Sr Mgr, Earned and Social

KFC; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 151,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

KFC is seeking a Sr. Brand Manager, Earned Media, Brand Social & Culture in Plano, TX. This role centers on social-first, culture-led leadership, turning moments into movements and campaigns into talk-worthy brand behavior.

The position partners with IMC leadership, cross-functional teams, and agencies to ensure social, earned media, and influencer thinking lead campaigns from day one. Salary is competitive with senior marketing leadership roles.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of experience in social, PR, influencer, or culture-led marketing roles
• Proven ability to create or contribute to work that shows up in culture and drives conversation
• Deep understanding of social platforms, internet culture, and how trends move
• Experience working with creators, influencers, and earned media strategies
• Strong instinct for what will resonate—and what won’t—with today’s audiences

Responsibilities

• Lead how KFC shows up in culture—bold, timely, and unexpected ideas that earn attention and spark conversation
• Partner with IMC to set direction for campaigns from day one, not as an add-on
• Drive earned-first thinking across campaigns with PR, social, and influencer work
• Build and activate a creator ecosystem to expand reach and culture relevance
• Be the voice of culture and social at the table, ensuring ideas are timely and engaging
• Influence teams and agencies to deliver sharper, more effective work
• Track performance and real-time feedback to optimize brand presence in culture

Skills

Experience in social media

Influencer marketing

PR & earned media

Culture-led marketing

Trend analysis

Collaborative leadership

Job description

The Sr. Brand Manager, Earned Media, Brand Social & Culture is at the center of how KFC shows up in culture—leading with social, shaping conversation, and driving earned impact that keeps the brand impossible to ignore. This role is responsible for bringing a social-first, culture-led mindset to everything we do—turning moments into movements and campaigns into talk-worthy brand behavior.

Reporting to the Director of Integrated Marketing Communications, this role partners closely with IMC leadership, cross-functional teams, and agency partners to ensure social, earned media, and influencer thinking don’t follow campaigns—they lead them. This is a role for someone who understands how culture moves, how social drives it, and how brands earn their place in it.

Social-First, Culture-Led Leadership (Priority)

• Lead how KFC shows up in culture—bringing forward bold, timely, and unexpected ideas that earn attention and spark conversation
• Partner with the Director of IMC to ensure social and earned thinking set the direction for campaigns from day one—not as an add‑on
• Spot trends before they peak and turn them into brand‑defining moments with speed and precision
• Push for work that is culturally sharp, socially native, and impossible to scroll past
• Champion a multicultural, community‑driven lens—ensuring the brand shows up authentically

Earned, Social & Influencer Integration

• Drive earned‑first thinking across campaigns, ensuring PR, social, and influencer work together to amplify impact
• Lead and partner with agencies to create work that earns media, drives buzz, and shows up in the feeds and conversations that matter
• Help shape a social presence that is reactive, relevant, and relentlessly engaging
• Build and activate a creator ecosystem that keeps KFC plugged into culture and expanding its reach

Integration & Influence

• Be the voice of culture and social at the table—ensuring ideas are built for how people actually engage today
• Partner across IMC, Media, and Creative to keep work connected, fast‑moving, and culturally in‑tune
• Influence without authority—bringing teams and agencies along to deliver sharper, more effective work

Operations & Impact

• Support execution of social, earned, and influencer workstreams with a focus on speed, quality, and impact
• Help manage budgets tied to social, PR, influencer, and experiential activations
• Track what’s working (and what’s not) through social listening and performance, and quickly turn insights into action
• Continuously optimize how the brand shows up based on real‑time feedback from culture

Reputation & Communications Support

• Support PR and communications efforts during key moments—ensuring the brand shows up with the right voice, at the right time
• Help navigate fast‑moving or sensitive situations with a steady, culturally aware lens
• 7-10+ years of experience in social, PR, influencer, or culture‑led marketing roles
• Proven ability to create or contribute to work that shows up in culture and drives conversation
• Deep understanding of social platforms, internet culture, and how trends move
• Experience working with creators, influencers, and earned media strategies
• Strong instinct for what will resonate—and what won’t—with today’s audiences
• Ability to move fast, stay scrappy, and operate in real time without losing strategic focus
• Strong collaborator who can influence teams and agencies to push work further

Salary Range: $150,840 to $159,220 annually + bonus eligibility.

This is the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining pay, we'll consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job‑related factors.