Social Media Director

About the Organization Experience Tulsa is a culture and lifestyle brand that brings Tulsa's story to life through digital storytelling and immersive events. We showcase the city's neighborhoods, creative community, and entrepreneurial spirit to help individuals discover why Tulsa is a compelling place to live, work, and build a future. As part of a collection of talent programs supported by the George Kaiser Family Foundation—including Tulsa Remote, Campus Tulsa, and Tulsa Service Year—Experience Tulsa creates content and experiences that showcase what Tulsa is really like, helping both newcomers and longtime residents connect with the city's culture and community. Position Purpose The Social Media & Content Strategy Director leads Experience Tulsa's digital storytelling strategy and execution, directing a creative team responsible for bringing Tulsa's story to life through compelling social media content, video, photography, and organic digital campaigns that showcase culture and lifestyle in Tulsa. This role requires a cultural curator with strong editorial instincts and a keen eye for visual storytelling; someone who understands what stories resonate, can spot emerging trends before they peak, and has the taste and creative vision to position Experience Tulsa at the forefront of digital storytelling. The ideal candidate brings a media or journalism sensibility to content creation, combining narrative craft with audience development expertise, and a strong eye for visual creative that elevates the brand. This role serves as both the primary creative leader for the Experience Tulsa brand and the operational manager of the creative team. The majority of this role focuses on leading digital storytelling efforts for Experience Tulsa by developing content strategies, overseeing social media channels, directing video and photography production, and ensuring the Experience Tulsa brand remains dynamic, authentic, and audience-centered across all digital platforms. Additionally, this individual provides production quality coaching to creative team members when they support other talent initiative brands (Tulsa Remote, Campus Tulsa, Tulsa Service Year, etc.). In this capacity, the Social Media & Content Strategy Director ensures creative outputs meet professional standards for the medium by providing feedback on production quality and technical execution, while program marketing managers retain creative direction and brand expertise for their respective initiatives. This role requires deep expertise in digital storytelling, social media strategy, and content production, combined with strong people leadership and the ability to coach creative professionals to elevate their craft across multiple brands and formats. This individual will need to have strong curiosity and deep desire to explore and build community within Tulsa, while helping others do the same, along with a creative ambition to push boundaries and try new approaches. Core Responsibilities Experience Tulsa Digital Storytelling & Brand Leadership Lead the development and execution of digital storytelling strategies for the Experience Tulsa brand across social media platforms, video, photography, website, and digital campaigns. Oversee Experience Tulsa's social media presence, content calendar, and audience engagement strategies, ensuring content showcases Tulsa authentically and drives measurable engagement. Direct video and photography production for Experience Tulsa, from concept development through post-production, ensuring visual storytelling aligns with brand strategy and resonates with target audiences. Develop creative briefs, campaign concepts, and content strategies that bring the Experience Tulsa brand narrative to life and support organizational goals. Provide hands‑on creative direction and serve as final decision‑maker for all ET brand creative work, ensuring deliverables meet brand standards and storytelling goals. Optimize digital content performance and audience insights, using data to refine storytelling approaches, optimize content mix, and improve engagement across platforms. Lead experimentation with emerging platforms, formats, and storytelling techniques, positioning Experience Tulsa as an early adopter and innovator in digital place‑based storytelling. Develop and execute audience growth strategies across social platforms, with clear goals for building, engaging, and scaling ET's digital community. Track audience development metrics and adjust tactics to maximize reach and engagement. Serve as the brand steward for Experience Tulsa's creative voice, visual identity, and storytelling standards across all digital channels. Partner with the Director of Marketing to align digital storytelling with broader marketing objectives and strategic initiatives. Creative Team Management & Development Supervise and develop a creative team (social media managers, videographer, photographer and editor, copywriter, and website maintenance specialist), setting clear expectations and providing ongoing feedback. Balance creative excellence with production realities, helping staff navigate competing deadlines across ET brand work and partner brand projects while maintaining sustainable workload. Coach team members to strengthen their craft through constructive critique, skill development, and professional growth opportunities. Production Quality Coaching for Partner Brands (~25%) Provide production quality assurance and technical coaching when creative team members support other talent initiative brands (Tulsa Remote, Campus Tulsa, Tulsa Service Year, inTulsa Visa Network, etc.). Review partner brand outputs for technical execution and professional production standards, without providing creative direction or brand strategy (which remains with program leaders). Coach team members on medium‑specific best practices (video editing, social media formats, photography composition) while respecting program leaders' creative ownership. Manage team capacity and prioritize creative resources when demand from partner brands exceeds availability, ensuring sustainable workload distribution. Creative Operations & Performance Tracking Develop and maintain project management systems that streamline creative planning, production, approvals, and delivery for Experience Tulsa and partner brand work. Maintain an integrated content calendar for Experience Tulsa and track creative commitments across partner brands to coordinate timelines and maximize strategic use of creative resources. Facilitate regular planning meetings with the creative team and partner brand stakeholders to confirm priorities, timelines, and deliverables. Provide regular updates to the Director of Marketing on creative output, content performance metrics, team capacity, and any operational gaps or resourcing challenges. Education and Experience Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Media Studies, Communications, Digital Media, or a related field (or equivalent experience). Candidates with backgrounds in editorial, media, publishing, or journalism are strongly preferred. 