Social Media Specialist, Education Initiatives

Description

Most social media jobs hand you an established account, a legacy voice, and a decade of habits you cannot break. This one hands you a blank slate and a running start.

Cato is launching its first social channel dedicated to its educational programs, and we are looking for the person who will build it. Cato University, Cato Courses, the Internship Program, the Research Associate Program, and Student Briefings have never had a social home built to reach their audiences. You will create it, then own it. You will also help grow Sphere Education Initiatives' established channels for educators, working with the program's leaders to create content that supports their goals. Two audiences, two distinct voices, one person keeping both moving.

Building the new channel means deciding how an educational account can cut through a crowded feed and show people why Cato’s ideas and programs are valuable. You will work with program owners and the marketing team to define the program’s voice, tone, and overall look and feel, then set promotional priorities across Meta, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms.

This hybrid position reports to the Marketing Director and is based in Washington, DC, with in-office work required every Thursday and Friday.

The salary range is $70,000 to $85,000 per year, based on the successful candidate’s educational background, experience, and skills.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION, YOU MUST SUBMIT THE TALENT MARKET APPLICATION.

About Cato

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization, a think tank, dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.

Founded in 1977 and named for Cato’s Letters, the 18th-century essays that inspired the architects of the American Revolution, Cato conducts independent, nonpartisan research across a wide range of policy issues.

Cato’s education programs carry that work to the next generation. Cato University, Cato Courses, the Internship Program, the Research Assistant Program, and Student Briefings introduce students and curious learners to the ideas behind a free society, meeting them where they already are. Sphere Education Initiatives gives educators viewpoint-diverse resources to bring civil discourse into their classrooms. Growing the reach of these programs is what this role exists to do.

Cato Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• •A new social channel for Cato’s educational programs, from account setup to established presence
• •Driving registrations for Cato Courses, Cato’s online learning platform built around the policy questions shaping the world right now
• •Driving attendance and geographic reach for Cato University, the Institute’s premier in-person series for college and graduate students
• •Promotion and outreach that drives applications to the Internship Program and the Research Associate Program, which place students and early-career talent alongside working Cato scholars
• •Attendance at Student Briefings, which bring students face to face with the ideas behind the policy questions of the moment
• •Sphere Education Initiatives’ existing channels, including continued audience growth among educators
• •A documented voice, tone, and look and feel for the new channel, developed together with program owners and the marketing team, so the whole team is aligned
• •Promotional priorities across five student programs sharing one channel, plus a distinct editorial approach for each audience knowing exactly who is on the other side of each post is the job

Requirements

Experience and Skill Sets

• •A strong understanding of, and alignment with, libertarian or classical liberal principles is required
• •Minimum of 3 years managing social media accounts across multiple platforms, with demonstrated growth results
• •Direct experience owning social channels, in the nonprofit or for-profit space.
• •Proficiency with video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, and experience producing social-first video with captions and strong hooks
• •Skill in writing platform-appropriate copy for distinct audience segments
• •Strong command of social analytics and reporting, plus management platforms such as Buffer, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social
• •Ability to coach individuals toward a strong on-camera presence
• •Strong editorial judgement, comfort translating complex policy content into clear and compelling posts, and the ability to identify the moments, ideas, people, and conversations worth joining
• •Working knowledge of LLM AI tools
• •Strong project ownership, with the judgment to prioritize across competing programs and stakeholders

What You’ll Build

• •Audiences of curious, like-minded people who came for a good post and stayed for the ideas
• •A content engine that scales across five programs without sounding like five different organizations, with an evergreen library plus campaign content for launches, application windows, and seasonal moments
• •A national community of learners and educators engaging with the principles of a free society

How You’ll Work

• •Partner day to day with the Marketing Manager for Education Growth, so social and campaign strategy move as one
• •Work with program owners across all six programs, Sphere included, to set priorities and plan content around launches, sessions, application windows, and milestones
• •Build social media audience by publishing daily across Meta, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and emerging platforms
• •Determine platform strategy according to performance metrics, analysis, and content testing
• •Create and edit social-first content, including short-form clips with strong hooks and longer features for YouTube, while also utilizing Cato’s in-house designers, videographers, editors, and marketing colleagues as necessary
• •Attend Cato University sessions, Sphere events, and student briefings for live posting, video capture, and real-time engagement, resulting in up to 10% travel
• •Coach scholars, speakers, and participants to be compelling on camera
• •Tailor messaging by audience segment, and collaborate in the development of organic and paid campaigns that drive awareness, registration, and other KPIs
• •Report on follower growth, engagement, reach, click-through, and conversion, with recommendations on what to do next
• •Stay ahead of platform changes and format shifts, and perform other duties as assigned

What Success Looks Like

In the first 90 days:

• •Launch the education programs' social presence
• •Establish a content calendar
• •Build reporting and baseline metrics
• •Develop relationships with program teams

Within the first year:

• •Demonstrate measurable audience growth
• •Contribute meaningfully to registrations and applications
• •Establish a repeatable content engine
• •Grow Sphere's educator audience

Benefits

All Cato employees are offered the following benefits:

• •Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• •Employer contribution to a Health Savings Account (HSA)
• •Generous vacation and sick leave
• •Paid parental leave
• •Employer-provided life and disability insurance
• •401(k) with employer match
• •Transit/Parking benefits
• •Pet discount plan

How to Apply

To apply, qualified individuals should submit the following application materials in one PDF document:

• •Cover letter including:
• •Your interest in Cato's mission and your relevant experience
• •Links to three to five examples of social media work you created or managed and briefly describe your role in each
• •Personal social handles are welcome, if you have a robust social presence that demonstrates your ability (Optional)
• •Salary requirements
• •Resume

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/ .

Questions can be directed to Katie Krout, Project Manager at Talent Market, who is managing the search: [email protected] .

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rollin