets, track ROAS and sentiment, and optimize the gifting calendar to align with product launches and seasonal campaigns.
Utilize social listening tools (e.g., Talkwalker, Dash Social) to monitor brand sentiment, industry trends, and competitor activity.
Translate listening findings into actionable opportunities, turning market insights into concrete briefs for the social team or influencer partners.
Consistently review performance data to inform who to hire, what to post, and how to adjust strategy in real-time.
Act as a daily coach and mentor to the Social Coordinator, helping them prioritize workload, leverage social listening tools, and guide their professional development across workstreams.
Ensure the team runs smoothly within the processes established by the Director, managing the day-to-day flow of assets, approvals, and timelines in collaboration with the agency partner.
Serve as a key operational link between Social and Production/Creative partners to ensure creative excellence.
Partner closely with the Production team to identify and source brands that align with defined Ideal Partner Profiles (IPP), ensuring strong alignment with campaign objectives, audience, and creative direction.
Support the vetting process by assessing prospective partners against IPP criteria, including brand fit, audience overlap, cultural relevance, and past collaboration performance.
Maintain and evolve a pipeline of prospective brand partners that meet Ideal Partner Profile standards, tracking outreach status, key contacts, and partnership potential.
Work in close partnership with Production, Creative, and Partnerships teams to align on Ideal Partner Profile needs, share insights, and ensure a seamless transition from sourcing through execution.