Senior Director, Social & Audience Strategy

The Ankler; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

401(k)

Parental leave

Remote work

Hybrid work

Job summary

The Ankler invites a Senior Director of Social & Audience Strategy to own and execute the brand's social presence. You will lead daily publishing across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, X/Twitter and emerging platforms, shaping strategy and driving audience growth, engagement, and newsletter sign-ups.

You will manage the Social Media & Community Manager, partner with editorial, marketing, events and video teams, and deliver measurable results through data-driven campaigns and talent

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in social media or audience development.
• Proven track record in growing social audiences across platforms.
• Strong news judgment and fast decision-making in newsroom environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across teams.
• Ability to balance strategy with hands-on execution.
• Experience within journalism or entertainment media is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define and own Ankler Media's social strategy across major platforms.
• Manage and mentor Social Media & Community Manager; oversee posting cadence.
• Create platform-native content reflecting Ankler's voice.
• Measure and report on audience growth, engagement, and conversions.
• Collaborate with editorial, marketing, events and video teams.
• Lead experiments with new platforms and formats.
• Partner with sales on socially-led sponsorship ideas.

Skills

Social media strategy

Audience development

Editorial collaboration

Team leadership

Analytics & reporting

News judgment

Job description

The Senior Director of Social & Audience Strategy will define and execute Ankler Media's social strategy, using social as a primary engine for audience growth, brand awareness, engagement, and subscription conversion. This leader will own Ankler Media's presence and growth across social platforms, including daily social publishing, creative campaigns, and performance analytics, while identifying opportunities to extend that growth through talent amplification, strategic partnerships, events and other audience initiatives

This person should be fluent in both strategy and execution - as comfortable crafting a growth roadmap as actually creating and executing posts in a timely manner. They'll manage a Social Media & Community Manager and collaborate closely with editorial, marketing/events, and video/podcast teams.

This role reports to Ankler Media's design director.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own Ankler Media's social strategy across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, X/Twitter and emerging platforms, with clear goals and regular reporting for audience growth, engagement, referral traffic and subscription conversion.
• Manage and mentor the Social Media & Community Manager; oversee daily posting cadence and platform best practices, stepping in directly as needed.
• Develop a distinctive and premium social presence for Ankler that translates our journalism, voice and point of view into compelling, platform-native content.
• Build and own systems to measure and report on audience growth, engagement, referral traffic, and conversion to newsletter sign-ups and subscriptions.
• Partner with editorial leads to amplify stories, videos, and podcasts with sharp, platform-native framing that preserves Ankler's editorial voice while maximizing reach and engagement..
• Use social performance data to understand what resonates, identify growth opportunities and continuously refine platform and content strategy.
• Develop social strategies around Ankler's journalists, columnists, podcast hosts and other talent, growing their profiles and using their individual voices to expand Ankler's overall audience.
• Bring strong news judgment to social strategy, recognizing when breaking stories, exclusives and cultural moments warrant rapid or expanded distribution.
• Collaborate with editorial, marketing and design to ideate and execute social campaigns around tentpole moments (e.g., awards season, major events, live shows, conferences).
• Develop influencer and industry engagement programs - from creators to Hollywood insiders - that extend the reach of our journalism and strengthen The Ankler's voice and community presence.
• Lead experiments with emerging platforms, social formats and distribution to reach new audiences.
• Collaborate with the sales team on socially-led sponsorship ideas, needs and deliverables, including paid campaigns.

General Essential Job Functions

In addition to the duties and responsibilities unique to your role, you are also expected to fulfill the following requirements which are essential to every employee's job:

• Maintain reliable, regular attendance and punctuality
• Work cooperatively with co-workers and managers
• Maintain professional demeanor and tone in written and oral communication:
• Work independently with minimal supervision (after standard training period)

Qualifications and Requirements

• LA or NY-based
• 7+ years of experience in social media, audience development, digital media or a related field, ideally within journalism, entertainment or another editorially driven media business.
• A demonstrated track record of materially growing social audiences across multiple platforms, with the ability to point to measurable results.
• Strong news judgment and the ability to move quickly and make smart decisions in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong organizational judgment and the ability to work effectively across editorial, design, marketing, sales and leadership teams.
• A willingness to move between high-level strategy and hands-on execution when needed.
• Strong interest in and knowledge of entertainment, media, business and the creator economy.

Salary Range: $135-$150k annually, plus bonus eligibility.

• Ankler Media offers a competitive benefits package including health, dental and vision insurance, paid time off, 401(k), parental leave, and remote work or hybrid work, along with the opportunity to work with a collaborative team at the forefront of entertainment, media and technology journalism.