Social Media Manager

Social Media Manager

• 499114
• Denver, CO, Colorado
• Staff Full-Time
• Closing on: Nov 4 2026

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The University Relations division at the University of Denver speaks with a unified, authentic and resonant voice to strategically advance the university's brand with four primary goals in mind:

• To promote and protect DU's reputation
• To inspire students to enroll and engage
• To increase inclusion
• To strengthen the University

The University Relations (UR) team aims to strengthen DU's strategic position locally, regionally and nationally through data-driven and authentic storytelling across multiple channels with focused support on the university's value drivers: academics and research; enrollment and admissions, athletics and advancement. Whether through public or media relations, digital strategies, social media, print, podcast, issues or crisis management, community relations or thought leadership and training, UR drives results through narratives that involve words, pictures and design. With true understanding of and connection with our diverse audiences, we aim to foster collaborative problem solving, creativity and innovation.

Position Summary

The Manager, Social Media, leads the University's brand social media presence, providing both strategic direction and tactical expertise to create, publish and manage content across the university's centrally branded channels. Reporting to the Director of Brand Marketing, this role sets the strategic vision, editorial standards and performance goals for the University's brand social channels while overseeing and contributing to day-to-day execution.

In addition, the Manager serves as the university's primary consultative resource on social media strategy for executive communications, administrative and academic departments, colleges, schools and units managing their own social accounts - providing guidance, governance and training to ensure a cohesive brand voice and strategic alignment across DU's broader social media footprint.

The Manager, Social Media, exercises sound judgment, both independently and in collaboration with key stakeholders, particularly in sensitive or crisis situations. This role anticipates the needs of campaigns and the department, balances multiple concurrent priorities, and provides proactive leadership - to direct reports and to the broader university - in service of elevating the University's visibility nationally, cultivating community and belonging through content, and telling the stories tied to the University's brand pillars.

Essential Functions

Strategic Direction & Channel Oversight

• In collaboration with other department managers and directors, sets the strategic vision and editorial direction for the University's branded social media channels, and direct the team responsible for content creation, publishing and channel management.
• Consult and/or directly manage paid social media campaigns across platforms, optimizing for reach, audience targeting, and budget allocations.
• Oversee, manage, and evolve the social publishing and distribution calendar, ensuring alignment with broader integrated marketing strategies.
• Collaborate with team members and internal stakeholders on video and graphic content strategy, including YouTube and short-form video (Reels/TikToks), ensuring per-platform best practices are implemented.
• Direct the evaluation of new platforms and channels, determining strategic fit with target audiences before recommending adoption.
• Own the measurement framework and reporting on social performance; partner with the division's marketing analytics specialist to translate channel trends and audience behavior into strategic recommendations for unit leadership
• Identify and direct initiatives to improve the University's social media portfolio and presence, generate meaningful engagement with content, and increase inbound website traffic from social platforms.
• Consult with and provide support to the executive communications team to assist in social engagement strategy.

University-wide Consultation & Governance

• Serve as the university's strategic advisor to social media practitioners within other university units, providing consultation on platform strategy, brand alignment and best practices.
• Manage and maintain the University's social media directory, maintaining appropriate access to and documentation of DU's comprehensive social media footprint.
• Own and evolve the university's social media governance framework, including policy, training curriculum, and templates; lead periodic training for social media specialists university-wide.
• Convene and lead a cross-functional working group or council of unit-level social media managers to foster alignment, information-sharing and collective problem-solving across the university's social footprint.
• Audit social media activities across the university (central and beyond) and present recommendations to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Cultivate partnerships beyond the Marketing & Communications division to expand the reach and visibility of key university messages.

Social Listening and Sentiment Monitoring

• Oversee and conduct ongoing social listening and sentiment monitoring, flagging emerging issues to leadership, and recommending actions and next steps.
• Maintains the Standard Operating Procedure for Social Media Response in Crisis & Issues Management.
• Manage social listening topics for ongoing sentiment analysis surrounding key phrases, ideas, and discussions.
• Proactively advocate for sentiment considerations during brainstorming and planning phases of marketing and communications activities
• Under the direction of UR leadership[MG1.1], serve as the operational lead for social media crisis response and issues management, executing protocol in close partnership with colleagues across the division and university.

Participate as active member of the crisis management and incident response team during distinct periods of university vulnerability.

Team & People Leadership

• Supervise a social media team of professional staff and student interns, delegating tasks and channel coverage across the team to balance always-on engagement demands with project-based work.
• Support career development and growth for direct reports through setting clear goals, providing regular feedback and coaching, and conducting formal performance reviews.
• Occupy a position of influence and leadership across the university, positively contributing to University Relations' reputation as a consultative group of subject matter experts

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated social media acumen and strategic proficiency with social media platforms, content marketing and social media strategy, with a supporting project portfolio.
• Experience concepting, implementing and managing both paid and organic social media content and familiarity with best practices across formats and channels.
• Experience using social media management tools such as Sprout Social for the purposes of content management, social listening, and reporting.
• Ability to generate creative ideas and lead execution of these ideas, collaborating across all levels and functions, including with peers, students and senior leaders, to effectively achieve objectives and lead.
• Ability to adapt communication tones and voice to best leverage different social media platforms while ensuring continuity of brand voice and presence.
• Experience with data analytics and translating insights into strategic recommendations.
• Experience managing a variety of concurrent projects and production timelines simultaneously.
• Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to seeing projects to successful completion.
• Excellent writing and grammar skills, along with the general ability to communicate clearly in oral, visual and written form.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, as well as flexibility and the ability to adapt to quickly changing priorities.
• Demonstrated creative self-starter with a strong work ethic, team orientation and commitment to quality.
• Willingness to learn new skills as the opportunities or the need arise.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in public relations, marketing, communications, or a related field plus three (3) years of experience managing social media content creation and platforms for a brand, which includes 2 years directly supervising staff, interns, and/or contractors; OR any equivalent combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
• Experience managing branded content and audience engagement on major platforms (e.g. Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in public relations, marketing, communications or related field.
• Experience working in the higher education field.
• Experience developing short-form video content for social channels.
• Demonstrated success growing engagement and audience for a brand or institution.

Working Environment

• Standard office environment.
• Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
• Noise level is quiet to moderate.

Physical Activities

• Ability to work in front of a computer for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. In accordance with the University's flexible work policy, this position is eligible to be considered for partial remote work. Further details regarding this plan will be determined with the hiring manager and are dependent on the division and team specific needs.

Application Deadline

For consideration, please submit your application materials by 11:59 p.m. (MST) November 4, 2026.

Special Instructions

Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Grade Number:

The salary grade for the position is 11.

Salary:

The salary for this position is $75,000.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate's sex or any other protected status.

Benefits:

The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver.

Please include the following documents with your application:

1. Resume

2. Cover Letter

3. Portfolio or samples of relevant social media work

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital, family, or parental status, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. The University of Denver does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital family, and parental status, pregnancy, genetic information, military enlistment, or veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the University's educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act; the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Worker''s Rights ("POWR") Act; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For more information, please see the University of Denver''s Non‑Discrimination‑Statement.

All offers of employment are based upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history and National Sex Offender Registry background check.

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