Social Media Manager

Posting number: 54M00000005

Department: Department of Strategic Communications

Job classification: Public Information Manager*

Posting type: Open

Categories: Public Relations, Marketing

The City of Richmond’s Office of Strategic Communication is seeking an innovative and strategic Social Media Manager to lead our social media efforts. This role involves developing and implementing social media strategies to enhance the city’s online presence, engage with the community, and effectively communicate important information. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of social media platforms, strong communication skills, and a knack for creating compelling content.

This classis responsible for creating and disseminating visual, digital, written, and spoken information. Incumbents are responsible for providing professional public information and providing consultation to other departmental staff and management. As assigned, work may include: providing public education; establishing and maintaining a visual identity and brand; writing scripts and talking points; coordinating the handling of citizen inquiries and managing electronic and social media; developing communication plans.

As assigned, incumbents will supervise or serve as lead workers, assigning work and monitoring work completion.

 
Supervision Exercised/Received:

• Exercised: This classification typically supervises other employees, or may serve as lead worker, assigning work and monitoring work completion.
• Received: This classification typically reports to a deputy director or director.
• Note: Other reporting relationships may apply.

• Strategy Development: Create and execute comprehensive social media strategies that align with the city’s communication goals and objectives. Develop and implement content plans to drive engagement and increase the city’s online presence. 
• Content Creation: Coordinate with the design and production teams to create high-quality, engaging content for various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others. This includes writing posts, creating graphics, and producing videos that align with the city’s brand and messaging.
• Community Engagement: Monitor and respond to social media interactions, including comments, messages, and mentions. Foster positive relationships with the community by addressing inquiries, resolving issues, and encouraging feedback.
• Analytics and Reporting: Track and analyze social media performance metrics, including engagement, reach, and conversion rates. Prepare regular reports on social media activities and effectiveness and use data to refine and improve strategies. 
• Campaign Management: Plan and execute social media campaigns to promote city events, initiatives, and programs. Coordinate with other departments and stakeholders to ensure campaign objectives are met and messaging is consistent.
• Trend Monitoring: Stay up to date with the latest social media trends, tools, and best practices. Implement new strategies and technologies to enhance the city’s social media presence and effectiveness. 
• Collaboration: Work closely with the communications team to align social media efforts with broader communication strategies. Coordinate with other city departments to ensure accurate and timely information is shared. 
• Crisis Management: Handle social media crises or negative situations with professionalism and tact. Develop and implement strategies to manage and mitigate potential risks to the city’s reputation.
• Training and Support: Provide guidance and training to city staff on social media best practices and platform usage through an internal social media user group. Ensure that all social media content and interactions adhere to city policies and guidelines.
• Content Calendar: Maintain a content calendar to plan and schedule social media posts. Ensure that content is timely, relevant, and aligned with upcoming city events and announcements. 
• Supervision: Engage with production specialist to execute high-quality, social-first and video-forward content.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: (Add knowledge/Skills/Abilities that are applicable to a social media manager)

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.), social media management tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Buffer), and analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, social media insights).
• Familiarity with graphic design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite) is a plus. 
• Familiarity with basic video content capture is also a plus.
• Accessibility best practices in social media content creation.
• Data-driven strategies, social media metrics, and trends. 
• Graphic design concepts and production through concept, design, planning, production, and publication phases.

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, engaging, and on-brand content. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with the public and city officials.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret social media metrics and trends to inform decision-making.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines. Attention to detail and accuracy in all social media activities.
• Computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, or other similar graphic design programs, and photo and video editing software
• A creative thinker with the ability to generate fresh and innovative ideas for social media content and campaigns.

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Prioritize
• Self-start
• Problem-solve
• Ability to occasionally work flexible hours, which may include evenings and weekends, to address time-sensitive social media issues or opportunities, as needed.

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's Degree in public relations, communications, public affairs, journalism, marketing, or directly related field
• Three years of public communications experience
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.