Social Video Specialist

Gannett Co; McLean (VA); Remote; USD 73,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

USA TODAY is seeking a high-energy Social Video Specialist to oversee performance and innovation of off-platform video on social media. You will lead audience-focused experimentation, coach journalists, and align strategies across divisions to grow reach and revenue.

The role combines social video production, data analytics, and platform insights to guide newsroom practices, adapt to trends, and ensure consistent brand voice across accounts. Remote work is supported nationwide.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field, or equivalent.
• 5+ years in digital journalism or newsroom leadership; journalism experience is mandatory.
• Experience in a digital, print, or television news organization preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead USA TODAY's social video strategy, including user-generated content, and drive innovation with leaders and the audience team.
• Establish a cohesive editorial style for social video journalism aligned to platform behaviors and audience needs.
• Monitor trends in creator industries and emerging platforms; translate insights into experiments and newsroom guidance.
• Develop strategies for the entire audience journey and identify growth opportunities.
• Analyze performance and lead experiments in partnership with content strategy.
• Adapt platform strategy in real time for breaking news and major events; contribute to content creation when needed.
• Translate data points into actionable insights; apply analytical mindset to content decisions.
• Collaborate across divisions to improve social video revenue and consumer retention.
• Partner with video production to plan coverage for tentpoles and events; train journalists on social video practices.
• Collaborate with AI leads to test tools that improve production and workflow.

Skills

Digital journalism

Newsroom leadership

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in communications/journalism/marketing or related field

Job description

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

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 and vertical video production, data analytics, and platform insights to grow audience and discoverability, deepen engagement, and support new revenue opportunities. You will lead audience-focused experimentation for our off-platform video distribution, testing new approaches and engagement strategies that drive measurable growth.

We're looking for someone who can anticipate and respond to shifts in social media and video 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 video practices. 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 actively partner with our Video Production Team, helping plan for major tentpole events, host trainings for our journalists and set our broader off-platform video strategies.

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 video strategy (including our strategy for user-generated content), working with USA TODAY leaders and the broader USA TODAY audience team to assess our portfolio and performance and drive innovation.
• Establish a cohesive editorial style for USA TODAY's social video journalism, ensuring content is tailored to platform behaviors and audience needs.
• Monitor the creator industry, emerging platforms, and evolving audience behaviors, translating insights into targeted experiments and practical newsroom guidance.
• Develop strategies that encompass the entire audience journey, thinking about every action we want a user to take with us.
• Analyze performance, identify growth opportunities, and lead experiments in partnership with content strategy.
• Adapt platform strategy in real time to deliver timely, relevant experiences during breaking news and major events, pitching in on content creation where necessary.
• Translate data points into actionable insights. The right candidate deeply understands data tools and knows how to apply their analytical mindset to content.
• Partner across divisions to improve social video revenue and consumer retention.
• Lead the audience team's relationship with our video production team, working together to plan coverage and develop strategies for major tentpoles, events and story opportunities.
• Collaborate with AI leads to test and implement tools that improve social video production and workflow efficiency.
• Coach journalists on social video storytelling, production techniques, and technical tools, and lead training for reporters, visual journalists, content creators 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 is mandatory .

The annualized base salary for this role will range between $73,000 and $90,000. Base compensation is reflective of many factors, including, but not limited to, the market in which one lives/works, individual education level, skills, certifications and experience. Note: variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable.