Director of social media

At The Obama Foundation, our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. We seek to build an active democratic culture where people are equipped and motivated to make change in the communities where they live, work, and play. Right here on the South Side of Chicago, we’re building a home for this vision, a global center for change with a range of opportunities - coordinated programming, community outreach events, educational moments, and more - that invite visitors from down the block or across the globe to turn hope into action.

Achieving our ambitious goals starts with an exceptional team built on our Hope to Action Values - Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope. A Framework that anyone, anywhere, can use to build trust, activate participation, and expand opportunity in their community.

We are deeply committed to creating an actively anti-racist organization, leveraging our global reach to combat systemic racism and inequity wherever it exists. Read our full statement on anti-racism and equity here.

Purpose of Role

The Director of Social Media is the Foundation’s point person for engaging audiences in our mission and meeting people where they are online. You are an arbiter of our first impression. You will lead the effort to enhance the creativity and effectiveness of our owned social channels while forging new strategic partnerships with platforms and creators.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Editorial, you will collaborate across the organization to engage key audiences, with a focus on young people, and move them from hope to action at scale. This role requires both strategic ambition and tactical competency - you must have the vision to grow our footprint and the hustle to execute posts and campaigns quickly. This is a big job, with incredible potential for storytelling and impact, helping people all over the world get to know the Obama Foundation and the Obama Presidential Center on several platforms.

Core Job Responsibilities

This Director will have three primary areas of accountability: Strategy, Content, and Growth.

• Develop & Execute Social Strategy
• Establish Data-Driven Strategy: Build and implement comprehensive, data-driven social media strategies to maximize audience acquisition and growth across all relevant platforms.
• Team Leadership: Lead, manage, and mentor the social media team to ensure alignment with strategic goals and a positive, high-performing culture.
• Integrated Campaigns: Collaborate with teams like Marketing on integrated campaign activations (including events and paid media) to ensure they are social media-centric, expand our reach, and generate enthusiasm for the Obama Presidential Center.
• Drive Compelling Content & Narrative
• Content Creation: Translate the Foundation's mission, programs, and the vision for the Presidential Center into a compelling, culturally attuned social narrative.
• Audience Engagement: Evolve our social dialogue from one-way broadcasting to a two-way conversation that inspires, empowers, and connects people to change the world.
• Cross-Functional Curation: Work closely with teams across the organization, , to produce and curate a bank of relevant content and leverage stronger user-generated content opportunities.
• Expand Reach & Partnerships
• Surrogate/Influencer Strategy: Work with marketing, development and partnerships teams to develop, scale, and execute a strategy to activate surrogates—including influencers, creators, corporate partners, and high-profile figures—to expand the reach of our mission to new audiences.
• Strategic Collaborations: Identify, build, and execute collaborations with mission-aligned brands and figures to power the Foundation's efforts to reach and engage new, priority audiences.
  
  

Key Deliverables (Within 3 Months)

• Refined Social Strategy: Refine and implement the Foundation’s social media strategy, including a robust plan for audience expansion through the opening of the Presidential Center.
• Metrics and Analytics: Establish rigorous monitoring of performance metrics and analytics, suggesting clear improvements for continuous growth.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Experience: 8+ years of experience in audience-first communications, journalism, or a related field, with a proven track record of managing people, process, and leading the creation of engaging social media content for a high-profile brand or non-profit with a large audience.
• Strategic & Tactical Skills: Skilled at developing innovative social strategies, partnerships, and successfully operating in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment—moving seamlessly between strategy, concept, and detail-oriented, hands-on execution.
• Storytelling: A witty and thoughtful storyteller with expert command of social mediums; up-to-date on best practices and emerging platform capabilities.
• Core Skills: Ability to effectively communicate with others, strong project management and organizational skills, and proficiency in digital communication tools and platforms.
  
  

The salary range for this role is between $129,675 and $162,070.

This is a hybrid role based at our Chicago office in Hyde Park.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. The Obama Foundation is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [email protected] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.