Associate Director, Paid Social

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead comprehensive social media strategies aligned with client business and marketing objectives.
• Translate consumer insights, cultural trends, and platform behaviors into actionable social strategies and creative opportunities.
• Lead social strategy for integrated advertising campaigns, ensuring social is considered from idea development through execution.
• Oversee development of social content strategies, editorial calendars, campaigns, activations, and platform-specific programming.
• Partner with creative teams to develop culturally relevant, platform-native ideas that earn attention and drive engagement.
• Provide strategic direction across platforms including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Reddit, and emerging social channels.
• Stay ahead of evolving social platforms, formats, algorithms, creator trends, online communities, and cultural conversations.
• Identify opportunities for brands to participate authentically in real-time culture and relevant conversations.
• Present strategic recommendations, creative briefs, campaign ideas, and performance insights to senior clients and internal leadership.
• Build strong relationships with clients and become a trusted social media and cultural advisor.
• Collaborate with media teams to ensure paid, owned, earned, influencer, and organic social strategies work together effectively.
• Partner with influencer/creator teams to identify opportunities and develop creator-led strategies and campaigns.
• Establish social measurement frameworks and use analytics to optimize content and campaigns.
• Analyze performance data and translate results into clear, actionable recommendations for clients and teams.
• Manage and mentor social strategists, managers, and/or junior team members.
• Help shape agency social capabilities, processes, best practices, and points of view.
• Manage multiple projects, timelines, and priorities in a fast-paced agency environment.

What We're Looking For

• 7+ years of experience in social media, digital marketing, advertising, communications, or a related field.
• Agency experience strongly preferred, with experience working across multiple brands and clients.
• Proven experience developing and leading social media strategies for major brands or integrated advertising campaigns.
• Strong understanding of social platforms, audience behaviors, content formats, and emerging trends.
• Ability to connect social strategy to broader brand, creative, media, and business objectives.
• Excellent strategic thinking and ability to turn complex business challenges into clear social opportunities.
• Strong presentation and storytelling skills, with confidence presenting to senior clients and internal leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence creative and strategic direction.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and developing talent.
• Strong understanding of social analytics, measurement, and performance optimization.
• Ability to balance long-term brand building with real-time cultural opportunities.
• Excellent communication, organization, and project-management skills.
• A strong point of view on culture, creativity, and the evolving role of social media in advertising.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working on nationally recognized or global brands.
• Experience developing social-first or culturally driven campaigns.
• Experience collaborating with creators, influencers, talent, and online communities.
• Experience integrating organic and paid social strategies.
• Familiarity with social listening, analytics, and publishing platforms.
• Experience working across multiple disciplines within an advertising agency.
• A strong portfolio of campaigns demonstrating strategic thinking, creative collaboration, and measurable results.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means becoming a trusted social and cultural leader for clients and the agency—someone who can identify what matters to audiences, turn those insights into distinctive ideas, and lead teams in bringing those ideas to life. The ideal candidate combines strategic rigor, creative instinct, cultural fluency, platform expertise, and strong leadership skills to make social a meaningful driver of brand and business growth.