Job Description

Job Title: Director of Social Media

Department: Communications

Location: Washington, DC; Oakland, CA; or remote

Supervises: Up to 6 employees

Context: At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of interdependence. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel injustice, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our future. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it. Sierra Club has close to 700 staff across the country and a network of 64 local chapters that are led and fueled by thousands of volunteers. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with three labor unions representing more than half of our employees.

Scope: The Director of Social Media is a strategic, creative leader who shapes how Sierra Club shows up on social media. They do this by leveraging data and audience segmentation and combining an understanding of the latest social trends and creative content to tell a cohesive public narrative, generate concrete campaign wins, and foster meaningful engagement. This position requires a proven track-record of managing people, projects, and platforms to achieve successful outcomes around list growth and retention, campaigning and organizing, culture change, fundraising, and brand objectives.

This person must be comfortable working in a fast-paced, multi-tasking environment and managing a small team within a much larger group of stakeholders. The Director of Social Media will advocate for the strategies and build and manage the systems, processes, and standards that enable effective social media collaboration across the organization. They will serve as a strategic partner and educator to a variety of internal stakeholders, helping our colleagues understand how to work effectively with the Social Media team and support them in translating their expertise and priorities into compelling content for our social media audiences.

To be successful, the Director of Social Media will be on the leading edge of understanding social media trends, platforms, technologies, and marketing techniques; with a track record of using metrics to adapt these strategies and improve results. The ideal candidate will have an understanding of climate and environmental issues, tracking movement in narratives and cultural trends that can help the movement do the vital work of protecting people and planet while advancing solutions.

Job activities include but are not limited to

• Social Media Identity Development: Leads on the creative development and delivery of Sierra Club’s social media identity – including voice, visual style, creative content, and innovative platform strategies – in close partnerships with key cross-departmental stakeholders. They will also coach and advise regarding social strategy for key organizational leaders and stakeholders.

A successful candidate must have the following skills and experiences

• A Do-er and a Director. You have experience doing top-to-bottom of what is required of a Social Media team; and have a demonstrated track record of both directing a team to successful outcomes, and rolling up your sleeves to do the work alongside of your team as needed.

The strongest candidates will also demonstrate the following experience, skills and competencies

• Knows Our Work. You have experience in the environmental movement or social justice advocacy space: Campaigning, creating public demand for a policy, training volunteers, holding the decision makers accountable, and/or taking delivery on campaign goals. You are in tune with the communities we work with; able to leverage cultural trends to generate enthusiasm, growth, and real power; and be able to convey this information through various digital media platforms.
• Influencer Partnerships. Influencer cultivation and partnership have been a core part of your past social media strategy and programmatic development. You come to this work with existing influencer partnerships, are in tune with the communities we work with, and will be able to leverage these collaborations and cultural trends to generate enthusiasm, growth, and real power.
• Top-Notch Organization Skills. There’s a lot to keep track of in this role, and things cannot fall through the cracks. Managing multiple priorities, timeliness, and attention to detail is key, as is knowing when to ask for support.

To Apply

The Sierra Club provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all staff members. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, lived experience and skills. The Sierra Club does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ancestry, age, size, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, familial status, veteran status, disability, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, prior conviction, arrest history, traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Sierra Club values applicants who are people that identify as Black, Indigenous, and other minoritized groups; women; queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people.

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.