Job Title: Senior Manager of Social Media

Department: Communications & Content

Reports to: Sr. Director of Digital Content

Job Summary
The Senior Manager of Social Media is a vital part of the FC Cincinnati Communications & Content team. The successful candidate will work to generate positive engagement and publicity for the club while also contributing to revenue-generating activities. This person will be the voice of FCC across all social media channels, capturing the excitement of the FC Cincinnati experience and reflecting the scope of our avid fan base. The candidate will bring the “vibes” – demonstrating a strong command of social media channels and a confidence in posting real-time content that’s filled with energy, excitement, and maximizes trends and opportunities to insert FCC and its players into online conversation. The Senior Manager will lead the way in driving innovative online behaviors, pressure testing new ideas and ways of telling the FCC story to engage our fans, cross-pollinate our content and implement influencer campaigns. In addition to normal business hours, weekend, evening, and holiday work will be required as schedule and project workload dictates. This person will have professional obligations for every FC Cincinnati game during the season, including preseason, regular-season, postseason, and in-season tournaments. Additionally, any special events hosted by the club – including international friendlies – will be included. Some travel, including international, may be required. This person will manage the Coordinator of Social Media.

What You’ll Do:

Set the team’s social media strategy and work with digital staff to meet the club’s KPI goals and other business needs, allowing for ongoing refinement as necessary
Develop and publish creative content for the club’s primary and ancillary social platforms that increase interest in the club – including the team, its players and coaches – and its activities
Be responsive and results-oriented in producing and maximizing real-time opportunities for engagement across platforms
Plan social campaigns and craft messaging for major club events and promotions
Work in conjunction with the club’s Coordinator of Social Media to craft creative copy across platforms in FCC’s voice
Collaborate with other departments to create content that fulfills club goals and relationships, specifically relating to sponsorships, partnership marketing, retail, community relations and marketing fulfillment
Moderate and curate FCC’s social community and identify UGC for further amplification socially
Spearhead all game day, event, special platform, and announcement content plans, and keep key FCC stakeholders in the loop
Working with all departments, calendar the club’s 90-day social media content to ensure all deadlines and needs are met and expectations for content delivery are set across the organization
Collaborate with members of marketing team with copywriting for overall brand campaigns
Track social conversations and identify concerns, including customer service and/or crisis issues, as they arise, and alert necessary staff as needed
Follow social and digital trends and offer recommendations for integration
Uphold standard for high-quality content that is representative of FCC’s brand to be distributed across social mediums
Track key metrics and generate reports for the club’s executive staff and department heads, and use the data to make recommendations for future improvements and success
Represent the club at league and federation events as needed
Other duties as assigned

What You’ll Need

BS/BA in communications, marketing, journalism, or a related field is required
5+ years of professional experience working in social media for a team, league, collegiate athletics department, entertainment, or sports content organization
Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide verification of vaccination prior to start date

What You’ll Bring

Expertise in managing social media platforms for a sports or entertainment entity, including brand voice
A record of success in increasing engagement and growth in key tracking metrics
Ability to think creatively and strategically to increase engagement and interest in the club, both planned and opportunistically
Strong attention to detail, proofreading skills, dedication, accountability and understanding of the importance of deadline-driven execution
Efficient worker who can balance multiple campaigns and projects and complete everything by deadline
Experience setting and maintaining content calendars and understanding time needs of various content initiatives
Ability to work both independently and as a team member
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, especially interdepartmentally
Represent the club in ethical and professional manners at all times
Experience using business tools on Facebook, Instagram and X and implementing best practices to optimize reach and revenue goals
In-depth knowledge of, and interest in, soccer and sports, as well as pop culture
A strong understanding of and familiarity with key digital skills – including photo, video, graphics (still and motion) and writing skills – ex. Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and After Effects

Why You’ll Love FCC:

Generous paid time off including vacation, personal, sick, and holiday time
Option for one work from home day per week (by department and schedule)
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401k plan with company match
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance
Maternity & Paternity Leave and Family Building Benefit
Employee Assistance Program and free subscription to the Calm App
Discount off merchandise in the FCC team store
Community volunteer opportunities
Professional development and Frequent team building opportunities
Employee recognition programs and referral programs
Opportunity for complimentary staff tickets to home FC Cincinnati matches

About FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati is a Major League Soccer team playing at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally founded in 2015 by Carl H. Lindner III and co-CEO Jeff Berding, FCC started play in the United Soccer League (USL) in 2016. FCC entered MLS as the 24th team in 2019. The club’s wide and diverse ownership group is led by controlling owner Lindner III; as well as managing owners Meg Whitman and Dr. Griff Harsh; Scott Farmer; and George Joseph.

