Description
The Senior Manager of Content & Social Media sets the strategy and leads execution for WGU's organic social, creator, community and owned content functions.
Reporting to the Senior Director of Brand, Content, WGU Studios and Social Media, this role owns day-to-day management of WGU's editorial voice across all owned, social and creator channels.
The Sr. Manager leads a team of social strategists, community managers and content writers/editors, owns WGU's owned-channel content strategy and partners closely with teams across PR, brand, WGU Studios, lifecycle marketing, institutional advancement, and academic leadership.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Set the vision and operating strategy for WGU's organic social, creator, community and owned content functions
- Lead and develop a mid-sized team of social strategists, editors, content producers/writers, and community managers
- Own organic social strategy across LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and emerging platforms
- Build and scale WGU's influencer and creator ecosystem
- Develop WGU's community strategy across owned and paid social media platforms
- Oversee WGU's owned channels and brand content function
- Build a measurement framework that ties audience growth, engagement, share of voice, and content performance to brand health, heightened awareness and enrollment outcomes
- Embed AI and emerging-platform fluency into the team's workflow
- Partner with PR/Communications, Brand, Lifecycle Marketing, Alumni, Performance/Paid Media, Enrollment, and Academic leadership to ensure content is integrated, mission-aligned, and supports cross-functional campaigns
- Own agency, freelancer, and creator budgets
- Stay close to platform changes, competitor activity, and cultural moments
Qualifications:
- Deep expertise in social strategy, creator ecosystems and community building
- Proven command of organic and paid social strategy across major platforms
- Excellent writing, editing and verbal communication skills
- Skilled in owned content and editorial strategy
- Strong fluency in social and content analytics
- Working knowledge of AI-assisted content tools
- Deep fluency in internet culture and creator ecosystems
- Excellent people leadership
- Ability to lead through ambiguity, set priorities across competing stakeholders, and keep multiple workstreams moving
- Sound judgment around brand safety, regulatory considerations, and risk management on owned channels
- Strategic budget and vendor management
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, English, Marketing, or a related field
Experience:
- 7+ years of progressive experience in social media, creator marketing, owned/editorial content and/or community strategy
- 3+ years in a people-management role
- Demonstrated track record of growing audiences and engagement across multiple owned and earned channels
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior experience in higher education, or a mission-driven consumer brand
- Background as a working journalist, editor, or newsroom leader
- Hands-on experience deploying generative AI in content workflows
- Experience presenting to and influencing senior leadership stakeholders on brand and content strategy