Social Media Specialist

USA TODAY; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

USA TODAY is seeking a high‑energy Social Media Specialist with journalism experience to monitor and guide the performance and innovation of our social portfolio. You will shape strategy, analyze data, and drive engagement while partnering with editors and platform teams to grow reach and revenue.

The role emphasizes storytelling across platforms, trend analysis, and timely responses to breaking news, with a focus on strengthening audience trust and newsroom collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years in digital journalism or newsroom leadership, including experience in a digital, print, or TV news organization.
• 3-5 years in analytics with a focus on content analytics.
• Proven storytelling via social media across multiple platforms (Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, etc.).
• Ability to lead cross‑functional teams and coach journalists on social media practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead USA TODAY’s social media strategy and drive audience growth across platforms.
• Develop a cohesive brand identity for social content and align it with editorial priorities.
• Design and implement audience journeys and engagement strategies.
• Collaborate with newsroom and platform partners to optimize revenue and retention.
• Translate data insights into actionable recommendations for editors and reporters.
• Adapt platform tactics in real time during breaking news and major events.
• Coach journalists on best practices and lead training across visuals, reporters, and editors.

Skills

Social media strategy

Data analytics

Storytelling

Collaborative leadership

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in journalism/communications

Tools

Google Analytics

Parse.ly

Hootsuite

Echobox

Job description

USA TODAY is looking for talented journalists to join our newly reimagined audience team! If you apply, please do so directly at the link and not through LinkedIn. I am on the hiring committee for all, so happy to answer any questions you may have!

Posted by: Jennifer Hefty, Senior Director of Engagement Strategy

USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a sustainable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Through our trusted brands, including the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations, including our network of local properties, in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses. We deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, supports small and medium-sized businesses with innovative digital marketing products and solutions. USA TODAY Co. open roles are featured on various external job boards. When applying to a position at USA TODAY Co., you should be completing an application on USA TODAY Co. Careers via Dayforce. Job postings directing you to complete an application on other external sites may not be valid. If you are a California resident, you acknowledge that by applying for a job with us, this California Job Applicant Privacy Notice will apply to our collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information. To connect with us, visit www.usatodayco.com

USA TODAY is looking for a high-energy, audience-focused Social Media Specialist with journalism experience (required) to monitor and advise on the performance and innovation of USA TODAY’s social media portfolio.

The ideal candidate is passionate about preserving the future of news through innovative storytelling and engagement experiences. This role is right for you if you’re constantly monitoring the latest trends in social media and emerging platforms, including in the creator industry, and love to experiment and innovate.

As a key strategic leader on the new USA TODAY audience team, you will combine expertise in social media strategy, data analytics, and platform insights to grow audience and discoverability, deepen engagement, and support new revenue opportunities. You will lead audience-focused experimentation across social media, testing new approaches, formats, and engagement strategies that drive measurable growth.

We’re looking for someone who can anticipate and respond to shifts in platform trends and audience behavior, continually refining strategy while ensuring the consistency of our brand voice and identity across our portfolio of accounts.

In this role, you will also help strengthen audience engagement across the newsroom by coaching journalists on effective social media practices that build trust and loyalty. The successful candidate will be a collaborative, strategic thinker who can work across divisions and translate company-wide priorities into clear, actionable plans for the newsroom. In addition, you will actively represent USA TODAY in strategic conversations with industry and platform partners.

Help us ensure the future of journalism is strong and that our newsroom continues to evolve to meet the needs of a growing digital audience.

This position is remote and can be based anywhere in the US, except for Alaska, Hawaii and Wyoming. If you live near one of our local newsrooms, you may have the option to use that as a base of operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead USA TODAY’s social media strategy, working with USA TODAY leaders and the broader USA TODAY audience team to assess our portfolio and performance, develop audience journeys and drive innovation.
• Help USA TODAY develop a cohesive brand identity/style of our journalism on social media and pair content to meet user needs.
• Develop strategies that encompass the entire audience journey, thinking about every action we want a user to take with us.
• Assist newsroom in troubleshooting social media issues and represent USA TODAY in strategic conversations with industry, influencer and platform partners.
• Monitor performance, identify growth opportunities, and lead experiments in partnership with content strategy.
• Translate data points into actionable insights. The right candidate deeply understands data tools and knows how to apply their analytical mindset to content.
• Adapt platform strategy in real time to deliver timely, relevant experiences during breaking news and major events.
• Partner across divisions to improve social media revenue and consumer retention.
• Collaborate with AI leads to test and implement tools that strengthen workflow efficiency.
• Coach journalists on social media and engagement best practices and lead training for reporters, visuals journalists, and editors.
• Balance and execute editorial and business priorities while keeping audience needs and broader organizational goals at the center of every decision.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or master's degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of experience in digital journalism or newsroom leadership, including experience in a digital, print, or television news organization. Journalism experience ismandatory.
• 3-5 years of experience in analytics, with a preference for content analytics.
• A proven passion and experience with storytelling via social media, with expertise in platforms such as Reddit, Discord, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, YouTube, Threads and more.
• Strong knowledge of the digital media and creator landscape and the role social media plays in audience engagement, discoverability, retention, and revenue.
• Ability to independently manage priorities and execute across competing demands.
• A collaborative spirit, able to lead not only direct reports but peers across the organization and a passion for coaching others.
• Strong business judgment and the ability to align editorial work with audience and organizational goals.

Technical specifications:

• Experience using AI and automation to enhance journalism, social media or production workflows.
• Proficiency with Google Analytics, Parse.ly, or similar analytics platforms.
• Expertise in platform-specific data tools such as Meta, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and X is required.
• Experience with third-party distribution tools like Hootsuite, True Anthem or Echobox is preferred.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively convey findings and recommendations to diverse stakeholders.
• Familiarity with news products and journalism and understanding of media analytics and ethics.