Social Media Strategist

Salary: $78,832.00 - $98,550.00 Annually
Location : Houston, TX
Job Type: Regular Full-time
Job Number: 16914
Department: Commissioner Precinct 1
Division: Communications
Opening Date: 07/07/2026
Closing Date: 8/9/2026 11:59 PM Central
Max Number of Applicants: 200


Position Description
About the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis

There are four precincts in Harris County. The four elected commissioners, along with an elected county judge, serve as members of Harris County Commissioners Court, the administrative head of the county's government. Commissioner Rodney Ellis represents the constituents of Precinct One.
With approximately 1.17 million residents, Harris County Precinct One is a diverse, urban precinct that covers 363 square miles. Precinct One's multi-racial, multi-ethnic population is roughly 33 percent African American, 38 percent Latino, 21 percent Anglo, 6 percent Asian and 2 percent other or multiple races. Precinct One stretches south to Brazoria County and reaches into eastern and northern sections of Harris County. The Precinct's territory includes a large section of Downtown Houston, including the Downtown Harris County Courthouse Complex, Toyota Center, Minute Maid Park and the BBVA Compass Stadium. Other notable landmarks include the 263-acre NRG Park Complex and the renowned Texas Medical Center. The Precinct is also the higher educational home to Houston Community College, Rice University, Texas Southern University, the University of Houston and the University of St. Thomas. Precinct One manages more than 21 parks, 10 community centers, numerous hike-and-bike trails, three maintenance service centers and several area offices, all of which provide an array of services to Precinct One residents.
The Mission of the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis

Commissioner Rodney Ellis' Office is committed to becoming a national model for delivering responsive public service that utilizes inclusive, innovative, and collaborative approaches to improve the quality of life, advance equality of opportunity, and promote the fair treatment of all people in Harris County.
Key Areas of focus for our organization include, but are not limited to:

• Advancing more effective, fair and equitable criminal justice system.
• Furthering economic justice, equity, and opportunity for all Harris County residents, especially those often and historically left behind by government programs.
• Ensuring equitable outcomes in health and access to quality, affordable healthcare
• Fighting for environmental and climate justice that keeps all communities safe and healthy.
• Equitably investing in developing and maintaining resilient infrastructure and transportation for the 21st century
• Building and defending voting rights and a democracy that ensures equitable representation.
• Progressing equity and social and racial justice as common threads through all areas of public policy and public service.

What you will do at Precinct One:

The Social Media Strategist is the storytelling lead across existing and emerging platforms for the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis. Operating with the instincts of a newsroom editor and the creativity of a digital storyteller, this role plans, produces, and distributes of timely, accurate, and compelling content across social platforms.
Acting as both strategist and producer, the Social Media Strategist applies strong editorial judgment, audience insights, and platform expertise to shape OCRE's digital voice and visual aesthetic. The ideal candidate is a sharp writer, a creative producer, and a data driven thinker who understands how to reach diverse audiences with precision and purpose.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Content Development & Storytelling

• Lead content planning, from concept through production
• Write, edit, and package copy for clarity, accuracy, accessibility, and optimization.
• Pitch, develop, and refine story ideas that elevate OCRE's work and connect with community needs.
• Produce graphics and short-form video aligned with OCRE branding and messaging.
• Ensure accessibility compliance (alt text, captions, readability, WCAG/Section 508 standards).

Social Media Management

• Manage day to day operations of OCRE social media accounts, including scheduling, posting, and community engagement.
• Monitor conversations, public sentiment, and breaking developments to identify trends, misinformation, and opportunities for rapid engagement.
• Maintain awareness of platform specific best practices.
• Coordinate responses to public inquiries in partnership with the Digital Communications Pod.

Social Strategy & Campaigns

• Develop and execute social media strategy aligned with OCRE goals.
• Plan and run digital campaigns for public awareness, program launches, and community engagement.
• Identify emerging platforms, formats and storytelling approaches to expand reach and relevance.
• Collaborate on messaging, and creative across Digital, Narrative and Creative pods.

Audience Development & Analytics

• Analyze audience behavior to understand who OCRE is reaching and who we're missing.
• Grow and diversify audiences through targeted editorial strategies, distribution tactics, and platform specific storytelling.
• Track KPIs and produce performance reports for leadership, highlighting insights and recommendations.
• Use analytics to refine content, improve engagement, and strengthen editorial impact over time.

