Senior Social Manager

About Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG)

Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) is a human connections platform — the signal powered by culture, scaled by technology, and built for community. SMTG connects, elevates, and empowers the most influential consumer segment in the market: HER, the Chief Influence Officer. With over 100 years of community knowledge and insights, SMTG is redefining the media model into a next-generation platform. Powered by proprietary intelligence and AI technology, it activates an ecosystem that scales HER influence and economic power. Its portfolio includes some of the most iconic, purpose-driven brands and experiences shaping culture today — ESSENCE (Girls United, ESSENCE Studios, ESSENCE Festival of Culture®), Refinery29, AFROPUNK, Beautycon™ (including NaturallyCurly), the Global Black Economic Forum, the Academy for Advancing Excellence, and the New Voices Fund. Through storytelling, products, and platforms, SMTG delivers the tools and technology to shape the future of media, commerce, and community — on HER terms.

About Refinery29

Refinery29 is a leading media and entertainment destination focused on women and underrepresented voices. Through a wide spectrum of lifestyle stories, original video programming, social, shareable content, and experiences, Refinery29 provides its global audience with the inspiration and tools to discover and pursue a more independent and informed life. Refinery29 is part of Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG).

Role Overview

The Integrated Marketing department at Sundial Media & Technology Group is seeking a Senior Social Media Manager to lead social storytelling with a primary focus on Refinery29, while supporting key company-wide tentpoles and cultural moments across the portfolio.

You're chronically online in the best way — you know what’s trending and can identify a meme the moment it hits. While your day-to-day will center on Refinery29, this role operates at the heart of Sundial’s ecosystem: from red carpet coverage, to breaking down a beauty trend or making a horoscope meme that has the comments section popping off, to shaping social narratives around flagship events and tentpole activations.

This is a hands-on role at the intersection of editorial, video production, and social strategy. You have strong content creation skills, experience producing short-form video content, and the pop culture fluency to back it all up.

You'll report directly to the Vice President of Social and work alongside a team that moves fast and cares deeply about the work. We're looking for a self-starter who thrives with autonomy: collaborative by nature, but confident in their ability to execute and bring ideas to life.

This will be a hybrid role based out of our Brooklyn, NY office: Tuesday–Thursday onsite, and Monday/Friday remote.

Responsibilities

From Day One

• Edit vertical videos for TikTok and Instagram Reels, optimizing for watch time, retention, and shareability (bonus if you have Adobe Premiere Pro experience)

• Stay plugged into cultural conversation to pitch timely, talent-driven content that connects R29’s franchises to trending moments

• Manage daily publishing across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook, Threads, and Snapchat

• Design carousel posts to promote editorial articles using templates in Adobe Express

• Engage with the R29 community — responding to comments, identifying UGC opportunities, and cultivating brand advocates

• Monitor performance in real time and make fast, data-informed calls on what to push and what to pivot

At 6 Months

• Produce short-form social video from concept through final delivery — including red carpets, entertainment junkets, on-location shoots, and studio sessions

• Shape the editorial narrative of social video through story editing — reviewing rough cuts, identifying the strongest moments, and giving clear, decisive feedback

• Help develop a platform-native series on Instagram or TikTok that builds audience and earns engagement

• Work with the Commercial team on developing engaging branded content

• Manage and brief freelance creators and social contributors

At a Year

• Produce recurring social franchise content from pre-production through delivery

• Be the person the team looks to for what’s trending, what’s working, and what R29 should be doing that no one else is yet

• Contribute to social best practices documentation and help shape the editorial team’s understanding of the platforms

• Act as a brand ambassador for Refinery29 and overall SMTG social: in meetings with platform partners, in the content itself, and in how you talk about the brand to the world

What You Bring

• 5 to 7 years running social for a consumer media brand, digital publisher, or creator-driven company

• Deep familiarity with TikTok and Instagram best practices: pacing, hooks, structure, captions, and trend fluency

• A real editorial instinct: you can tell which stories deserve social-first treatment and how to pitch them for each platform

• Fluent in pop culture: from reality TV drama to the hottest beauty trend, you can turn any R29 story into a compelling social post because you already care about the world we cover

• Confidence filming, editing, and publishing content in real time in live, fast-paced environments (think red carpets, cultural events, or interviews with talent)

• Strong copywriting: you can nail R29’s voice on the first try and course-correct when others don’t

• Hands-on video editing experience with Adobe Premiere Pro

• Basic production kit knowledge (lighting, audio, framing) for lightweight iPhone shoots

• Comfort with analytics tools and a habit of letting data shape (not dictate) creative decisions

Bonus Points If You Have

• Experience growing and managing YouTube channels

• Relationships with creators or experience managing influencer programs

• Comfort being on-camera (optional/as needed)

• A niche pop culture or beauty/fashion interest (Love Island stan? A24 aficionado? 10-step skincare routine? We want to hear it all.)

The Vibe

This is a team that genuinely loves the internet — the culture, the chaos, and the moments that make everyone stop scrolling. We're building a culturally relevant social presence, and this role is at the heart of that.

If you're looking for a role where your creativity, instincts, and ideas actually move the needle, this is it.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape and grow the social presence of one of the most recognizable digital media brands in culture and lifestyle media.

• Hands-on experience creating social-first content across editorial, video, experiential, and branded initiatives.

• A collaborative, fast-paced environment that values creativity, cultural fluency, and innovation.

• Exposure to major cultural tentpoles, live events, creator partnerships, and cross-functional brand storytelling opportunities.

• Salary: The salary range for this role is $100,000.00 - $110,000.00 USD. The salary range is subject to change and may be amended in the future. Experience, education, skills, and other factors are considered when determining the salary offered.

• Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k, EAP, Annual Bonus eligibility.

• Agencies: Sundial Media & Technology Group is not partnering with agencies nor accepts unsolicited resumes and will not be responsible for any fees or expenses related to such unsolicited resumes and/or applicants.