Social Strategy Manager

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

KUOW is hiring a Social Strategy Manager to lead the long-term vision, strategy, growth, and evolution of the organization’s social media presence. Reporting to the Director of Marketing, this role develops audience-centered strategies to expand reach, deepen engagement, strengthen audience loyalty, and advance KUOW’s mission across established and emerging social platforms. The manager defines how KUOW journalism is distributed and presented on social channels, including publishing strategies, content frameworks, engagement approaches, and performance benchmarks. The role works closely with editorial, digital, and creative teams to optimize content for platform performance while upholding KUOW’s editorial, brand, and accessibility standards. Responsibilities span social strategy and audience growth; publishing and creative execution; and audience engagement, analytics, and performance. The position is based at KUOW’s University District studio and is suitable for hybrid telework. Duties may occasionally require evening and weekend work, and travel may be necessary to capture video with KUOW’s marketing or editorial teams. KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio is Seattle’s NPR news station, an independent nonprofit news organization producing journalism, podcasts, and events for people in its coverage area. As a self-sustaining service of the University of Washington, KUOW’s mission is to create and serve a more informed public, with a vision to broaden conversations and deepen understanding.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, Digital Media, Marketing, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
At least 3 years of experience leading social media strategy for a business, nonprofit, or large organization; in digital publishing; in audience development; or in a related field.
Proven experience developing and executing enterprise-level social media strategies aligned with organizational goals and brand objectives.
Experience managing social media operations, including content planning, publishing workflows, editorial calendars, and distribution across multiple platforms.
Strong knowledge of major and emerging social media platforms, content formats, audience behaviors, and platform best practices.
Proven ability to create, package, optimize, and adapt content for platform-specific performance, including graphics, social copy, and light video editing.
Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills, including the ability to create compelling audience-focused content that aligns with editorial standards and brand voice.
Experience using audience insights, social analytics, and performance data to inform strategy and decision-making.
Strong collaboration, communication, and project management skills.
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as news coverage requires.
Ability to travel when necessary to capture video footage with KUOW’s marketing or editorial teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in news, media, publishing, or mission-driven content organizations.
Knowledge of and passion for the Puget Sound region and its communities.
Experience leading, mentoring, or managing content creators, producers, or digital media professionals.
Understanding of marketing principles, brand strategy, and digital audience acquisition.
Knowledge of accessibility best practices for digital and social media content.

Responsibilities

Develop, lead, and continually evolve KUOW’s social media and audience growth strategy across established and emerging platforms.
Identify opportunities to expand reach, deepen engagement, strengthen audience loyalty, and increase the visibility of KUOW journalism.
Serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on social media trends, platform developments, audience behavior, and emerging content formats.
Recommend and test approaches, tools, channels, and storytelling methods that support audience growth and engagement.
Use audience insights, industry trends, and performance data to guide strategy and resource allocation.
Foster innovation, experimentation, accountability, and continuous improvement within the social media function.
Lead social publishing strategy, including content prioritization, scheduling, cadence, platform selection, and distribution plans.
Maintain KUOW’s presence across active channels, including post automations and a publishing calendar of original content.
Define platform-specific best practices for content packaging, including captions, headlines, graphics, videos, accessibility, calls to action, and engagement tactics.
Determine effective content formats and storytelling approaches for individual stories and broader editorial initiatives.
Collaborate with editors, reporters, web producers, video producers, and graphic designers to create social-first content.
Create and publish social content, including captions, thumbnails, graphics using established templates, and light video edits.
Review creative assets and provide feedback and direction to ensure they meet strategic objectives and brand expectations.
Support social coverage of breaking news, major events, fundraising campaigns, and enterprise journalism as needed.
Develop strategies for meaningful audience engagement, conversation, and community connection across social platforms.
Monitor audience feedback, sentiment, and engagement trends to identify opportunities and inform content decisions.
Establish and track performance metrics aligned with KUOW’s mission, audience goals, and growth objectives.
Monitor messages and comments and maintain a system for responding to audience questions and feedback, including assigning tasks to colleagues.
Analyze content and platform performance and turn findings into actionable recommendations.
Communicate results, insights, and emerging opportunities to newsroom leadership and key stakeholders.
Perform other duties as assigned.