Social Media Manager and Writer

Position Summary 

Reporting to the Director of Marketing and Communications, the role of Social Media Manager and Writer is a new, 2-year term limited position to support Friends of Waterfront Park’s strategic efforts as the organization nears the Grand Opening of Seattle’s new downtown Waterfront Park, lasting through December 2026. This role is essential in shaping and sharing the voice of Friends, engaging with our vibrant community, and elevating the public’s connection to Waterfront Park.   

The Social Media Manager and Writer will develop compelling content across digital platforms, ensuring consistent and engaging messaging that aligns with the vision of Friends of Waterfront Park. This role's responsibilities include crafting engaging social media posts, writing blogs, newsletters, and developing strategies that increase brand awareness and audience engagement. The Social Media Manager and Writer will collaborate closely with internal teams, community partners, and local artists to highlight Waterfront Park’s natural beauty, events, programming, art installations, and other news.  

The ideal candidate will have strong writing skills, a deep understanding of social media trends, and experience managing multi-platform social media campaigns, as well as an eye for equitable storytelling. In addition, the ideal candidate will have a passion for community engagement and a desire to creatively connect with diverse audiences. 

About Friends of Waterfront Park  

Friends of Waterfront Park (Friends) is a 501c3 non-profit. Through a public-private partnership with the City of Seattle, Friends is leading fundraising and programming, deepening public safety investments, and ensuring long-term stewardship of Waterfront Park now and for generations to come. The organization works closely with the City of Seattle, through Seattle Center, who provides park maintenance and public safety services. This model of a nonprofit managing and ensuring the success of a park is common across major U.S. cities, including Friends of the Highline and Brooklyn Bridge Parks Conservancy in New York, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy in San Francisco, and Friends of the Underline in Miami.    

Nearly 15 years in the making, Waterfront Park project represents a grand community vision for reimagining Seattle’s waterfront in the footprint of the old viaduct, a 1950’s infrastructure; creating a new kind of civic and cultural space. Seattle is a city known for innovation and Waterfront Park represents that spirit – it is so much more than simply a park. Waterfront Park is creating 20-acres of green space, inviting locals and visitors to reconnect with the water, the mountains, and each other. It will run from Belltown to Pioneer Square, and has a large urban footprint for programming, activation, and other park uses. Opening in 2025, Waterfront Park will serve as a fresh cultural anchor for downtown, offering free public programming co-curated with communities from across the region.    

Friends’ vision goes far beyond the park’s 20 acres. Alongside the City of Seattle, we envision a common space that is truly safe and welcoming to everyone; a space that is centered in equity. Friends has an opportunity and an inherent responsibility to disrupt patterns of exclusion and serve as a model for public spaces in Seattle and around the country. We have already made progress by working to establish strong community ties and trust and delivering BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community led programs at Pier 62, the first piece of the park to open to the public.  

Land Acknowledgement  

Waterfront Park is situated on the land of the Coast Salish peoples, who have resided here since time immemorial and continue to thrive. With respect and humility, we acknowledge the history of the waterfront, the dispossession of land from the Coast Salish people, and, most importantly, the strength and resilience of Native people and their culture through this history and to the present.  

Equity Commitment    

Friends recognizes and acknowledges historic and existing systemic racism embedded in our city. We are committed to becoming an anti-racist organization by prioritizing racial equity within the organization and in the public spaces we operate. 

Responsibilities 

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) + Community 

• Center and embed the Friends’ diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) values and goals into every aspect of the role.  
• Contribute to an inclusive workplace culture; adhere to and help evolve Friends’ Community Agreements.  
• Propel a culture of inclusion while collaborating cross departmentally within Friends.  
• Engage in regular conversations about anti-racism and equity through all-staff meetings and trainings.  
• Bring an anti-racist lens into communications and marketing work, especially storytelling.  
• Advocate for and amplify voices from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LGBTQ+, and disabled communities. 

Social Media Management and Content Strategy

• Manage the day-to-day operations of Friends of Waterfront Park’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, among others. 
• Create visually appealing, high-quality social media content, including posts, stories, graphics, and videos, to highlight park events, partnerships, art installations, and community initiatives. 
• Plan, schedule, and publish content using social media management tools, maintaining a consistent posting cadence across platforms. 
• Track and analyze social media performance using analytics tools, providing regular reports on engagement, growth, and insights to inform future strategies. 
• Work closely with photographers, designers, and videographers to develop multimedia content that enhances storytelling and audience engagement. 
• Develop and implement a comprehensive content strategy and content calendar across digital platforms that aligns with organizational goals and campaigns, driving engagement and awareness of Waterfront Park. 
• Collaborate with internal teams to identify and prioritize key messaging, events, and themes to highlight throughout the year. 

Copywriting and Editorial Planning

• Write compelling and brand-aligned content for a variety of platforms, including social media, newsletters, and blog. 
• Craft content that is tailored to specific audiences, ranging from the local Seattle community to potential donors and sponsors, balancing tone and voice to match different platforms and formats. 
• Develop clear, engaging calls-to-action to drive participation in park events, programs, and initiatives. 

Community Management and Engagement

• Actively engage with Friends of Waterfront Park’s online community by responding to comments, messages, and tags on social media platforms in a timely and positive manner. 
• Foster a sense of community by initiating conversations, asking questions, and interacting with followers. 
• Monitor audience sentiment and feedback across social platforms, responding to inquiries and escalating issues when necessary. 
• Build relationships with local influencers, artists, and community leaders to enhance visibility and engagement. 

