Job Description

The Manager, Social Media Marketing and Growth will help bring the Institute’s discoveries, people, and real-world impact to life across social platforms in ways that are clear, credible, and compelling.

Working within Brand, Marketing & Communications, the Manager will lead social media as a storytelling and engagement channel, not just a broadcast tool. The Manager will connect RPI’s research, education, innovation, and leadership to external audiences through content that builds trust, sharpens RPI’s identity, and supports long-term goals around enrollment, advancement, and research.

Additionally, the Manager will work closely with students, faculty, and teams across campus to shape strategy, set standards, and tell RPI’s story to the world through social media.

Who we are:

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the first technological research university in the United States. We bring creativity, science, and technology together to address society's greatest challenges. We cultivate exceptional problem-solvers by immersing them in a culture of rigorous inquiry, disciplined practice, and hands-on application. Our strategic plan, RPI Forward, charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI. Explore the RPI Forward plan. ↗︎

Nestled on a beautiful 275-acre campus in upstate NY, RPI is home to five schools, 32 research centers, three makerspaces, an observatory, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, and the IBM Quantum System One - the first university-based quantum computer in the world.

With top notch employee health and retirement benefits, Rensselaer offers its full-time employees a generous paid time off program, tuition remission, and opportunities for career growth.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Digital Media, Communications, Social Media Management or related field
• Five (5) or more years of professional experience managing social media strategy and content for a brand, institution, or organization
• Experience developing and enforcing social media policies or guidelines.

Relevant combinations of education, training and experience may be considered.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong, hands-on understanding of how social media works today, including content strategy, platform algorithms, paid amplification, and audience targeting
• Comfort working across social media management and analytics tools such as Sprout, Hootsuite, Google Analytics, and content creation tools like Adobe Creative Suite or Canva
• Proven experience listening to audiences, engaging communities, and using paid and organic social to extend reach and impact
• A sharp eye for visual storytelling, paired with strong writing and editing skills that translate complex ideas into clear, compelling social content
• Experience working in higher education or similarly complex, multi-stakeholder environments, with the ability to navigate multiple voices while maintaining clarity and consistency

Representative Job Duties:

• Own RPI’s day-to-day social presence with a high degree of autonomy, exercising sound judgment and creative ownership in how stories are told across platforms
• Create original, high-quality social content that brings RPI’s people, research, ideas, and culture to life in ways that feel authentic and relevant
• Write, film, edit, and publish content across platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, and emerging channels, with a strong instinct for what works where and why
• Turn complex research, academic work, and institutional ideas into clear, engaging social storytelling using short-form video, visuals, carousels, threads, and timely formats
• Work directly with students, faculty, and staff across campus to surface stories, capture real moments, and highlight the people behind RPI’s impact
• Make thoughtful, independent decisions in fast-moving moments, balancing speed and creativity with accuracy, credibility, and brand responsibility
• Set and uphold standards for voice, tone, and quality, while enabling others across campus to create stronger, more consistent social content
• Track performance and audience behavior, using insight rather than vanity metrics to refine content, test new formats, and evolve RPI’s social presence
• Experiment with new tools, formats, and platforms to keep RPI’s social storytelling fresh, forward-thinking, and trusted

Shift:

Business Hours with weekends or evenings occasionally required

Travel:

Local travel between campus locations only

Driving:

Incidental driving possible, but not required

Starting Salary/Rate:

Expected hiring range: $85,000 - $95,000

Pay transparency disclosure: The selected candidate’s salary will be determined based on factors that include the available budget, internal equity, and the final candidate’s qualifications, experience, education and other job-related credentials. This hiring range is provided as Rensselaer’s good faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting.

Application instructions:

Follow the on-screen prompts to create a brief online profile. Please be ready to upload your resume and cover letter.

If you need assistance with the online application process, please contact careers@rpi.edu.

Job Posted Date:

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Total Compensation and Benefits Information:

Rensselaer’s Total Compensation Program is designed to provide stable pay growth, a comprehensive and affordable benefits package, and a comprehensive and affordable retiree medical and prescription plan. Our goal is to provide you and your family with a comprehensive health and welfare program as an umbrella of financial security and protection during your employment. For more information, please visit Benefits | Human Resources (rpi.edu)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is committed to the cultivation of a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and above all values learning. We welcome candidates who bring a variety of perspectives to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's work and campus communities. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or other characteristic protected by law.