Social Media Specialist (Marketing and Sales Specialist Ill)

Summary

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King County Metro, the largest transit agency in the Northwestern United States, seeks a Social Media Specialist! The ideal candidate will have deep experience in social media marketing and communications, including running paid advertising campaigns. Serving a county with a population larger than 15 U.S. states, Metro provides bus, paratransit, vanpool, water taxi, and on-demand services, while operating the Seattle Streetcar, Sound Transit Link light rail and Sound Transit Express bus service. This position will guide the agency’s numerous social media accounts with more than 165,000 followers, and Metro is open to expanding its presence to other channels or platforms, too.

Reporting to Metro’s Supervisor of Creative & Marketing and working with a high-performing team, the successful candidate will:

• Use their creative (copywriting and design) skills to develop effective campaigns to improve the rider experience, increase transit ridership and/or improve perceptions of Metro.
• Work with colleagues across the creative, marketing, on-demand services, public affairs, service information and other teams on social media aspects of projects and campaigns.
• Propose and implement paid, targeted social media and/or digital campaigns.
• Recommend approaches to improve channels, content and voice across social media and other channels.
• Develop goals and track progress—requesting resources and support as necessary.

Metro primarily uses the following social channels: Facebook, lnstagram, Linkedln, YouTube and X (Twitter). This work also includes posting translated information to serve non-English speaking or linguistically diverse audiences (most commonly Spanish) and proposing effective strategies to reach King County’s residents and visitors across abilities, backgrounds and languages.

We are looking for general marketing communications experience and skills, including demonstrated prior work success with developing marketing strategies for specific projects (including key messages, target audiences, tactical plans), and coordinating the creation of necessary collateral/materials and other marketing assets. Responsibilities include some copywriting, designing, establishing cost and production requirements, and managing schedules and budgets.

This recruitment may also be used to create a list of qualified candidates to fill future career service, term-limited temporary, and special duty vacancies that may occur in the next 6 months.

Job Duties

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of this work. As a Social Media Specialist, you will: 

• Support marketing projects and initiatives by using social media as a marketing and communication channel. This will include creating strategies, calendars, requested budget (if applicable), schedules and content for social media.
• Develop consistent and engaging social media content that conforms to Metro’s guidelines for style and tone.
• Write, edit and proofread content, ensuring accuracy, correct grammar usage, and clarity.
• Design visuals for social media content/posts.
• Analyze marketing and social media trends and relay information, implications and/or recommendations.
• Determine budget needs of marketing communication program elements; and monitor and track expenditures.
• Update marketing, communication, and/or sales materials to reflect program changes; compose new content or recommend content needs.
• Create requests for proposals and negotiate with external vendors, agencies and groups, to optimize work plans and use of resources; evaluate and oversee vendor workplans.
• Work with external vendors, marketing agencies and other groups to develop social media plans as part of larger marketing and communications campaigns.
• Participate in consultant and vendor selection processes and ensure contract performance – when outside marketing communications consultants or vendors are used.
• Support senior communications and marketing team members on general project management and tasks.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

We are looking for candidates who have: 

• A Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree AND extensive experience in planning, producing, and tracking social media marketing communications; OR any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge and ability required to perform the work.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills. Proficient in English; writes and reads at a professional level.
• Experience creating marketing assets through combined communications, copywriting, creative, marketing and design skills, with knowledge of effective strategies for reaching the public and measuring results.
• Experience planning social media marketing and/or communications, including schedule planning.
• Ability to monitor and measure the effectiveness of social media communications and relay important information and trends to management. This includes a keen understanding of social media evaluative tools and measures.
• Good judgment, decision-making and creative problem-solving skills, including abilities to work under pressure and to use discretion in a public sector environment that may include politically sensitive issues.
• Ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with coworkers and to collaborate effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to support the projects of others as a team member, taking direction and managing tasks and deadlines as they arise.
• Experience developing cost-effective, results-generating promotional programs.
• Negotiating skills and experience providing oversight to marketing communication vendors, consultants, or agencies.
• Program and project budgeting skills, including determination of budget needs for marketing program elements; monitoring and tracking of expenditures, and preparing actual versus planned cost summaries.
• Ability to develop, implement and manage marketing project plans that will guide concepts, copy, presentations, and message delivery.
• Understanding and ability to manage social marketing management tools, such as Sprout.
• Experience placing and managing both organic and paid advertising campaigns in social media and/or on digital platforms.
• Experience using Adobe Creative Suite applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, or lnDesign.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel.

Highly competitive candidates will have (desired, but not required): 

• Experience coordinating translation and/or transcreation of marketing content and posting translated information to social media channel (to serve non-English speaking audiences, most commonly Spanish).
• Knowledge of and/or experience with King County Metro services.
• Proficient in a non-English language.

Supplemental Information

To Apply 

The following application materials are required: 

1. An online King County application. Updated with accurate contact information, and relevant education and work history including at least 10 years of employment history (if you have 10 or more).
2. Completed supplemental questions.
3. A resume.
4. A cover letter.
5. A sample of a campaign you worked on including a brief description of your role in the campaign along with a URL if applicable.

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact: Sabrina Brazzle sbrazzle@kingcounty.gov.

Other Position Information 

This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and not overtime-eligible. Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule, every other Thursday, comprising a 40-hour workweek, normally 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

This position is represented by Protec 17. 

The work associated with this position will be performed or conducted through a combination of teleworking and onsite work and meetings. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. 

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State’s best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we’re changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation’s best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our “True North”, we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles – we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees’ health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: King County employees are eligible to participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page.

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails. 

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.

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