Social Media Manager Washington, DC

Sightline Media Group; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Sightline Media Group is seeking a creative and strategic Social Media Manager to enhance their social presence across major platforms. This role involves building and engaging online communities, driving brand awareness, and fostering audience loyalty.

The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in Communications or Marketing, along with 3–5 years of experience in social media management. The position offers an annual salary range of $80,000–$100,000.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of professional social media management experience, preferably within a news organization.
• Demonstrated success in implementing strategies that result in measurable growth.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive social media strategy.
• Manage and grow official social media accounts across major platforms.
• Track and analyze social media performance metrics.

Skills

Social media management

Content creation

Audience engagement

Data-driven strategy

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field

Tools

Sprout Social

Hootsuite

Adobe Premiere

Canva

Job description

Overview

Sightline Media Group and Sunset Publishing are seeking a creative, strategic, and data-driven Social Media Manager to lead and elevate their combined social presence across all major platforms.

The candidate will build and engage diverse online communities, with expertise in business and technology news, driving brand awareness, audience growth, engagement, and loyalty for both distinct media brands.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive, cohesive social media strategy aligned with both Sightline Media Group’s and Sunset Publishing’s distinct editorial and business objectives.
• Manage and grow all official social media accounts across major platforms, including X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and emerging channels.
• Develop and maintain a robust content calendar to ensure consistent, timely, and strategic posting across all accounts.
• Manage paid social media campaigns, including audience targeting, execution, optimization, and budget stewardship, as needed.
• Source, produce, edit, and distribute compelling, platform‑specific content—including text, images, short‑form video, audiograms, and infographics—to translate complex topics into accessible, engaging formats.
• Collaborate closely with editorial, video, marketing, and product teams to amplify priority stories, investigative projects, and company initiatives.
• Partner with Sightline’s sister media brands to co‑create, coordinate, and cross‑distribute content, maximizing reach and impact across multiple publisher networks.
• Track and analyze social media performance metrics to identify key trends, measure ROI, optimize content, and inform future strategic planning.
• Monitor social channels for breaking news, trending conversations, competitive activity, and audience feedback, responding promptly and professionally to foster a healthy online community.
• Stay current on emerging social media trends, formats, tools, and best practices to ensure both brands remain at the forefront of digital innovation.
• Identify and engage with key opinion leaders, influencers, and industry analysts in the relevant business, defense, and technology sectors to expand credibility and audience reach.

Required Qualifications & Skills

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of professional social media management experience, preferably within a news organization or complex business/tech‑focused media environment.
• Demonstrated success in implementing strategies that result in measurable growth and high engagement rates across multiple social platforms.

Technical & Creative Proficiency

• Exceptional writing, editing, and communication skills, with a strong command of grammar, tone, and the ability to adapt voice for platform‑specific audiences.
• Proficiency with social media management and analytics tools (e.g., Sprout Social, Hootsuite, CrowdTangle, native platform analytics).
• Experience with video editing software (e.g., Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro) and graphic design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Photoshop) is strongly preferred.

Organizational & Sector Knowledge

• Strong understanding of the business, technology, and/or defense sectors, with the ability to translate complex topics into engaging, social‑friendly formats.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven newsroom environment and efficiently manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously.

In compliance with Washington, D.C. pay transparency law, the salary range for this role is $80,000–$100,000 annually.

As set forth in Sightline Media Group’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.