Collaboration and Cross-Functional Support

• Collaborate with the broader marketing team to support cross-functional campaigns, contributing to larger projects such as event promotions, fundraising efforts, and public art exhibitions. 
• Work closely with program coordinators, partners, and artists to gather information and assets needed for content creation and social media promotion. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• 3-5 years of professional experience in social media management, content creation, or digital marketing, ideally within a nonprofit, community organization, or public space. 
• Proven track record of developing and executing social media strategies across multiple platforms (Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, etc.). 
• Experience in copywriting, editing, and content creation for blogs, newsletters, social media, and other digital channels. 
• Cultural competency with underrepresented communities, including Black, Indigenous, Latine, disabled, and/or LGBTQ+ communities, and the ability to bring this lens to conversations about anti-racism, anti-oppression and embedding equity in all aspects of work  
• Strong Writing and Editing Skills: Ability to craft engaging, on-brand content for diverse platforms and audiences. Must be able to tailor tone, voice, and style for specific channels. 
• Social Media Proficiency: Deep understanding of social media platforms, including audience engagement strategies, analytics, and trends. 
• Visual Content Creation: Basic graphic design skills (Canva, Adobe Suite, or similar tools) to create social media visuals, with an eye for design and storytelling. 
• Project Management: Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines, maintaining a content calendar and coordinating with various teams. 
• Analytical Skills: Familiarity with social media analytics tools (Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Google Analytics, etc.) to measure performance and adjust strategies accordingly. 
• Creativity: Strong ability to brainstorm, generate fresh ideas, and pivot content based on audience feedback and social media trends. 
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team, engaging cross-functional stakeholders in marketing, communications, and community relations. 
• Strong verbal communication skills to liaise with partners, media outlets, and community members. 
• Experience building relationships with influencers, community leaders, and local artists to enhance engagement. 
• A passion for civic engagement, public parks, and community building, with an understanding of the impact that public spaces like Waterfront Park have on the community. 

Desired Qualifications 

• Familiarity with working in community-focused or public engagement environments is a plus. 
• Familiarity with or interest in local Seattle culture, community programming, and public art. 
• Up to date on industry trends, social media trends and new platforms, as well as audience insights to refine and optimize the content strategy, ensuring relevance and resonance with the target audience. 
• Video editing skills to create compelling social media content strongly desired  
• Experience working in a nonprofit setting focused on public spaces and/or arts & culture.  
• Understanding of digital advertising including SEO/SEM, Display, Retargeting, Social, YouTube.  
• Experience with the following platforms: Salesforce, Bynder, Asana, Wordpress, Google Analytics 

Other Requirements   

• This position is contingent on passing a criminal background check.  

Compensation and Benefits   

This is a full-time, exempt, 2-year term limited position, which is expected to last through December 2026. The full salary range for this position is $81,000-96,999. Friends has created a compensation philosophy and salary framework to set compensation organization-wide. The final salary offer is dependent on how the candidate’s skills, abilities, and experience align with Friends’ salary framework: 

With advanced-level competency and ability to complete role responsibilities: 

• Level: Manager II 
• Tier(s): Tier 1-4 
• Salary Range: $81,000-$92,999 

With expert-level competency and ability to elevate role responsibilities: 

• Level: Manager III 
• Tier: Tier 1 
• Salary Range: $93,000-$96,999 

Benefits include (but are not limited to): Paid time off, health and dental coverage, and transit pass are provided. Defined contribution retirement plan with 3% match available. 

Working Conditions 

This role is based in Seattle, WA. Friends has office space located at Pier 56. The job requires significant in-person, public engagement at Waterfront Park sites and with numerous partner organizations throughout the city.   

• This position is a flexible, hybrid role with at least 60% of the work being in-person at Friends’ office, in Waterfront Park, or in community. Administrative offices are open Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm. 
• Weekend and evening work required depending on season and events; staff flex their work schedule to accommodate while maintaining a healthy work/life balance. 
• Friends follows King County Public Health guidelines regarding COVID-19. 

The physical requirements of this role listed below are representative of those that may need to be met by an employee in this role:  

• Operating a computer and other office equipment. 
• Ability to work in an open office format with a fluctuating noise level – Friends' office is an open floor plan and teams often meet in person to collaborate. Noise levels can be low to moderate.  
• Occasionally lifting up to 20 pounds; however, assistance with lifting or moving items can be provided. 
• Ability to travel the length of the park and interact with park visitors; reasonable accommodations can be provided. 

How to Apply   

Click the Apply link to submit your application. You will be asked to upload a resume and portfolio and answer the following questions as part of your application: 

1. Do you understand this is a 2-year, term limited position expected to last through December 2026? 
2. How have your previous experiences prepared you to be successful in this role at Friends? Please describe your number of years and type of experience with social media management and content strategy.  
3. Please describe your commitment to incorporating the values of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) in all facets of your communications and marketing work.  
4. Upload your portfolio (or a document that includes three writing samples and three design samples). We’d love to see some of your creative capabilities, like examples of your writing, web design, graphic design, advertising, social media posts, or photography/videography. 

Friends is committed to improving hiring practices to be more inclusive and anti-ableist. We have reviewed the job requirements and only include physical abilities when completely necessary. During the interview process, we email the panel questions ahead of time. We are also able to provide captioning and/or interpretation (e.g., ASL) if requested. If you need assistance and/or accommodations during the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please email our People & Culture team at dei@waterfrontparkseattle.org.    

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Priority deadline: September 27, 2024.