Social Media Manager

Summary:

The Washington Nationals are looking for a Manager of Social Media and Influencer Marketing to play a key role in shaping and amplifying the Nationals brand and influencer strategy. This highly creative individual will co-manage the execution of our social media strategy, help develop and grow our influencer marketing efforts across main and ancillary channels, and contribute to the creation of compelling content that drives engagement and fan affinity within the framework of the Nationals brand and broader business goals.

This role will work with the Nationals social media team, co-managing with a Social Media Manager and reporting to the Director of Social Media Marketing. It will work closely with departments across marketing, creative content, communications, partnerships, and baseball operations. The ideal candidate brings creative thinking, leadership skills, an interest in performance analytics and analysis, and an in-depth understanding of ever-evolving digital trends to ensure our social media presence authentically reflects our fanbase and our organizational brand values.­­

The Nationals are a military-friendly organization actively recruiting veterans and spouses.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Social Strategy, Execution and Analytics
  • Produce and publish engaging content across Nationals social platforms (X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, Snapchat, etc.)
  • Support content strategy development for each social platform, focusing on audience engagement, trends, and brand consistency
  • Stay up-to-date on emerging trends, platform updates, and digital best practices by continuously studying and exploring competing sports organizations and outside brands
  • Oversee the planning, organization, and scheduling of the social media content calendar
  • Balance storytelling, fan engagement, and business goals in daily posts and larger campaigns
  • Ensure all content aligns with the Nationals’ voice, brand, and creative standards
  • Use social listening tools (Sprout, Zoomph) to help inform content strategy, understand fan sentiment, and react to trending topics
  • Use insights to assess social media performance and support strategic recommendations on future content and campaigns
  • Regularly benchmark against league trends and competitors
  • Draft copy for social media posts
  • Collaborate with the social team to develop social campaigns and strategies that drive social growth
• Influencer Marketing Leadership
  • Lead and contribute to the development of influencer marketing and social media strategies aligned with marketing goals
  • Help continue to grow and manage the organization’s influencer marketing program
  • Lead the planning and rollout of influencer campaigns targeting key audience segments
  • Work closely with Marketing leadership to ensure social and influencer efforts align with broader goals across brand, community, partnership, and ticketing
  • Research and identify influencers, creators, and brand ambassadors who align with the organization’s goals and values
  • Track performance of influencer content and provide recommendations for optimization
  • Support contract negotiation, campaign coordination, and ongoing communication with influencers

• Gameday + Event Coverage
  • Live game coverage at Nationals Park on Nationals gamedays and remote road game coverage
  • Capture content from field-level and around Nationals Park and assist in other social-related duties
  • Attend Nationals batting practice to shoot and create content when applicable
  • Lead a new, engaging Nationals Player Development content strategy, working with the Director of Social and a Seasonal Associate to elevate our Player Development channels in accordance with the focus of our Baseball Operations department
  • Cover events in real-time on Nationals main and ancillary social media platforms
• Content Production+ Creative Collaboration
  • Produce and create content for the Washington Nationals’ main and ancillary social media channels.
  • Collaborate with the Manager and Director to oversee content creation, scheduling, and publishing for Washington Nationals ancillary social media accounts, including Nationals Park, Nationals Player Development, and Screech, ensuring consistency with brand voice and organizational objectives.
  • Ideate unique projects with a social focus
  • Collaborate with the social and content teams to turn key team, sports, and cultural moments into engaging content
  • Provide direction, briefs and feedback to ensure social-ready creative
  • Shoot, edit and produce social-first content as needed (short-form video, Reels, TikTok, graphics, etc.)
• Partnerships + Sponsorships
  • Partner with internal teams (content, partnerships, community) to execute collaborative campaigns involving influencers
  • Assist in creating monthly and weekly reports and/or presentations for internal stakeholders
  • Collaborate with the Corporate Partnerships team (both internal and MLB) to execute and deliver on sponsored content obligations.
• Collaboration & Leadership
  • Foster a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive team environment
  • Bring ideas and/or initiatives that “show off” and elevate the Nationals brand beyond the game
  • Closely monitor players’ social media accounts and create relationships that allow for collaboration with players on unique, engaging content
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 3+ years professional experience in social/digital content and marketing strategy
• Professional experience managing social media in a professional sports environment (MLB, other pro leagues, or D1 collegiate athletics) preferred
• A passion for sports (ideally MLB)
• Expert knowledge of social media platforms including but not limited to Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook
• Knowledge of digital analytics tools including Sprout and Zoomph (or equivalent tools) and native analytics for native platforms
• Proven experience in social media marketing and influencer campaign management
• Familiarity with the Adobe Creative Suite, with a focus on Photoshop, Premiere, and Lightroom
• Deep understanding of social media platforms and their algorithms
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities necessary to perform essential functions

• Strong verbal and written communication skills – ability to communicate with staff and prepare written reports.
• Strong time management and organizational skills; ability to direct the work activities of several associates simultaneously and plan ahead.

• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in fast-paced environment
• Uphold Core Values: Excellence, Performance, and Accountability. These core values set the tone in everything we do, help us succeed on and off the field, make a difference in the community and provide the best guest experience in sports.  It is important that the person in the position commits themselves to these core values so that we can constantly move forward in the same direction – Together.

Physical/Environmental Requirements

• Office: Working conditions are normal for an office environment. Position may require occasional weekend and/or evening work.
• Gameday: Job requires employee to function in a high activity and heavily crowded outdoor professional sports venue. May work at heights. Employees will be exposed to inclement weather of varying degrees.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand for long periods of time, walk long distances, and climb up/down stairs. The employee is required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or sit and must lift and/or move up to 45 pounds.

Compensation

The projected annual salary range for this position is $57,783.00 - $75,000 per year. Actual pay is based on several factors, including but not limited to the applicant’s: qualifications, skills, expertise, education/training, certifications, and other organization requirements. Starting salaries for new employees are frequently not at the top of the applicable salary range.  

Benefits

The Nationals offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package that presently includes:

• Paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays throughout the year and a holiday break in December
• Medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• 401(k) and pension plan
• Access to complimentary tickets to Nationals home games
• Employee discounts
• Free onsite fitness center

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The Nationals are dedicated to offering equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Required Screening Questions:

1. Are you legally authorized to work in the United States without company sponsorship?
2. Does the projected salary range listed in this job posting align with your salary expectations?
3. Have you previously worked for the Washington Nationals?
4. Why do you want to work for the Washington Nationals?
5. How does this position fit into your overall career objectives?