Associate Director, Social Media

Job Description

The Associate Director, Social Media develops strategy and oversees execution of storytelling, audience development, and community engagement on the Institute’s social media accounts across all of its programs and initiatives to drive brand relevance, cultural impact, community engagement and growth, and revenue. This role manages the social media team, guiding the creative and strategic direction of social content, and serves as the Institute’s key liaison to social media platforms. A major focus of the role is building innovative collaborations with platforms and partners to expand visibility, deepen storytelling, and support strategic goals including revenue generation, sponsorship fulfillment, and fundraising.

Working closely under the Chief Communications Officer, the Associate Director, Social Media, develops and implements social media campaigns and strategies aligned with overall Communications, Marketing, Festival Transition, and Institute-wide objectives. This role collaborates closely with the Creative Director, Content Producer, Associate Editorial Director, and Communications Director as part of a cohesive storytelling team, ensuring integrated and impactful content across channels. This role also works closely with the Head of Audience Development & Experience, SFF Transition to support audience development in the Denver, Colorado area in advance of the Festival’s move to Boulder in 2027.

This full-time position is based within a commutable distance to Boulder, CO in order to work onsite in a hybrid capacity throughout the year as the Festival prepares to relocate for its 2027 iteration. There will be ample opportunity for day-to-day work to be performed remotely throughout the year. This role works extended hours, including evenings and weekends at key points and will require travel to Institute offices and events on occasion.

Top priorities include but are not limited to…

• Directing the development and execution of high-level social media strategies aimed at expanding the Institute’s audience, deepening engagement, strengthening brand storytelling, and driving revenue across all social channels.

• Leading the strategic planning and execution of social media campaigns in partnership with program leads, creative, press, editorial, revenue, and brand teams.

• Defining and maintaining a consistent social voice, tone, and look and feel across all platforms.

• Monitoring industry trends to proactively adjust strategy, content, and channel focus.

• Establishing social media standards and strategies for corporate partners and collaborating with the Corporate Partnerships team to manage and oversee sponsored posts, ensuring alignment with Festival messaging, brand values, and partner expectations.

• Developing paid advertising plans to promote social channels, managing the budget while identifying opportunities to improve advertising reach.

• Overseeing the Social Media team’s operating budget to ensure effective use of resources.

• Managing a team of year-round and seasonal employees, including hiring and training individuals, providing direction, feedback, and support to ensure they are supported and effective in their roles.

• Overseeing content planning and production timelines, ensuring a steady cadence of high-quality, engaging content that reflects the Institute’s values and voice.

• Collaborating closely with internal creative teams and external partners on asset creation, video, and editorial content.

• Overseeing and implementing new concepts for social media content, activations, and series.

• Overseeing the creation of innovative social first video and graphic content to support marketing initiatives and editorial needs.

• Developing and managing strategies and detailed plans for on-location social media coverage during live events to maximize audience engagement.

• Creating visually compelling content and corresponding copy for social media channels to drive engagement, align with marketing objectives, and maintain brand consistency.

• Collaborating cross-functionally with advancement and communications teams to design and execute innovative social media initiatives, performance and promotional campaigns, and social-first fundraising strategies that meet sponsor deliverables, drive donor engagement, and support audience growth.

• Working closely with creative, content, editorial, and communications teams to conceptualize, develop, and distribute original editorial, photo, graphic, and video content across social platforms, ensuring alignment with Festival messaging, year-round programs, and community outreach goals.

• Building and maintaining relationships with social media platforms, securing partnership opportunities, editorial opportunities, and creative collaborations.

• Establishing key performance indicators and monitoring social metrics to assess campaign success, performance, and sentiment.

• Analyzing data insights to develop responsive strategies and optimize future campaigns.

• Identifying new opportunities for reach and engagement, including emerging platforms and tools.

• Developing social listening strategy, identify tools to monitor brand sentiment, and implement processes for effective social listening management.

Festival Transition Audience Development

• Assisting the Head of Audience Development & Experience, SFF Transition, in defining target audience profiles (demographics, psychographics, and market potential) in the Denver, CO area and devising plans to engage and develop those audiences prior to the 2027 Festival in Boulder CO.

• Leading or supporting execution of audience development efforts in the Boulder and Denver areas in 2025-2026 (partnerships, events, promotions, etc.), collaborating with Marketing, Communications, Operations, and Programming teams.

• Tracking and reporting on audience development objectives and performance metrics.

• Assisting in audience research and ticketing strategy for Festival transition planning as it relates to Boulder and Denver-area audiences, including surveys, focus groups, data visualization, and analysis of brand perception and revenue trends, coordinating with key staff in Marketing, Technology, Ticketing, and Advancement.

You have the following direct or transferable skill sets:

• 8 years of experience in developing and executing successful social media strategies across various platforms and tools.

• Demonstrated portfolio showcasing impactful and engaging online course/event marketing and social media work with measurable reach and engagement outcomes.

• Expertise in using social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Letterboxd, and Reddit, with a proven track record of growing audiences and engagement on each.

• Experience in covering live events across social media channels, with an ability to capture and share event highlights in real-time effectively.

• Strong leadership skills with demonstrated experience managing a social media team, including coaching, feedback, and project management to support team success.

• Exceptional command of the English language, with advanced copywriting skills tailored to various social platforms.

• Proficiency in mobile photography and video, with experience in creating visually engaging content optimized for social media.

• Familiarity with file management and sharing tools such as FTP, Cloud storage, and Dropbox, as well as the ability to post content in real-time.

• Highly organized, with the ability to handle multiple tasks to meet deadlines.

• Experience in video production, graphic design, and art direction is preferred, contributing to the creation of high-quality multimedia content.

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S.

You will be successful in this role if you...

• Achieve sustained growth in audience size and engagement across social platforms.

• Effectively execute high-impact social media campaigns that boost brand awareness, engagement, and meet revenue goals.

• Drive measurable revenue growth from social media through initiatives such as sponsored content, paid ads, and directed traffic to monetized content.

• Develop and lead a social media team that meets Institute goals and demonstrates strong engagement and retention.

• Consistently deliver high-quality, on-brand content that aligns with Institute values and resonates with audiences.

In addition to an annual salary of $80,000.00 to $100,000.00*, this position** is eligible for our comprehensive benefits package, highlights include:

• Health, vision, and dental insurance

• 25 paid Institute holidays plus accrued vacation time

• Paid sick, family, and medical leave

• Employee Wellness initiatives

• 401(k) with automatic 3% employer contribution after one year of employment

• Sundance Film Festival passes and benefits (varies each year)

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-o117p1-216-73-216-0-42 in your application.