Director, Social Media & Communications

POSITION SUMMARY: The Director, Social Media & Communications leads the strategy, execution, performance, and evolution of SASSO’s modern communications offering across client accounts. This role sits at the intersection of social media, influencer and creator marketing, content strategy, digital engagement, public relations, reputation management, AI-enabled workflows, and measurable business impact. This individual is responsible for building scalable communications systems that drive audience growth, community engagement, conversion support, earned visibility, brand authority, and measurable outcomes across B2B, B2C, and D2C clients. The ideal candidate brings a proven methodology, a track record of success, and a clear point of view on how modern brands earn attention, build trust, activate communities, and convert audiences across fragmented digital and media environments. This role leads a multi-disciplinary team and partners closely with Account, Creative, Media, Digital, and Strategy teams to deliver work that is strategically aligned, culturally relevant, performance-informed, and operationally efficient. The Director, Social Media & Communications must be a dynamic player-coach who is comfortable leading amid ambiguity, influencing change, setting direction, working inside the details, and elevating the team around them. Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, English, Digital Media, or a related field preferred. 7–10 years of experience in communications, social media, influencer marketing, content strategy, public relations, or integrated marketing, preferably in an agency environment. 3+ years of experience leading, managing, mentoring, or developing a multi-disciplinary team. Proven track record developing successful social, content, influencer, PR, and digital engagement strategies for B2B, B2C, and/or D2C brands. Demonstrated experience building scalable systems, repeatable methodologies, and performance frameworks that improve team output and client results. Strong client-service background, including advising senior-level stakeholders and presenting strategic recommendations. Experience integrating paid, earned, owned, shared, and creator-led channels into cohesive marketing campaigns. Technical Skills: Strong understanding of social platforms, audience behavior, community engagement, creator trends, short-form content, and platform-specific optimization. Working knowledge of tools such as Sprout Social, Google Analytics, Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, native platform analytics, Cision, Meltwater, Muck Rack, or similar platforms. Ability to define, track, and communicate KPIs related to engagement, reach, audience growth, conversion support, share of voice, earned visibility, influencer performance, and business impact. Experience using AI tools to improve research, ideation, content development, reporting, workflow efficiency, and campaign optimization. Strong writing, editing, messaging, storytelling, and editorial judgment across social, digital, PR, content, and executive communications. Understanding of how communications strategy supports paid media, website performance, lead generation, reputation, community growth, and client growth. Ability to build reporting frameworks, interpret performance data, and translate insights into actionable recommendations. Behavioral Competencies: Dynamic leader who can provide clarity, structure, and momentum amid ambiguity. Player-coach mindset with the ability to lead strategically while staying close to the work. Change-oriented and comfortable influencing new ways of thinking, working, measuring, and delivering. Strong communicator who builds trust with clients, team members, and cross-functional partners. Curious, adaptive, and proactive in identifying trends, opportunities, risks, and improvements. Accountable, organized, and able to balance creativity, performance, process, and people leadership. High standards for quality, accuracy, judgment, professionalism, and client service. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Modern Communications, Content & Digital Engagement Strategy Lead integrated communications strategies across social, content, influencer, earned, owned, and digital channels. Translate client business objectives into clear strategies with defined audiences, channel roles, KPIs, and measurable outcomes. Build scalable content and engagement systems that support B2B, B2C, and D2C audience growth, community development, and conversion. Guide messaging, campaign narratives, content pillars, editorial strategy, and platform-specific communications approaches. Identify cultural, category, community, and market opportunities that help clients earn attention and strengthen relevance. Social Media, Community Growth & Conversion Lead platform-specific social strategies across channels including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and emerging platforms. Oversee social content planning, engagement strategies, community growth, trend response, and platform optimization. Ensure social content is designed to drive measurable outcomes including engagement, reach, audience growth, traffic, lead generation, conversion support, and brand affinity. Develop systems for social listening, audience insight, community management, and performance-informed content iteration. Guide the team in translating social behavior, platform trends, and audience signals into actionable campaign recommendations. Influencer, Creator & Partnership Strategy Develop influencer, creator, and partnership strategies that align with client objectives, audience insights, brand positioning, and campaign goals. Establish scalable systems for creator sourcing, evaluation, outreach, briefing, contracting support, content review, usage rights, disclosure, and reporting. Evaluate creators based on audience fit, content quality, engagement, platform relevance, geographic fit, brand safety, and performance potential. Collaborate with Social, Creative, Media, and Account teams to integrate creator content into broader campaign ecosystems. Measure creator performance against defined KPIs including reach, engagement, traffic, conversion support, content value, and audience growth. Public Relations, Earned Media & Reputation Lead earned media and reputation strategies that strengthen credibility, visibility, authority, and client trust. Oversee media relations, story development, press materials, thought leadership, awards, speaking opportunities, and community visibility initiatives. Build and maintain relationships with journalists, editors, producers, community partners, creators, and relevant industry stakeholders. Support crisis communications, sensitive issues, reputation management, and stakeholder messaging when needed. Ensure traditional public relations efforts are integrated with social, digital, influencer, content, and performance strategies. AI, Technology & Scalable Systems Integrate AI tools into communications workflows for research, ideation, content development, versioning, trend analysis, reporting, and optimization. Establish repeatable systems, templates, prompts, QA practices, and workflow standards that improve speed, quality, and scalability. Use AI and emerging tools to support audience insights, content repurposing, campaign variation, social listening, and performance analysis. Maintain standards for accuracy, originality, ethical use, brand voice, confidentiality, and human editorial judgment. Continuously evaluate emerging platforms, tools, and technologies that can improve team capabilities and client outcomes. Analytics, KPIs & Performance Optimization Define measurable KPIs across communications programs, including engagement, reach, audience growth, community health, earned visibility, share of voice, traffic, leads, conversion support, and downstream business impact. Build reporting frameworks that clearly communicate performance, insights, recommendations, and business value to internal teams and clients. Use platform analytics, media monitoring, Google Analytics, social tools, and other reporting sources to evaluate campaign effectiveness. Translate data into strategic recommendations that improve messaging, channel strategy, content planning, social engagement, and campaign performance. Promote a test-and-learn culture that uses performance signals to continually improve client work. Client Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration Serve as a senior communications advisor for assigned clients, helping connect business goals to integrated communications strategies and measurable outcomes. Lead client conversations, strategic planning sessions, campaign presentations, performance reviews, and recommendations with clarity and confidence. Partner with Account, Creative, Media, Digital, and Strategy teams to ensure communications work supports broader campaign, brand, media, website, and conversion goals. Influence cross-functional alignment in ambiguous or evolving situations by bringing structure, strategic judgment, and clear next steps. Support new business through audits, strategic recommendations, proposal input, pitch development, and thought leadership. Team Leadership & Capability Development Lead, mentor, and grow a multi-disciplinary team across social media, content, public relations, influencer marketing, and communications strategy. Establish clear roles, expectations, standards, workflows, and performance goals for the communications function. Operate as a player-coach who can both lead the work and step into strategy, content, client, or execution needs when required. Foster a culture of accountability, curiosity, collaboration, experimentation, and continuous improvement. Partner with agency leadership on hiring, team structure, professional development, service expansion, and change management.