Associate Director, Social Media

Location: Hybrid in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL) preferred, New York (NYC), or Newark (NJ) | Employment Type: Full-time | FLSA Classification: Exempt | Start Date: ASAP

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program. We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation. Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

About The Role

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring an Associate Director, Social Media who will own and grow Braven's social media presence into a dynamic engine for storytelling, community building, and mission amplification. As a key member of the Communications & Marketing team, you will develop and execute a bold social strategy creating platform-native content, building engaged audiences, and translating Braven's impact into compelling digital narratives that resonate with students, partners, donors, and the broader public. This role reports directly to the Senior Director, Communications.

Responsibilities

• Social media strategy and channel ownership (40%)
  • Develop and own Braven's social media strategy across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X/Twitter, and emerging platforms, setting goals, KPIs, and a content calendar aligned to organizational priorities
  • Partner with regional teams to align local social efforts with national brand standards, providing guidelines, templates, and real-time feedback to ensure consistency across all Braven markets
  • Monitor platform trends, algorithm changes, and cultural moments to keep Braven's presence timely, relevant, and audience-first
  • Manage and grow all Braven social accounts with a consistent brand voice that reflects the energy and ambition of our Fellow community
• Content creation & storytelling (50%)
  • Produce high-quality, platform-native content, including short-form video, graphics, reels, carousels, and copy, that brings Fellow stories and program impact to life
  • Partner with central and regional teams to surface compelling narratives and translate them into engaging social content
  • Maintain a content library of evergreen assets, testimonials, and multimedia resources for cross-channel use
  • Work with the Associate, Communications and Marketing to amplify the stories of our higher ed partners
• Community engagement and influencer relations
  • Foster authentic engagement by actively responding to comments, DMs, and mentions and building relationships with followers and partners
  • Identify and cultivate relationships with student ambassadors, Fellows, and aligned influencers who can amplify Braven's reach organically
• Analytics, reporting, and optimization (10%)
  • Track and report on social media performance metrics (e.g., reach, engagement, follower growth, and conversion) and use data to iterate on strategy
  • Present regular insights and recommendations to leadership, translating analytics into clear opportunities for growth
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Minimum Requirements
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience
  • 5+ years of experience managing social media for an organization, brand, or cause, including hands-on content creation and channel strategy
  • Demonstrated ability to produce short-form video and visual content (experience with tools such as CapCut, Canva, Adobe suite, or equivalent)
  • Proven track record of growing social audiences and driving measurable engagement
• Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience in the nonprofit, higher education, or social impact sector
  • Familiarity with social media management platforms (e.g., Sprout Social, Hootsuite, Later) and analytics tools
  • Experience with paid social advertising and boosting content strategy
  • Strong copywriting skills with the ability to adapt voice and tone across platforms and audiences
  • Comfort working in a fast-paced, startup-like environment with a lean team and high ownership
  • Ability to take initiative, self-direct projects from concept to completion, and embrace ambiguity, embodying Braven's value of Embrace the Journey
  • Demonstrated commitment to building strong and welcoming cultures that help to develop others
  • Exemplification of Braven's core values
  • Experience that has informed your belief in Braven's mission and has prepared you to work with, or for, Braven's student Fellow population

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL) preferred, Boston (MA) or Newark (NJ) 3 days per week
• Ability to travel to quarterly retreats with the External Affairs team and potentially other events

Additional Requirements: Authorized to work in the U.S. (Braven doesn't offer employment visa sponsorship)

Pay

The starting salary ranges, by geographic market, for this role are:

• $79,200-$87,100 in Atlanta
• $83,600-$92,000 in Chicago
• $92,000-$101,100 in New York City and Newark

This is based on a 50-hour work week. Starting salary within the range is determined by role scope and qualifications, with new hires starting at the lower end to allow for growth with performance.

Benefits

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (minimum of 19 days per year)
• $25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health
• Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

Schedule

We gather in the office 3 days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) and work remotely 2 days a week (Monday and Friday). This role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of one of our hubs: Atlanta, Chicago preferred, New York, or Newark.