"Social Media Manager"

Social Media Manager

College of the Holy Cross

Full Time
JREQ-000154

At Holy Cross, we are focused on creating a world-class workforce by attracting and retaining employees dedicated to fostering a culture of professionalism, pride, mutual trust, and respect-one that values appreciation and recognition, empowering each of us to flourish both individually and collectively. We seek candidates who are inspired by our mission and values, and who are eager to make a meaningful difference on our campus. Learn more about Life at Holy Cross here.

Job Description

In the Office of College Marketing and Communications, the Social Media Manager is a creative, entrepreneurial, and collaborative team member who actively participates in the College's communications efforts and leads the institutional social media efforts.

Reporting to the Director of Public Relations, this position is a member of a team responsible for curating and creating compelling, data-informed content to strengthen the institution's image, expand visibility and engage target audiences including prospective students and their influencers, alumni, students and their families, faculty, staff and the broader community.

With responsibility for all primary College social media platforms, this role is a key partner both inside and outside of Marketing and Communications, working with members of Academic Affairs, Advancement, Admission, Athletics and other campus partners, to respond to and engage with audiences across platforms, in alignment with the College's mission and Aspire, Holy Cross' strategic plan.

Major Areas of Responsibility

• Serve as the day-to-day voice of the College on social media, developing strategy, planning and creating content that is both engaging and on-brand.
• Manage the College's official public social media accounts including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and Bluesky, and emerging platforms as appropriate.
• Develop, manage, and maintain a robust social media content calendar, in coordination with the College's editorial and academic calendars, to ensure brand consistency, timeliness, and audience relevance.
• Lead and manage a team of student content creators; oversee recruitment, training and content review, empowering them to effectively represent the College on the institutional social platforms.
• Collaborate on College-wide integrated social media plans and campaigns with Alumni Relations, Advancement, Admission, Athletics, academic departments and others to promote institutional and departmental initiatives.
• Refine, share and enforce College-wide guidelines and best practices for social media, serving as a resource for campus colleagues, and lead a social media users group, including formal or informal discussions 2-3 times a year.
• Consistently monitor audience sentiment, platform performance and emerging conversations using tools such as Sprout Social, identifying trends, potential reputational risks and engagement opportunities; respond to comments and questions in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Support College-wide crisis communications via social media in close partnership with the Director of Public Relations and other key stakeholders, including real-time monitoring and message coordination.
• Maintain situational awareness of social media activity outside of regular business hours, as needed, to monitor emerging issues, time-sensitive conversations, and potential reputational risks, and to escalate concerns.
• Analyze and report on the performance of social media content and campaigns using native and third-party data analytics tools. Regularly present results, key takeaways and associated recommendations for improvement.
• Collaborate with the team's graphic designer, photographer and multimedia producer to create compelling visual and multimedia assets for social media.
• Design and produce social media graphics and short-form video content using Canva and other visual editing tools as needed.
• Stay current on digital trends, algorithm changes, accessibility standards and best practices, and proactively recommend updates and enhance the College's social media presence.
• Ensure social media content adheres to accessibility best practices (e.g., alt text, captions) and institutional brand standards.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree required, preferably in marketing, communications, public relations, journalism or English.
• 1-2 years of experience in social media strategy, content development, and management, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Excellent writing skills required as well as a working knowledge of Associated Press Style.
• Knowledgeable in basic photo and video editing, as needed for social applications.
• Familiarity working with advanced content management systems, as well as advanced social media publishing and analytics tools.
• Working knowledge of Canva, Adobe Creative Suite or other creative tools.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to a rapidly evolving social media landscape and learn new platforms and tools quickly.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise across major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Bluesky, YouTube, and emerging platforms.
• Ability to engage and grow online audiences
• Strong understanding of audience segmentation, demographics and content performance across platforms.
• Experience using measurement tools (such as Sprout Social and other native and third-party tools) to evaluate performance and continuously optimize results.
• Curious and strategic storyteller with the ability to balance big-picture thinking and attention to detail.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize effectively and meet deadlines using project management tools.
• Ability to create compelling written, photo and video content aligned with platform standard and institutional voice.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills; comfortable working across departments and with diverse constituent groups.
• Knowledge of social media advertising fundamentals, ROI measurement, and campaign optimization preferred.
• Enjoys working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Salary: The salary range for the Social Media Manager is $66,000-$72,000 commensurate with experience.

Application Instructions

An updated resume and cover letter are required as a part of your application. In your cover letter, please reflect on how your professional and personal values align with the Mission of the College of the Holy Cross to form individuals of integrity and purpose who are committed to the flourishing of all.

Weekly Hours: 40

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. However, priority consideration will be given to applications submitted within 30 days of the posting date.

To review our generous benefits options, please review our detailed information here or check out our Benefits at a Glance.

The College also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the hiring process in compliance with law. Please contact Human Resources for questions or to request an accommodation via email at hr@holycross.edu, or by calling 508-793-3391.