Social Media Editor and Strategist - Strategic Marketing and Communications

Hiring Department: Office of the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Marketing and Communications

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID: 1036438

Posting Close Date: September 25, 2025

Salary: The salary range for this position is $68,000 - $78,000.

Final salary offered will be determined by a thorough assessment of available market data, internal salary equity, candidate experience and qualifications, and budget constraints.

About the University of Illinois Chicago

UIC is among the nation’s preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent “Best Colleges” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has over 300,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.

The University of Illinois Chicago offers a very competitive benefits portfolio. Click for a complete list of Employee Benefits.

Position Summary

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Marketing and Communications (SMC), directs initiatives to elevate the profile and reputation of Chicago’s only public research university. We are seeking a creative, strategic, and highly detail-oriented Social Media Editor and Strategist to join our team.

SMC enhances and protects UIC’s reputation, visibility, and reach at the state, national, and global levels through market research, analytics, and a deep understanding of the constituent experience.

The Social Media Editor and Strategist will lead social content creation, publishing, and strategy to inform, inspire, and engage audiences while strengthening UIC’s brand. This role requires a creative, detail-oriented professional who can develop and maintain UIC’s story and marketing strategies through innovative approaches to content sharing and audience building. The position combines strategic planning and hands-on content creation with data-driven insights to increase engagement and influence.

Our Strategic Marketing and Communications team is collaborative, mission-driven, and focused on advancing UIC’s academic and research priorities. The ideal candidate is a systems thinker who values teamwork and can inspire others to execute a content strategy that reflects our brand voice, clarity, and accuracy.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

1. Delight and engage existing audiences and new audiences while always protecting the integrity of the UIC brand and reputation.
2. Foster an environment of excellent communication, support and goodwill with the SMC team and our many internal and external partners.
3. Become a lead social media ambassador, advocate and expert to educate internal partners on best social media practices and how to utilize their platforms to promote UIC in creative ways. Implement ongoing cross-functional sharing, amplification and monitoring along with educational opportunities, workshops, etc.
4. Lead and manage day-to-day social media content including: creating, curating, managing and scheduling all published content; develop relevant content topics/campaigns; develop and expand community/influencer outreach efforts; oversee and collaborate on the design of social media graphics for all profiles; design, create and manage promotions and social ad campaigns; create and manage an online review funnel for building online reviews and reputation; analyze key SEO/metrics and tweak strategy accordingly and compile KPI/ROI reports and benchmarks for senior leadership; and ensure social content adheres to web accessibility standards.
5. Work with internal and external teams to create and write eye-catching and engaging social media content, including reviewing, proofing and editing before posting.
6. Oversee production and delivery of social media content from external and internal sources.
7. Monitor, listen and respond to users in a defined conversational brand voice while cultivating leads, engagement and influence.
8. Develop and grow audience engagement strategies. Support and build overall social media engagement by actively contributing innovative and disruptive ideas in team brainstorms.
9. Analyze campaigns and translate anecdotal or qualitative data into recommendations and plans for revising social media, content marketing, SEO and social advertising campaigns.
10. Monitor pop culture and trending topics and share ideas to connect the brand in creative ways. Includes keeping abreast of industry and consumer trends, advancements in technology and new social media platforms and tools.
11. Maintain promotional calendars and report weekly milestones, including goals such as growing social channel followers and engagement, and updates to the Vice Chancellor of Strategic Marketing and Communications and the senior leadership team.
12. Provide real-time platform coverage during crisis management, events, initiatives, etc. as needed.
13. Work with marketing team on content and promotion to support priority news, initiatives and events.
14. Identify threats and opportunities in user-generated content; report notable threats and possess a great ability to identify potential negative or crisis situations and apply conflict resolution principles to mitigate issues.
15. Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree in communications, media, journalism, marketing, or related field.
2. Two (2) years of experience managing a large-scale social media account or in another highly relevant marketing and communications role.
3. Familiarity of major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and YouTube, with a demonstrated understanding of platform-specific strategies and audience engagement.
4. Experience in sourcing, developing, and publishing content informed by audience behavior and marketing theory and practices.
5. Strong writing and copy-editing skills, with clear evidence of editorial judgment and attention to tone, clarity, and accuracy.
6. Working knowledge of social media management and analytics tools such as Khoros, Buffer, Later, Hootsuite, Meltwater, or Google Analytics.
7. Demonstrated ability to create and execute a marketing or content strategy, supported by testing and performance metrics.
8. Ability to apply both creative and analytical thinking to evaluate digital communications strategies and results.
9. Familiarity with digital publishing platforms such as WordPress, and basic understanding of the blogging and podcast ecosystem.
10. Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
11. Experience working in highly collaborative environments requiring effective interpersonal skills, cultural awareness, and the ability to maintain positive, solution-oriented relationships.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Three (3) or more years of experience managing a large-scale social media account or in another highly relevant marketing and communications role.
2. Experience producing and editing video content for digital platforms.
3. Proficiency in visual design tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Canva, or equivalent.
4. Experience integrating DEI principles into digital communications, campaigns, or team culture.
5. Certification in Google Analytics or comparable analytics tools.
6. Deep familiarity with pop culture and viral content, with the ability to leverage timely trends in social engagement.
7. Experience working with or contributing to a diverse audience, or in multicultural marketing environments.
8. A demonstrated passion for innovation and experimentation in digital media strategy.

For fullest consideration, please submit a cover letter, resume, and a portfolio showcasing social media writing and examples of creative work (posts, strategy work, presentations, etc) online by September 25, 2025. Questions can be directed to Gerardo Jimenez, Director of Human Resources, at gjimenez@uic.edu.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation

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