7+ years of experience in digital storytelling, social media strategy, and content creation, preferably in nonprofit, place‑based marketing, tourism, economic development, or mission‑driven organizations. Background in editorial, media, journalism, or digital publishing, with demonstrated ability to identify and craft compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. Proven track record of building and scaling digital audiences (e.g., grew social following from X to Y, launched new content vertical/platform with measurable audience growth). Experience as an early adopter of emerging platforms and formats, with demonstrated success experimenting with new mediums before they became mainstream. 5+ years of experience managing creative professionals, ideally in high‑growth or fast‑paced environments where priorities evolve quickly and adaptability is essential. Strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in video production, photography direction, social media content development, and digital storytelling. Experience managing creative teams that support multiple brands, projects, or clients with competing priorities and timelines. Proficiency with social media platforms, content management systems, and creative tools including HubSpot, Canva, Webflow, Asana, and similar platforms. Experience using analytics and performance data to refine content strategies and improve digital storytelling effectiveness. Necessary Mindsets and Skills Editorial Vision & Cultural Fluency Strong editorial judgment and narrative instincts, with ability to identify compelling stories and craft them for maximum impact across platforms. Deep understanding of cultural trends, audience preferences, and what content resonates with different communities. Demonstrated taste, creative point of view, visual discernment and aesthetic judgement. Knows what's authentic, compelling, and on‑brand. Proven ability to spot emerging trends, platforms, and formats early and experiment with new mediums before they become mainstream. Place‑Based Storytelling & Community Connection Skilled at capturing a city's culture, neighborhoods, and experiences through compelling digital narratives that shape place identity and retain and attract talent. Proactively builds community relationships and discovers local stories that showcase Tulsa's unique character and differentiate the city to external audiences. Deep understanding of audience development strategies, community building, and engagement tactics. Can demonstrate measurable audience growth and community‑building success. Creative Team Leadership Understands the unique needs of creative professionals and how to manage, motivate, and develop creative talent. Champions creative risk‑taking and pushes the team to experiment with bold, unconventional approaches. Balances hands‑on creative direction for Experience Tulsa work with coaching/quality assurance for partner brand work. Provides constructive feedback that elevates creative quality while respecting artistic vision and supporting team growth. Communication Strong written and verbal communication tailored for diverse audiences, including creative professionals and program stakeholders. Transparent and timely information‑sharing practices. Ability to provide clear production guidance without overstepping into brand territories owned by program leaders. Collaboration Builds productive partnerships with program leaders, respecting their brand ownership while ensuring creative quality standards. Fosters open dialogue and mutual accountability across creative teams and stakeholders. Navigates cross‑functional initiatives with respect and clarity. Project Management & Resource Allocation Skilled at planning, resourcing, and executing complex creative projects for the Experience Tulsa brand while managing team capacity for partner brand support. Manages time, budgets, and creative resources with precision across competing priorities. Uses tools to track and report progress against strategic goals and effectively communicates capacity constraints. Data‑Driven Decision Making Collects and interprets social media analytics and digital content performance data to refine strategies and improve effectiveness. Understands the difference between reach, engagement and true community building, uses insights to optimize for meaningful growth. Supports the Director of Marketing with actionable insights from performance data. Physical Requirements Ability to stand/move for events and sit at a desk for extended periods. Attendance at in‑person meetings and occasional evening/weekend events is expected. Work Hours and Location Hybrid position based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Typical hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. with occasional extended hours. Additional Requirements Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required. Benefits & Compensation As part of our overall compensation package, we offer work/life flexibility, comprehensive health benefits, paid time off, and generous retirement contributions designed to support you and your family. Details: 100% employer paid medical, dental, and long‑term disability for full‑time employees only. Option to add vision and dependents. 401(k) employee and employer contributions. Paid time off to support you while you are out of the office. Paid holidays so our employees can spend time with those they care about. Employer‑paid AD&D life insurance, with employee option to add supplemental life insurance. #J-18808-Ljbffr