Social Media Strategist

We're looking for an experienced, culturally fluent Social Media Strategist who understands how brands build communities, participate in culture, and create content people genuinely care about.

You'll develop and execute social strategies for ambitious consumer brands, manage client relationships directly, and help lead a team of social media managers responsible for bringing those strategies to life.

We're looking for someone who's a strong strategic thinker but equally comfortable getting into the details of content development, community management, creator partnerships, and production.

This isn't a role for someone who only builds strategies and hands them off. We need someone who can develop the thinking, manage the client, guide the team, and make sure the work is as good in execution as it was in the presentation.

About Us

Bakery is an independent creative and culture agency designed to ignite people's obsession in great products. From our headquarters in Austin, TX, we work with highly ambitious brands like Nike, Diageo and Grillo's Pickles to infuse cultural value and drive desire at every interaction point, increasing their fandom and helping them make things people want. Bakery is a 2022, 2024 and 2025 AdAge Small Agency of the Year.

*This role is on-site 3-4 days a week in Austin with some rare national and international travel expected.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Social Strategy & Brand Development

• Develop and execute social media strategies for consumer brands, connecting brand positioning, audience behavior, culture, and business objectives.
• Translate broader brand strategies and creative platforms into content pillars, community programs, creator initiatives, and ongoing social activity.
• Identify cultural conversations, emerging trends, and platform behaviors that present meaningful opportunities for our clients.
• Develop strategies that build brand affinity, participation, and long-term community, not just engagement.
• Work closely with Bakery's creative, brand strategy, media, and production teams to integrate social into the larger brand experience.
• Present strategic thinking, creative recommendations, and performance insights directly to clients.
• Contribute to social strategy for new business opportunities.

Client & Account Management

• Serve as a primary day-to-day strategic contact for assigned social media accounts.
• Build strong client relationships and understand their business priorities, challenges, and marketing objectives.
• Lead client meetings, planning sessions, presentations, and performance reviews.
• Manage client expectations, approvals, priorities, and day-to-day communication.
• Identify opportunities to improve and expand existing social programs.
• Work with account leadership to ensure projects are delivered on time and at a high standard.

Team & Community Management

• Guide and manage social media managers and community managers across assigned accounts.
• Oversee content calendars, publishing schedules, community engagement, moderation, and reporting.
• Ensure each brand maintains a distinct voice and participates in conversations in relevant, authentic ways.
• Help teams identify opportunities for proactive community engagement.
• Provide guidance on sensitive community situations, reputation management, and escalation protocols.
• Review work, provide feedback, and help develop the capabilities of junior and mid-level social talent.
• Maintain consistent quality across multiple accounts and platforms.

Creator Strategy & Content Production

• Develop influencer and creator strategies based on brand relevance, cultural credibility, and audience fit.
• Identify and evaluate creators, influencers, and cultural partners.
• Develop creative briefs and collaborate with creators on content concepts.
• Help coordinate and oversee social-first content productions, including creator shoots, content capture, editing, and delivery.
• Work with producers, designers, editors, and creative teams to develop compelling platform-native content.
• Ensure creator partnerships feel authentic to both the creator and the brand.
• Collaborate with paid media teams to identify content opportunities for amplification.

Performance & Optimization

• Establish KPIs aligned with brand and business objectives.
• Analyze social performance, community engagement, content effectiveness, and creator results.
• Translate platform analytics and social listening into actionable insights.
• Develop clear reports and recommendations for clients.
• Identify opportunities to improve content, engagement, and community development.
• Use performance data to inform future strategy and creative decisions.

Requirements

• 6+ years of professional experience in social media strategy, digital strategy, or integrated brand marketing, ideally within a creative or social agency.
• Experience developing and executing social strategies for established consumer brands.
• Direct account management experience, including leading client meetings, presenting recommendations, and managing day-to-day relationships.
• Experience supervising or managing social media managers, community managers, or content teams.
• Strong understanding of community management, brand voice, content planning, and social publishing.
• Experience developing and managing influencer and creator programs.
• Experience participating in social-first content production, including creator shoots, content briefs, and postproduction.
• Deep knowledge of Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and emerging social platforms.
• Excellent writing, storytelling, presentation, and conceptual thinking skills.
• Ability to translate broader brand strategies into effective social programs.
• Experience with social listening, analytics, reporting, and performance measurement.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple accounts and priorities.
• Excellent creative judgment and the ability to recognize strong content.
• Experience collaborating with creative, production, account, and media teams.
• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred.
• Based in Austin, TX, or willing to relocate.

Benefits

• Competitive insurance coverage, inclusive of medical, dental, and vision
• 401k Retirement with 3% employer matching
• Open PTO Policy
• 2 weeks Work From Anywhere (WFA)
• 13 weeks paid Maternity and Paternity leave
• Pet-Friendly Office
• Snacks, Meals and Drinks
• No Time Tracking!