Social Media Director

Job Title: Director, Social Investment | Social Media Director

Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Type: Full Time

Our Client is looking for a dynamic and experienced Director, Social Investment to lead a high‑performing team of paid social specialists and elevate the execution of social media campaigns across all major platforms. This leader will oversee a growing portfolio of brands, drive innovation, and collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams to deliver outstanding results.

In this role, you’ll be instrumental in driving revenue growth by partnering with Account Management to retain and expand business, identifying strategic upsell opportunities, and supporting new business efforts through compelling pitches and solutions. You’ll work seamlessly across internal and external environments—from empowering team members on strategic initiatives to presenting to senior-level client stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, strong communicator, and passionate advocate for the role of social media in the broader marketing landscape. They bring deep channel expertise, proven leadership experience, and a track record of delivering high-quality execution and team development.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and lead a center of excellence for paid social activation, driving both efficiency and innovation.
• Develop and execute impactful social strategies for always-on and campaign‑based initiatives.
• Provide forward‑thinking strategic guidance and design measurable programs aligned with client goals.
• Leverage analytics and performance data to deliver insights, optimize targeting, and enhance results.
• Integrate AI-driven automation, emerging technologies, and industry best practices to elevate performance.
• Oversee financial health across accounts, including budgeting, billing, and team utilization.
• Deliver persuasive and insight-driven presentations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure flawless execution across all campaign deliverables.
• Lead a distributed team, overseeing onboarding, training, development, and performance management.
• Manage workflows, troubleshoot challenges, and ensure timely delivery of work.
• Continuously improve processes, tools, and efficiencies across the team and organization.
• Stay ahead of platform trends, emerging tools, and new technologies; champion testing and innovation.
• Cultivate strong relationships with platform partners and support joint business planning initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, communications, business, or related field.
• Certifications across major social platforms (Meta, TikTok, Snap, YouTube) required; additional platforms a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in digital/social marketing; agency background strongly preferred.
• 5+ years hands-on experience managing paid social campaigns directly in-platform.
• Experience with additional digital channels (Programmatic, SEO, Affiliate, Paid Search) is advantageous.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and media planning methodologies.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams.
• Experience managing large-scale accounts with annual social budgets of $5M+.
• Strong analytical skills and understanding of platform-specific performance nuances.
• Experience contributing to and presenting in new business pitches.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship‑building capabilities.

What Sets You Apart

• Deep passion for social media’s role in the consumer journey.
• Strong strategic mindset paired with executional excellence.
• Ability to manage complexity, inspire teams, and drive operational efficiency.
• Comfort in fast-paced environments and commitment to continuous learning and certification.