Vice President, Digital (Social + Influencer Strategy)

MSL (Global); Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 129,000 - 186,000; Full time

Job summary

MSL (Global) in Chicago seeks a Vice President, Digital for the Consumer Brands practice. You will lead social and influencer strategy across accounts and drive performance across earned, owned, paid and shared channels.

You’ll champion culture, stay ahead of platform trends, and mentor a digital team to deliver measurable business impact through creative, data-informed campaigns and emerging technologies.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years in digital, social, influencer marketing or communications in a consumer-focused agency or brand environment.
• Digital native with strong platform, culture and consumer attention understanding.
• Experience integrating AI-powered discovery into social and influencer strategies.
• Ability to translate trends, formats and behaviors into strategic recommendations for brands.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of social and influencer strategies aligned with client goals across PESO channels.
• Create social-first ideas and programs across platforms, influencers and communities.
• Identify emerging conversations and platform trends to keep brands culturally relevant.
• Translate platform best practices into client briefs and activation plans.
• Drive measurable impact by connecting influencer activity to business outcomes.
• Mentor digital team members and foster a culture of creativity and collaboration.

Skills

Social & influencer strategy

Leadership

Analytics

Digital native

Education

BA/BS in Public Relations/Communications/Marketing

Job description

Company Description

At MSL, we’re on a mission to make every client more influential and a positive force of influence in the(ir) world. Why? Because we know that influence = impact and the more influential you are, the more impactful you can be. We’re proud to partner with incredible brands, companies and leaders who want to push boundaries and create change – and we’re looking for passionate creators and storytellers who want to do the same. But it’s not just our work (and the awards we win for it) that energizes us, it’s who we are as a team. A team of powerhouse professionals that is driven by three core values: Leading, Learning and Loving. A team that has ranked us a “Best Place to Work” in the industry year over year.

Overview

What we’re looking for:

A Vice President, Digital for MSL’s Consumer Brands practice in Chicago

What you bring to the table:

As an integral member of the team, you will lead social and influencer strategy and execution across Consumer Brands accounts. We are looking for an ambitious, digitally native and social-obsessed leader who understands how ideas move today: across platforms, influencers, communities, paid amplification, earned conversation and culture. You live and breathe culture, understand platform best practices, and have a clear point of view on how influencers, creators and emerging voices can help ideas travel, earn attention and drive business impact. You’re also a strong combination of collaborative spirit, innovative thinking, and have a passion for current trends.

What you’ll do:

Turn culture, influencer and platform behavior into social-first ideas that get people talking, sharing, searching and acting.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of social and influencer strategies that align with client business goals and connect earned, owned, paid and shared channels into one clear ecosystem
• Create social-first ideas and programs designed to travel across platforms, influencers, communities and earned media, helping brands move from content to conversation
• Bring a relentless focus on culture, identifying emerging conversations, platform behaviors, influencers and consumer shifts that can create opportunities for brands to show up with relevance
• Translate platform best practices, audience behaviors, content formats and algorithm shifts into smart client counsel, creative briefs and activation plans
• Identify emerging cultural conversations, consumer behaviors and platform trends, helping clients enter relevant conversations rather than simply react to them
• Lead the development and execution of innovative, results-oriented influencer and social programs that compel consumers to action and drive business results
• Identify the right mix of influencers, creators, platform-native talent, brand ambassadors and emerging voices to give ideas credibility, scale and cultural relevance
• Partner closely with earned media, creative, strategy, paid, analytics and client teams to create social-first ideas that are integrated, measurable and built to perform across the PESO ecosystem
• Stay current with social platforms, influencer marketing, AI-enabled discovery, emerging technologies and digital culture to proactively bring forward new opportunities for clients and teams
• Use data, analytics and platform performance to measure success, optimize campaigns in real time and connect social and influencer impact to conversation, influence, discovery and business outcomes
• Challenge teams to test new formats, platforms, influencer models and emerging technologies, helping clients stay ahead of rapidly changing consumer behaviors and digital trends
• Lead and mentor digital team members, fostering a culture of creativity, experimentation, collaboration and excellence while helping build digital fluency across the broader Consumer Brands practice

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of experience in digital, social, influencer marketing or communications within a consumer-focused agency or brand environment, and a B.A./B.S. in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing or a related discipline
• Digital native who lives and breathes social, with a strong understanding of how platforms, influencers, communities and content behaviors shape culture and consumer attention
• Deep understanding of the evolving influencer landscape, including celebrities, creators, social influencers, brand ambassadors, platform-native voices and emerging cultural voices
• Lead the integration of AI-powered discovery into social and influencer strategies, understanding how platforms, influencers, earned media and brand content influence visibility across search, LLMs and emerging consumer discovery behaviors
• Strong understanding of platform best practices across major and emerging social channels, with the ability to translate trends, formats and behaviors into strategic recommendations for brands.
• Proven ability to develop social-first and influencer-led ideas that travel across earned, owned, paid and shared channels and connect creativity to measurable impact
• Experience working with cross-discipline teams, including earned media, creative, strategy, paid media, analytics and partner agencies, to develop comprehensive integrated campaigns with social at the center
• Strong analytical skills and experience using social, influencer and digital analytics tools to evaluate performance, optimize activations and inform client counsel
• Proven experience leading teams and client programs with strong time management, leadership, mentoring, collaboration and client relationship skills
• Proven experience in the Consumer Brands space and a strong pulse on consumer culture, social trends and industry sector events
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to develop and present compelling strategies, briefs and client proposals

Additional Information

Our Publicis Groupe motto “Viva La Différence” means we’re better together, and we believe that our differences make us stronger. It means we honor and celebrate all identities, across all facets of intersectionality, and it underpins all that we do as an organization. We are focused on fostering belonging and creating equitable & inclusive experiences for all talent.

Publicis Groupe provides robust and inclusive benefit programs and policies to support the evolving and diverse needs of our talent and enable every person to grow and thrive. Our benefits package includes medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401K, as well as parental and family care leave, family forming assistance, tuition reimbursement, and flexible time off.

If you require accommodation or assistance with the application or onboarding process specifically, please contact [e-mail].

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation Range: USD $129,485.00 - USD $186,060.00/Annually. This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and the Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time. Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan through a third-party benefits administration system once certain criteria have been met. Temporary roles may also qualify for participation in our 401(k) plan after eligibility criteria have been met. For regular roles, the Company will offer medical coverage, dental, vision, disability, 401k, and paid time off. The Company anticipates the application deadline for this job posting will be 9/14/2026.