FC Cincinnati opened the club’s privately funded, 26,000-seat soccer-specific TQL Stadium in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati in 2021, a venue which has won numerous global awards including the World Football Summit Best Venue 2022 in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France.

FC Cincinnati won the 2023 Supporters’ Shield – the annual award given to the team with the most points in the regular season – and clinched a spot in the 2023 MLS Playoffs for the second straight year. The club won the 2018 USL Regular-Season Championship in record-setting fashion and earned postseason berths in all three of its USL seasons. In 2017, FC Cincinnati also advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a run that included victories over two MLS squads.

About TQL Stadium

TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati, is one of the most ambitious soccer-specific stadiums in not only North America, but the world. Critically-acclaimed firm Populous designed an innovative and forward-thinking stadium that is one of the largest soccer-specific facilities in Major League Soccer. TQL Stadium has been named Best Venue at the 2022 World Football Summit in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France.

The stadium has five team locker rooms, including a comprehensive team suite for FC Cincinnati that features a dressing room, coach’s office, lounge, equipment storage and the Mercy Health Center of Excellence for the team’s medical and game day fitness needs. Within the 18 months of the stadium’s completion, TQL Stadium has featured both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, including the USMNT’s FIFA World Cup Qualification match vs. Mexico, and a concert by legendary rock band, The Who.

The closest seats are within 15 feet of the pitch at the $250 million, privately funded stadium. The design includes 53 traditional suites and 4,500 premium seats throughout four premium club spaces. FC Cincinnati’s supporters’ section, The Bailey, has grown to be more than 3,100 strong and loom over opponents at a 34-degree angle at the stadium’s north end. A 360-degree canopy roof covers every seat in TQL Stadium, but still allows sufficient sun in to grow a natural grass field.

About Mercy Health Training Center

In 2019, the club opened the state-of-the-art Mercy Health Training Center (MHTC) in Milford, Ohio. Designed by MSA Sport, the $30 million, 24-acre facility includes three full-size, lighted soccer fields – including two stabilized natural grass surfaces and one synthetic turf surface – as well as a goalkeeper-specific training area. The MLS team is housed in a 30,000 sq. ft., multilevel building abutting the fields, including a separate, 4,000 sq. ft. wing of the building for the FC Cincinnati Academy.

Additionally, there is a 3,000 sq. ft. maintenance facility on the property. In the design process, the MSA Sport design team benchmarked training grounds across the world, including the best in Europe, South America, and Asia. The goal of the design meets the original goal to develop one of the premier and most progressive team facilities in Major League Soccer and North America.

About FC Cincinnati 2

FC Cincinnati 2 began play in MLS NEXT Pro in 2022. FCC 2 is designed to serve as the bridge between the FCC first team and the Academy and is a professional pathway for players to grow and develop at FC Cincinnati. The club plays its matches at Scudamore Field at NKU Soccer Stadium, Mercy Health Training Center, and TQL Stadium.

About MLS NEXT Pro

Launched in March 2022 by Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the player pathway from MLS NEXT through to MLS first teams. With 21 Clubs competing during the inaugural season – 20 MLS-affiliated and one independent club, Rochester New York FC – MLS NEXT Pro will grow the game through innovation and diversity by bringing professional soccer to new markets, creating career opportunities for professionals on and off the field, and providing communities with a strong sense of pride. Eight additional MLS-affiliated clubs will join MLS NEXT Pro in 2023, with more independent clubs joining in the years ahead. For more information about MLS NEXT Pro, visit mlsnextpro.com.

Instructions when Applying

In a single PDF that you upload to TeamWork Online, include a cover letter, resume, references, and several work samples, which can include links to social accounts managed (dates and/or specific campaigns must be noted), videos or graphics produced, photo galleries, or other published content.

FC Cincinnati is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.