Social Media Manager

RAND has an exciting opportunity for a talented Social Media Manager to join our Digital Outreach team, which is part of our Communications and External Affairs (CEA) department. This new role will work closely with the Director of Digital Outreach, the Senior Social Media Manager, and other colleagues to thoughtfully shape and execute our social media strategy, ensuring that RAND's presence on various digital channels is robust, effective, and true to our vital mission to improve policy and decision-making on the issues that matter most.

The Social Media Manager will join a high-performing and highly collaborative team that is responsible for safeguarding RAND's reputation as a nonpartisan source of high-quality and objective public policy research and analysis. They will incorporate a balanced presentation of RAND and its research activities in the social media space, while identifying and acting on opportunities to engage target audiences. They stay up to date on current events, can connect policy research to trending news as appropriate, follow wider social media trends, and help evolve our strategy through benchmarking, pilots, and continuous improvement.

This individual will work to support a range of outreach objectives; ensure accuracy, quality, and consistency in voice; and cultivate an engaged social media following by curating RAND research and other activities in clear, compelling ways. Beyond their immediate social media colleagues, the Social Media Manager will partner with digital producers, multimedia experts, digital designers, RAND researchers, and others, contributing to efforts that maximize the reach of RAND research and elevate RAND's profile among our target audiences.

The responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop creative, engaging, and balanced social media content that aligns with RAND's commitment to quality and objectivity.

• Develop compelling and appropriate social media campaigns that build on RAND's brand, engage the target audience, and complement other digital efforts.

• Work with Digital Outreach colleagues to experiment with emerging social media platforms and tools.

• Contribute to editorial planning; implement established plans by helping to maintain social channels; ensure that high-quality posts are published in a timely fashion.

• Support RAND's social monitoring efforts to help recognize threats and opportunities to protect and promote RAND's reputation; share insights from social media monitoring/listening with colleagues to help inform strategy.

• Coordinate with stakeholders across the organization to encourage adoption of effective and responsible social media techniques; offer consultation or support in creating content.

• Monitor organizational peer activities and benchmarks; measure the impact of social media efforts; analyze, review, and report on campaign effectiveness.

• Stay current on social media trends; document processes and best practices.

Qualifications

Required:

• Exceptional ability to write for social media platforms in a way that clearly conveys complex subject matter

• Exceptional attention to detail, reading comprehension skills, and editorial savvy

• Crisis communications experience and keen day-to-day judgment

• Sound knowledge of brand and reputation management principles

• Proven ability to effectively communicate technical information and ideas in sound bites tailored for social media platforms

• Direct experience developing, managing, and reporting on paid social media campaigns

• In-depth knowledge and understanding of social media platforms, their users, and how they can be deployed effectively and responsibly

• Ability to work effectively in teams and build and maintain relationships; experience collaborating with communications peers and non-communicators

• Excellent time and task management skills

• Demonstrated experience in project management principles and practices

Preferred:

• Passionate and intellectually curious about public policy research

• Previous experience in academic, government, or public policy environments

• Familiarity with multimedia production and design best practices; experience partnering with multimedia and design subject-matter experts

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in English, public relations, journalism, communications, or related field. Master's degree preferred.

Experience

Work Sample

Applicants will be asked to provide a portfolio of their social media-related work.