Senior Social Media & Community Lead

Darden; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Darden is seeking a Social Media Associate Manager, Community to lead the Community function across its portfolio of restaurant brands. This role oversees engagement strategy, social listening, governance, and partnerships that strengthen brand affinity and guest relationships across social media.

As a leader of a high-performing Community Engagement team, you will collaborate with Brand Social Media Managers, Guest Relations, PR, Communications, Operations, Legal, Consumer Insights, agencies,

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in social media, including community management, audience engagement, social listening, reputation management, guest recovery, and crisis communications.
• Minimum 2 years of leadership experience managing people, projects, programs, or cross-functional initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead community engagement strategy and operations across Darden brands, ensuring a consistent brand voice while adapting to platform trends, audience expectations, and real-time conversations.
• Develop community-focused plans that support marketing campaigns, cultural moments, guest engagement initiatives, influencer partnerships, reputation management, and opportunistic content opportunities.
• Maintain and evolve community management playbooks, engagement standards, escalation processes, response protocols, and governance guidelines.
• Partner with Brand Social Media Managers to translate audience insights into actionable social media strategies and engagement recommendations.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen audience relationships, improve guest experiences, and build long-term brand loyalty through meaningful interaction.

Skills

Social platforms

Leadership

Analytics

Communication

Governance

Crisis management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Social media tools

Analytics tools

MS Office

Storytelling platforms

Job description

Darden is seeking a Social Media Associate Manager, Community to lead the Community function across its portfolio of restaurant brands. This role oversees engagement strategy, social listening, governance, and partnerships that strengthen brand affinity and guest relationships across social media.

As a leader of a high-performing Community Engagement team, you will collaborate with Brand Social Media Managers, Guest Relations, PR, Communications, Operations, Legal, Consumer Insights, agencies,