Social Media Director

University of New Hampshire; Durham (NH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of New Hampshire in Durham seeks a Social Media Director to lead the flagship social media presence and develop an authentic digital voice for the Office of the President. Reporting to the Executive Director of Content Marketing, the role splits time between Central Marketing and the President's Office to advance institutional priorities through strategic storytelling and brand building.

You will oversee platform strategy, content planning, event coverage, analytics, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, digital media, or related field.
• Minimum seven years of professional experience managing social media strategy for a brand, organization, agency, or executive.
• Demonstrated success growing social media audiences and driving meaningful engagement.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to adapt voice for different audiences and platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of social media strategies for the university's brand, institutional priorities, enrollment goals, and presidential visibility.
• Plan content calendars for flagship and president's accounts; write platform-specific copy and maintain authentic presidential presence.
• Attend major university events to capture real-time photo and video content for social media.
• Supervise and mentor the Social Media Producer, providing strategic and editorial direction to campus communicators and leadership.

Skills

Social media strategy

Content creation

Analytics & optimization

Copywriting

Stakeholder collaboration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, digital media, or related field

Job description

Internal Candidate Identified

The Social Media Director leads the University of New Hampshire's flagship social media presence while also building an engaging, authentic digital voice for the Office of the President. Reporting to the Executive Director of Content Marketing, the role is split approximately equally between Central Marketing and the President's Office, with responsibility for developing and executing social media strategy for the university's primary brand channels and growing the president's online presence through strategic storytelling, content creation, and brand building.

The position provides strategic leadership across social media, including platform strategy, content planning and execution, event coverage, analytics and optimization, brand standards, and best practices. The Social Media Director serves as the university's social media subject matter expert and works closely with senior leaders, campus communicators, writers, designers, photographers, videographers, marketers, campus partners, and student workers to advance institutional priorities, enrollment goals, audience engagement, and presidential visibility.

Duties/Responsibilities

Social media strategy & optimization (35%)

• Lead the development and execution of social media strategies that advance the university's brand, institutional priorities, enrollment goals, and presidential visibility. Develop platform-specific strategies for flagship and presidential channels, with an emphasis on Instagram and LinkedIn; identify emerging trends, platform updates, and best practices; monitor performance and use analytics to optimize content, audience growth, engagement, and campaigns; and continue to evolve social media playbooks, standards, and best practices that support consistency across the university.

Content planning & execution (35%)

• Lead planning and content calendars for the university's flagship accounts and the president's accounts, aligned with strategic priorities. Create compelling, audience-centered social media content; write platform-specific copy for flagship channels; build and maintain an authentic presidential presence that reflects the president's voice, values, personality, and vision; partner with creative and marketing colleagues on integrated campaigns and social-first storytelling; and identify timely opportunities to elevate the university and president through conversations, cultural moments, partnerships, and institutional milestones.

Event coverage & content coordination (15%)

• Attend major university events, including U-Day, Homecoming, and Commencement, to capture real-time photo and video content for social media. For other events attended by the president, coordinate content capture by campus partners or student workers to ensure consistent coverage.

Leadership & mentoring (15%)

• Supervise, mentor, and provide strategic and editorial direction to the Social Media Producer, fostering professional growth and ensuring high-quality execution. Serve as the university's social media subject matter expert, providing guidance and consultation to campus communicators and leadership.

Requirements

Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, digital media, or a related field, and a minimum of seven years of professional experience managing social media strategy for a brand, organization, agency, or executive.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated success growing social media audiences and driving meaningful engagement.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to adapt voice for different audiences and platforms.
• Strong understanding of Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and emerging social platforms.
• Experience creating short-form video and mobile-first content and using social media analytics and insights to inform strategy.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently in a fast-paced environment, and balance long-term strategy with real-time content needs.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build trusted relationships with senior leaders and campus partners.
• Strong editorial instincts and an understanding of how different platforms serve different audiences and objectives.
• Ability to tell authentic stories that build trust and connection.
• Excellent judgment, professionalism, and discretion when supporting executive communications.
• Collaborative approach and ability to turn everyday moments into compelling stories.

The University of New Hampshire is an R1 Carnegie classification research institution providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast and is convenient to New Hampshire's lakes and mountains. There is a student enrollment of 13,000 students, with a full-time faculty of over 600, offering 90 undergraduate and more than 70 graduate programs. The University actively promotes a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry.

EEO Statement

The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.

Compensation Pay Range

$69,560.00 - $124,580.00

The pay range for this position is listed above. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations. More information on benefits can be found here: USNH Employee Benefits | Human Resources

Location:

Durham