Social Media & Content Specialist - Sports

The Upper Deck Company•Carlsbad, CA

6h•$70,500 - $72,500

About The Position

The Social Media & Content Specialist – Sports Cards & Memorabilia is responsible for developing and executing social-first strategies that drive demand, engagement, and collector loyalty across Upper Deck’s sports portfolio. This role blends strategic planning, copywriting, and hands-on content creation to bring trading cards, premium memorabilia, and athlete moments to life across digital platforms. You will play a key role in amplifying product releases, showcasing high-value collectibles, and capturing the energy of athlete signings and appearances—translating them into compelling, platform-native content that resonates with both seasoned collectors and new fans.

Requirements

3–4 years of experience in social media, content creation, or sports marketing
Strong understanding of sports trading cards, memorabilia, and collector culture
Proven experience in copywriting and short-form video content creation
Proficiency with content tools (Adobe Creative Suite, CapCut, or similar)
Deep understanding of platform best practices (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X)
Strategic thinking with strong executional ability
High-quality copywriting and storytelling
Visual and video content production expertise
Deep understanding of collector mindset and behavior
Real-time responsiveness and trend awareness

Nice To Haves

Experience capturing content at live events or athlete appearances
Familiarity with the sports collectibles market and secondary marketplaces
Experience working with influencers, breakers, or hobby shops
Knowledge of analytics and social listening platforms

Responsibilities

Support the development and execution of integrated social media strategies across trading cards and memorabilia product lines.
Build content calendars and campaign plans aligned to product releases, athlete signings and memorabilia launches, and key sports moments.
Develop structured workback schedules ensuring all social deliverables align with release timing and business objectives.
Identify opportunities to extend product lifecycle through multi-phase content (tease → launch → sustain → secondary market conversation).
Write compelling, conversion-minded copy across all platforms, including social captions, video scripts, and athlete-related storytelling and promotional messaging.
Translate product features into collector-driven value propositions (rarity, chase elements, autographs, patches, provenance).
Adapt tone and messaging by platform and audience segment (hardcore collectors vs casual fans).
Ensure all copy aligns with brand voice, licensing requirements, and athlete agreements.
Conceptualize, shoot, and edit photo and video content including pack openings, case breaks, high-end card and memorabilia showcases, 'hit' moments, rare pulls, behind-the-scenes at athlete signings and events, and interviews with key athletes and internal team members.
Capture real-time content at athlete appearances, including autograph sessions, athlete interviews and quick-hit social segments, and fan interactions and experiential moments.
Develop short-form, platform-native content optimized for reach and engagement (hooks, pacing, trends).
Create multiple content outputs per shoot to maximize content efficiency and frequency.
Develop and manage creative briefs for design, photography, and video teams.
Partner with Brand, Product, Licensing, and Legal to ensure timely approvals and compliance, particularly for athlete likeness and IP usage.
Coordinate with internal teams to ensure accurate product representation and storytelling.
Actively manage community interaction by responding to comments, DMs, and tagged posts, and engaging with collectors, breakers, hobby shops, and fan communities.
Identify and amplify user-generated content (UGC) such as big pulls, personal collections, display setups, and memorabilia showcases.
Build and maintain relationships with hobby influencers, breakers, collector communities, and card shops.
Foster conversation around secondary market trends, rarity, and collector culture.
Support promotion and content capture for athlete signings, exclusive memorabilia drops, live events, conventions, and hobby shows.
Create athlete-first storytelling that connects fans to the moment behind the signature and the significance of the collectible.
Execute live and near-live content strategies to capitalize on in-the-moment engagement.
Identify and act on real-time sports moments such as record-breaking performances, debuts, milestones, and highlight plays.
Rapidly create and publish reactive content tying athlete performance back to available cards and memorabilia, and historical collectibles and moments.
Leverage tentpole events (e.g., playoffs, draft, All-Star) to drive high-volume, high-engagement content.
Track and analyze key performance metrics such as engagement rate, reach, impressions, video completion rate, follower growth and audience demographics, and click-through and conversion indicators.
Monitor collector sentiment across social platforms, forums, and live streams.
Deliver post-campaign insights and optimize future content based on performance data.
Utilize social listening and AI tools to identify trending players and products, optimize posting cadence and format, and improve copy and creative performance.
Escalate customer service issues and product feedback to appropriate internal teams.
Provide insights on collector behavior, demand signals, and product reception to inform marketing and product strategy.