Full-Time Social Media Specialist
Job Description
CHICAGO HUMANITIES FESTIVAL
Title: Social Media Specialist
Reports to: Director, Marketing and Communications
Classification: Full-time, exempt, member of Marketing and Communications Team
About the Chicago Humanities Festival
The Chicago Humanities Festival is a non-profit year-round festival of conversations, performances, and experiences. For over 30 years, we’ve presented thoughtful programs, performances, and exhibitions, developing deep relationships with Chicago’s cultural, civic, and educational communities, and have attracted in-person audiences of ~50,000 annually (in addition to over 19 million online views of our vast video archive). Presenters have included over a dozen Nobel Laureates, 75+ Pulitzer Prize-winners, 50+ Macarthur Fellows, and 40+ Oscar, Tony and Grammy Award-winners; in other words, artists, and thinkers at the forefront of their fields providing new insights into our human condition through the arts and humanities.
Additional information is available at chicagohumanities.org. In response to the pandemic in 2020, CHF pivoted to hosting events virtually on our YouTube and Zoom platforms. In 2021, we hosted 75+ events altogether, virtually to start, and returning to an extended in-person fall season from September – November. For 2022, we are planning for in-person festivals in May and October-November, and a series of high-profile standalone events throughout the year.
Job Summary and Responsibilities:
The Festival seeks a creative, collaborative, proactive social media specialist to join our evolving marketing team. The Social Media Specialist oversees CHF’s social presence and manages the various channels to grow the Festival’s visibility, present compelling, clear, and consistent content, promote programming, and engage new and existing audiences. This key role resides on the Marketing and Communications team and works closely with the team to develop organic and paid social media content and strategies, primarily managing the execution of day-to-day organic social posts and paid ads, copywriting and content creation, social engagement, and graphic assets.
Planning and Strategy:
- Strategy: Work closely with the department to refine social media strategies to expand visibility, drive program attendance, and boost engagement on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn
- Content calendar: Support the multiplatform content calendar and quarterly/monthly planning using key announcements dates, membership campaigns, internet trends, and other content triggers to drive the while adhering to appropriate timelines
- Paid socials: Develop social ad copy creative, support retargeting and lookalike tactics, and lead generation opportunities; monitor Facebook Business Manager to optimize performance
- Data analytics: Consistently track and analyze KPIs related to followers, social ad performance, and audience growth and engagement across platforms to help inform strategies
- Emerging trends and tools: Stay informed about and revise strategies in response to emerging platform and content trends and opportunities including native tools on Instagram; changes in Facebook Business Manager; algorithm changes; trending memes or hashtags; and other high engagement media
Content Creation:
- Copy: Craft clear and compelling headlines and social copy that align with CHF’s brand voice and convey an appropriate tone for paid and organic social campaigns
- Design: Create dynamic and compelling digital assets that align with brand guidelines and support promotional, engagement, and growth initiatives including graphics, collages, carousels, animations, GIFs, Stories, clips, interactive tools, and more for Facebook, IG, Twitter, LinkedIn, and partners or third-party platforms as needed
- Social assets: Create sample tweets and full social media kits for programs each season, including copy and creative assets
- Program content: View and annotate programs with notes and timecodes to assist with post-production content strategies
- Content strategy: Identify opportunities for repurposing content to create trailers, sizzle reels, and other high engagement video
- Original video: assist the team with scripting and workflows for short-form videos and brand content
Community Management:
- Festival Friends: Regularly audit the participating Festival presenters, moderators, sponsors, and partners and maintain tools to track promotion and engagement with them each season
- Audience management: Manage day-to-day platform maintenance including consistent organic posts on Facebook, IG, and Twitter; Respond to, retweet, and connect with audiences and partners appropriately and consistently
- Promote deeper engagement: Experiment with and Implement participatory tools on a consistent basis to attract and connect with audiences
Team Support:
- Support other Marketing team internal projects as needed such as photography and videography processes or special projects
- Support on-site in-person program execution with social media coverage, backstage content, or other logistical assistance as needed and requested
- Other projects related to content, ads, reporting, and brand development as assigned by the Director
Qualifications:
As a primary steward of the organization’s digital communities, the Social Media Specialist must have 2+ years experience managing social media for a brand, and should possess a strong sensibility for the strengths and opportunities on each platform, a knack for engaging and concise copy, a sharp eye for design, and should be proactive and enthusiastic about boosting the Festival’s profile and engagement with the broader Chicago arts and culture communities. Additional qualifications include:
- Passion for engaging and accurate arts, culture, and Chicago-driven content
- Bachelor’s degree; concentration in Marketing, Communications, or similar desirable
- A minimum of 2 years of experience managing social media accounts and developing content for a brand
- Ability to express complex ideas in accessible, clear, jargon-free, and exciting ways for broad public audiences, with a portfolio of sample content to demonstrate content competencies
- Expertise in the key functionality, specs, and native tools of platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn; Experience creating and executing campaigns with Facebook Business Manager
- Creative, graphic design, and basic production skills: comfortable with Adobe Creative Cloud applications and basic design knowledge of typical collateral for the web and social media, such as photo editing and creating visual assets within brand standards, templates, and style guides
- Some experience with video and audio editing software such as Adobe Premiere and Audition is a plus
- Stellar project management skills and comfort using spreadsheets, databases, and productivity management tools to track data, projects, work collaboratively, and share information
- Familiarity with social planning tools, content management systems, modular content creation, and contributing to editorial workflows
- Excellent organizational and time management skills; the ability to produce high-quality content, manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting established baselines and adhering to strict delivery timelines
- Strong ability to work both independently and on teams, and incorporate feedback efficiently and gracefully
- Excellent critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Strong work ethic and a growth mindset–an orientation towards trying new things, taking risks and experimentation
Compensation:
This is a full-time position with a salary range of $40,000–$49,000 based on qualifications and experience. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance, 403b retirement plan, a commuter spending plan, flexible working hours, paid time off, paid volunteer days, remote work opportunities, a parental leave plan, and more.
Work Location:
As is true of our entire staff, this role will be hybrid with remote work 3x/week and in-person in our Chicago River North office 2x/week. While working remotely, you will have access to a computer if needed and a $25 per pay period ($50/month) stipend to offset home internet and personal phone expenses.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
The Festival is committed to providing a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, where all employees and volunteers, whatever their gender, race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, education or disability, feels valued and respected. We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for employment and advancement in all of our departments, programs, and policies. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard.
Thank you for your interest!
We look forward to reviewing your materials.
Email applications only. No phone calls please.
How to Apply
To Apply: Please email the following materials to Kristen Fallica, Director of Marketing and Communications, at marketingjobs@chicagohumanities.org, and be sure to put “Social Media Specialist” and your full name in the subject line: —Brief cover letter (can be the body of email itself or included as attachment) —Résumé with links to a portfolio or relevant examples of social media content and/or community management —Contact information for 2-3 professional references Invitations to interview will be issued on a rolling basis and therefore applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled, but we ask that applications are submitted by January 28, 2022. Candidates who are selected for an interview will be notified via email. If you'd like, you can get to know us better on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and the web.194 total views, 0 today