Social Media Strategist Associate Chicago, Illinois, United States

Golin; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global public relations agency is seeking a Social Media Strategist Associate in Chicago. In this hybrid role, you'll support the development of social media strategies for renowned consumer brands and engage with influencers to create compelling content. The ideal candidate will have a background in marketing and be familiar with data analysis and social media management tools.

Benefits

Flexible time off

Enhanced family care

Generous health and wellness benefits

Monthly stipend for gym or hobbies

Qualifications

• 1+ years of professional experience in social media or digital marketing.
• Strong understanding of major social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Support influencer marketing programs and assist in outreach.
• Develop social media content aligned with brand guidelines.
• Monitor and analyze social media performance metrics.

Skills

Content creation

Social media management

Influencer marketing

Data analysis

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing or related field

Tools

Sprout Social

Hootsuite

CreatorIQ

Job description

We have recently become aware that individuals not associated with Golin have fraudulently used our name – to solicit applications for fake jobs, to conduct fake job interviews and to make fake job offers. Any request to schedule an interview and any bona fide offer of employment will only come from an authorised representative of Golin with an email [e-mail].

We urge you to be careful when sharing your personal information and to be aware of scams involving fake job postings and job offers.

Please note: This a hybrid role located in Chicago, IL.You will have an opportunity to collaborate in-person three days a week at our Chicago office while maintaining flexibility for remote work.

Golin is looking for an Social Media Strategist Associate, to support social media strategy development and real-time opportunity identification that keeps our clients relevant in the social and cultural conversation.

Golin has been on a winning streak of recognition: PRWeek’s Best Place to Work, Provoke Media’s Global Agency of the Year, PRWeek’s Large Agency of the year and winning two Grand Prix at Cannes.

Riding the wave of recognition and award-winning work, the Associate Social Media Strategist has an incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of social media strategy and real-time engagement for some of the most loved consumer brands in Chicago and keep Golin on top.

You'll help build relationships with influencers and content creators, assist in developing compelling social content, and support the team in spotting trending moments that our brands can authentically join. You'll contribute to telling our clients' stories in fresh, engaging ways across social platforms.

It’s an exciting time for the agency to continue to deliver impactful earned work that builds brands and reputations, and we know other brands can benefit from the award-winning work we create.

Want to “Go All In” with us? Here are the details:

What You’ll Do:

• Support influencer marketing programs by researching and identifying relevant creators, assisting with outreach and relationship management, and helping to execute influencer campaigns across various brand programs
• Assist in real-time opportunity spotting by monitoring social conversations, trending topics, and cultural moments to identify authentic engagement opportunities for clients
• Develop social media content including captions, creative briefs, and content concepts that align with clients' brand guidelines and voice while driving engagement and brand awareness
• Support social media strategy development for campaigns and ongoing brand programs, contributing ideas for content calendars, engagement tactics, and platform-specific approaches
• Monitor and analyze social media performance using analytics tools to track campaign success and provide insights that inform future strategy recommendations
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including creative, PR, and account management to ensure integrated campaign execution and consistent brand messaging
• Stay current on social media trends including platform updates, emerging features, creator trends, and industry best practices to bring fresh ideas to client programs
• Assist with social media management tools such as Sprout Social, CreatorIQ, Sprinklr, or similar platforms to schedule content, manage influencer relationships, and track performance metrics
• Support client communication by preparing status updates, performance reports, and strategic recommendations under senior team member guidance

What You Have:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, or related field
• 1+ years of professional experience in social media, digital marketing, or related field with exposure to brand social media management.
• Strong understanding of major social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn) including their unique audiences, content formats, and best practices
• Experience with influencer identification and outreach, including knowledge of how to evaluate creator fit, engagement rates, and audience alignment
• Content creation skills with the ability to write engaging social media copy and develop creative content concepts that drive engagement
• Familiarity with social media management and analytics tools such as Sprout Social, Hootsuite, CreatorIQ, or similar platforms
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple campaigns and deadlines simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with attention to detail and ability to adapt tone for different brands and audiences
• Proactive mindset with curiosity about social media trends, pop culture, and digital marketing innovations
• Collaborative approach with ability to work effectively with internal teams and contribute to brainstorming sessions
• Comfort with fast-paced environment and ability to pivot quickly when real-time opportunities arise
• Basic understanding of social media metrics and comfort with data analysis to inform strategy recommendations

About Golin:

Golin is a global, award-winning public relations agency that helps company create change that matters. Together, we discover powerful human truths that bind us, create with bravery, and collaborate inclusively and obsessively. Golin's 1700 global employees operate across 50+ offices worldwide, allow ing us to provide our clients with comprehensive solutions for multi-market, regional and global communications programs.

Every agency is talking about AI. At Golin, we are using AI to rewrite the rules of PR. We’re even promising to become the first fully AI-integrated agency by 2026. We are committed to upskilling our workforce, democratizing access to tools, and integrating AI into our daily work to maximize the value we deliver to our clients.

We're especially committed to going all in for our people. We challenge our employees to be courageously happy and have empowered them to do so by offering our LifeTime benefits program. LifeTime offers flexible time off, enhanced family care, generous health and wellness benefits, workplace hybrid flexibility, and a monthly LifeTime stipend for the gym or hobbies.

Our expertise ranges from brand-building and cutting-edge digital content to corporate reputation, healthcare advocacy and measurement. Golin aligns earned-first, data-driven creative with the customer journey through our collaborative G4 Model to deliver maximum impact for clients. Our roster includes many of the largest CPG, retail, food, healthcare technology and consumer service companies in the world.

Please note: This is a hybrid role located in Chicago, IL. You will have an opportunity to collaborate in-person two to three days a week at our Chicago office while maintaining flexibility for remote work.

Salary Range: $40,000 – $55,000

Golin has included the base salary range or hourly rate for this role. Actual compensation offered within the range will depend upon, among other factors: a candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience; actual ranges for current or former employees in the role; and market considerations.

Any request to schedule an interview and any legitimate offer of employment will only come from an authorized representative of Golin. We will never require an applicant to provide sensitive personally identifiable information in order to conduct an interview.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.