Sr. Manager, Social Strategy

Senior Manager, Social Strategy 

This is a hybrid role that is to be based out of our NYC office 

About us:  

We drive intelligent growth for ambitious businesses and leading brands.  

Customer understanding is more potent and drives greater value when insights go to work directly within marketing and experience priorities. To give our clients that advantage, we put an insights-driven operating system at the core of our design, go-to-market and digital experience solutions.   

Material clients make smarter growth choices because they can see clearly how and when to take the shots that count. Together, we connect consumer intelligence with customer demand generation to build lasting, profitable relationships. 

About the Senior Manager, Social Strategy 

We are seeking a Senior Manager, Social Strategy  to lead the development of audience-centric social strategies that help brands earn relevance, build community, and drive business impact in an increasingly connected and culture-driven landscape. 

In this role, you will bring deep expertise across social platforms, audience behavior, content strategy, and cultural intelligence to uncover opportunities for brands to show up in meaningful and authentic ways. You understand that effective social strategy lives at the intersection of consumer insights, brand values, platform dynamics, and culture. By connecting these elements, you will help brands create content ecosystems that resonate with audiences, inspire engagement, and strengthen long-term brand affinity. 

As a core member of the team, you will partner closely with Creative, Insights, Analytics, Media, and Client Services to translate audience needs, emerging trends, and social behaviors into actionable strategic recommendations. You are equal parts strategist, storyteller, and trusted advisor, with a passion for helping brands navigate the evolving social landscape and identify the conversations, communities, and cultural moments that matter most. 

The ideal candidate brings a strong point of view on how social can drive brand growth through purposeful content, community engagement, creator and influencer ecosystems, and culturally relevant storytelling. They are energized by turning insights into strategic frameworks that help brands build deeper connections with people, earn attention in crowded feeds, and create lasting relevance beyond individual campaigns. 

Key Responsibilities  

• Executive Client Leadership & Presentation: Act as the primary strategic client lead, driving client relationship growth and presenting high-impact decks directly to Director, VP, and executive-level client stakeholders. 

• Social-First Strategy: Develop social-first strategic frameworks grounded in audience insights, cultural relevance, and brand positioning. Define how brands can authentically participate in conversations, communities, and moments that matter, establishing a clear role for social in driving audience engagement and brand growth. 

• Audience & Content Ecosystem Mapping: Identify audience motivations, behaviors, and unmet needs to develop platform-specific content strategies. Define audience segments, content pillars, engagement approaches, and creator opportunities that build relevance and foster ongoing community participation 

• Insight & Trend Translation: Synthesize social listening, consumer research, performance data, and emerging cultural trends to uncover actionable opportunities for brands. Translate insights into strategic recommendations that strengthen audience connection, cultural resonance, and market differentiation. 

• Strategic Narrative & Storytelling: Distill raw data, research, and channel mechanics into executive-ready narratives and actionable business recommendations.  

• Measurement & Optimization: Establish social KPIs and measurement frameworks that evaluate channel performance and quantify social's contribution to broader marketing and business outcomes. Develop and present performance reporting that translates data into compelling narratives, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations.  

• Cross-Functional Marketing Expertise: Bring a strong understanding of paid media and related digital marketing channels to develop more effective social strategies and recommendations. Partner seamlessly with cross-functional teams and contribute to adjacent planning and activation efforts as needed, while serving as the primary strategic lead for social. 

• Client Advisory & Workshops: Serve as a day-to-day strategic advisor to clients, facilitating workshops and guiding discussions around audience behavior, platform evolution, content strategy, cultural trends, and social innovation. 

Experience & Qualifications  

• 5-7+ years of progressive strategy experience in an agency environment, with proven ownership of enterprise client accounts. 

• Omni-Channel Expertise: Proven track record of developing connected strategies that integrate paid/organic social, CRM/email, performance media, content, and web experiences.   

• Social Mastery + Ecosystem Vision: Deep hands-on knowledge of paid and organic social platforms (Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, etc.) alongside a strong understanding of how social drives and feeds broader customer journeys.   

• Data-Driven Mindset: Experience building integrated measurement frameworks, working with social listening tools, and leveraging audience intelligence to inform strategy.   

Core Competencies & Tool Proficiency  

• Strategy & Insight Tools: Social listening & intelligence platforms (e.g., Brandwatch, Meltwater, Sprinklr, NetBase) and audience segmentation frameworks.   

• Channel Architecture: Deep familiarity with paid media ad platforms, CRM/lifecycle integration, and creator/influencer ecosystems.   

• Analytics & Measurement: Performance reporting, KPI dashboard development, multi-touch attribution concepts, and campaign optimization.   

• Presentation: Advanced capability in PowerPoint/Slides for crafting executive-level strategic decks.   

Who We Are & What We Care About 

• Material is a global company and we work with best-of-class brands worldwide.  We also create and launch new brands and products, putting innovation and value creation at the center of our practice. Our clients are at the top of their class, across industry sectors from technology to retail, transportation, finance and healthcare. 

• Material employees join a peer group of exceptionally talented colleagues across the company, the country, and even the world. We develop capabilities, craft and leading-edge market offerings across seven global practices including strategy and insights, design, data & analytics, technology and tracking. Our engagement management team makes it all hum for clients. 

• A community focused on learning and making an impact. Material is an outcomes focused company. We create experiences that matter, create new value and make a difference in people's lives.