Social Media and DTC Manager

SOCIAL MEDIA & DTC MANAGER

Location: Buffalo, NY (On-site/Hybrid) | Type: Full-Time | Reports To: General Manager

Compensation: $85,000 – $110,000 base salary performance bonus

About the Company

We are building a brand from zero, with a soft launch target of March 2027.

Our products are built on a simple idea: protein you actually want to drink, that still feels good after. Real ingredients, clean labels, and no compromises on either side.

The Opportunity

As our first marketing hire, you will work directly with the General Manager to build the brand's digital presence from zero — grassroots social media, DTC infrastructure, website, and email waitlist — all before the product hits shelves. This is a rare opportunity to help build something from the ground up.

Our goal is to have an engaged customer base ready and in place by the time we launch. Our community is not only interested in what’s on the label, but also wants to enjoy what’s in the bottle.

DTC logistical infrastructure is already in place. The website will need to be built (with additional resources). You'll have context and direction from the GM and access to broader company resources, but the execution is yours to own.

There is a pathway to move into a brand or product management role as the brand scales and as the team grows.

This role is suited to motivated self-starters with digital experience growing a consumer or personal brand.

What You Own

• DTC and email waitlist — this is the most important priority. Build the pre-launch waitlist engine. Set up the email platform, create the capture flows, and grow a list that becomes a proof-of-demand asset ahead of product launch.
• TikTok and Instagram — launch both channels and build an organic, grassroots presence from zero. You're creating content yourself to start, bringing the consumer along the journey to create this brand from scratch, until we scale.
• Content calendar — social and digital is the single biggest brand marketing priority: organic, grassroots, influencer and UGC, planned around cultural moments and events or trends.
• DTC and social as a test bed — use social and direct channels to run flavor and messaging tests, gather subscriber data, and generate consumer insight that informs packaging, positioning, and retail conversations.
• Website — working with internal resources on the initial build of the website as we gear up to launch.

Who You Are

• 5 years of proven experience running social and content for a consumer brand, preferably in CPG or food & beverage, or an equivalent track record building and growing your own audience as a creator. If you’ve built your own audience and want to point that skill at a brand you help shape from day one, we’d like to hear from you.
• Direct experience with DTC. You've built a DTC platform from scratch, set up email flows, and grown a list. You know Shopify or an equivalent natively, and you know Klaviyo or can get up to speed fast. Experience with Amazon marketplace a plus.
• You know how to generate brand interest from zero with quantifiable results, and get eyeballs on content, with the eventual goal of selling product.
• Someone who isn't afraid to live in the details. If your instinct is to brief an agency and let direct reports handle the rounds, this isn't the role.
• You think social-first and digital-first, and can target the right shopper with the right message (e.g., the protein-conscious health fanatic versus the lactose-free shopper may call for two different ads).
• A digital native fluent in modern marketing: social-first storytelling, performance metrics, influencer and UGC. You've run social personally — not managed an agency running it. You've made the content, posted it, grown the audience, and learned what works in the feed. Bonus for retail media experience.
• Positive, solutions-oriented attitude with a passion for working with people across levels and departments.

How You Work

• You're proactive, not reactive — you don't wait to be told what's next. You see the gap, you flag it, you move.
• You can work strategically, independently, and hands-on, even though you will have resources to support your success.
• Strong communication skills, excellent judgment, and a collaborative working style.
• You can be scrappy and resourceful — you've figured things out without a playbook.
• You're ambitious about the trajectory. You want to grow into managing a team and owning a bigger function as the brand scales.
• You will come on-site regularly to capture content, shoot packaging and product, and be in the room for early launch moments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience launching a CPG, food & beverage, or consumer brand into market
• Hands-on Shopify and Klaviyo experience. Amazon a plus
• Track record growing social audiences organically (IG, TikTok)
• Experience with retail media or performance marketing
• Comfort performing in early-stage or startup environments without established playbooks

Pay: $85,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Buffalo, NY 14225

Salary : $85,000 - $110,000