Crisis & Rapid Response Communications

• Support emergency communications by drafting and distributing timely updates.
• Monitor misinformation and coordinate accurate, rapid corrections.
• Maintain readiness protocols for urgent digital response.
• Other duties as assigned

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer


If you need special services or accommodations, please call View phone number on click.appcast.io or email


This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Requirements
Required Attachments:

The following documents must be attached during the application process:

• Cover letter
• Resume

Education:

• High school diploma or an equivalent GED certification, or higher degree of education

Experience:

• Three (3) or more years' experience in digital media, social media management, audience development, content creation, or a related field.
• Experience using data analytics to plan and develop strategy
• Strong writing background with demonstrated ability to craft clear, accurate, accessible copy
• Experience producing multimedia content including graphics and short-form video
• Familiarity with accessibility standards such as WCAG and Section 508
• Background in analytics including KPI tracking, reporting, and insight development
• Experience managing social platforms including scheduling, posting, and community engagement
• Ability to work in fast-paced environments with rapid response or crisis communication needs
• Collaborative experience working across creative, narrative, and digital teams

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Editorial instincts: ability to spot timely stories, respond quickly, and maintain editorial accuracy
• Platform fluency: deep understanding of how different audiences behave on each social channel
• Creative production ability: comfort producing graphics, short-form video, and visually cohesive content
• Data-driven thinking: using analytics to refine strategy, improve reach, and justify decisions
• Accessibility awareness: commitment to inclusive communication (alt text, captions, readability)
• Rapid response readiness: ability to act quickly during crises, misinformation spikes, or urgent updates
• Collaborative spirit: ease working across Digital, Narrative, and Creative pods
• Community sensitivity: understanding diverse audiences and tailoring content with cultural awareness
• Strategic planning ability: comfort developing campaigns and long-term content calendars
• Strong writing voice: clear, concise, accurate copy that reflects the Commissioner's tone and priorities
• Proactive trend monitoring: staying ahead of emerging platforms, formats, and storytelling styles
• Professional judgment: ability to navigate sensitive topics, public sentiment, and political context
• Organizational discipline: managing calendars, deadlines, and multi-platform workflows smoothly

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation, but ONLY the information stated on the application will be used for consideration.

Preferences
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Digital Media, Political Science or related field

Experience:

• Experience working with translation processes or multilingual content support

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Spanish or Vietnamese proficiency

General Information
Work environment:

• Full-time | Regular
• Monday - Friday | Evenings and weekend will be required at times.
• This position includes standard office work which may require remaining stationary and working at a computer workstation for extended periods.
• Will generally perform duties in an office, though sometimes at external event locations
• Occasional travel within Harris County
• This in-office role is located at 2787 El Camino Street, Houston, TX 77054

Physical Demands:

• Ability to lift at least 20 lbs.
• Subject to kneeling, crouching, walking, sitting, twisting, standing, carrying equipment, and reaching as needed to perform the essential functions.
• Ability to support field production and event coverage, including moving between indoor and outdoor locations, setting up basic equipment, and working in varying weather conditions as needed.

Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.

HARRIS COUNTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

Harris County offers a highly competitive benefits program, featuring a comprehensive group health plan and defined benefit retirement plan.
The following benefits are offered only to Harris County employees in regular (full-time) positions:
Health & Wellness Benefits

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Wellness Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Ten (10) days of vacation leave per year (accrual rate increases after 5 years of service)
• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays
• One (1) floating holiday per year
• Paid Parental Leave*
• Sick Leave

Retirement Savings Benefit

• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

The following benefits are available to Harris County employees in full-time and select part-time positions:

• Professional learning & development opportunities
• Retirement pension (TCDRS defined benefit plan)
• Flexible work schedule*
• METRO RideSponsor Program*

* Participation may vary by County department. The employee benefits plans of Harris County are extended to all eligible participants across various departments with the exception of the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, for which the cited Health & Wellness Benefits are administered through the State of Texas.
In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, group health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Harris County Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed.
For plan details, visit the Harris County Benefits & Wellness website:
01


Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed as it relates to this position?Qualifying information must be documented in the Education section of your application.

• High School or GED diploma
• Associate Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree or higher
• None of the above

02


If you selected a college degree in response to the previous question, which of the following best describes your major?

• Communications
• Digital Media
• Journalism
• Marketing
• Political Science
• Other Related Field
• Unrelated Field
• N/A; No Degree

03


In which of the following areas do you have demonstrated work experience?Select all that apply.Qualifying experience must be documented in the Work Experience section of your application.

• Digital Media
• Social Media Management
• Audience Development
• Content Creation
• None of the above

04


Which of the following best measures your experience working in the area(s) selected in response to the previous question?Qualifying information must be documented in the Work Experience section of your application.

• Less than three full years
• Between three and five years
• Five or more years
• N/A; No experience

05


Please provide details of your related experience cited in response to the previous questions. If you do not have this experience, type "None" in the space provided.Please provide a detailed response as attachments will not be reviewed during the initial screening process.
06


Does your previous work experience includes any of the following? If so, select all that apply.Qualifying experience must be documented in the Work Experience section of your application.

• Managing social platforms including scheduling, posting, and community engagement
• Producing multimedia content including graphics and short-form video
• Analytics including KPI tracking, reporting, and insight development
• Providing translation or multilingual content support
• Working across creative, narrative, and digital teams
• Using data analytics to plan and develop strategy
• Web and digital accessibility compliance
• None of the above

07


Which of the following languages are you able to speak, read and comprehend fluently?Select all that apply.

• English
• Spanish
• Vietnamese
• Mandarin
• Arabic
• Other Language(s)
• None of the above

Required Question