Director, Social Media Strategy and Engagement - University Strategic Communications

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) is a nationally recognized, top-tier public research university that unites the power of higher education, biomedical discovery and healthcare within one visionary institution. As the third-largest research university in Texas and a Carnegie R1-designated institution, UT San Antonio is a model of access and excellence — advancing knowledge, social mobility and public health across South Texas and beyond. UT San Antonio serves approximately 42,000 students in 320 academic programs spanning science, engineering, medicine, health, liberal arts, AI, cybersecurity, business, education and more. With 17,000 faculty and staff, UT San Antonio has also been recognized as a Top Employer in Texas by Forbes Magazine. Learn more online, on UT San Antonio Today or on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn.

Salary Range: Commensurate with education, experience, and qualifications.

Job Type: Full Time

Posting Close Date: Applications will be accepted through 11:59 PM CDT on 11/08/2026. At the discretion of the hiring department, this posting may close once a sufficient number of qualified applications have been received.

Required Application Materials:

• Resume is required.
• Cover letter is preferred.
• Contact information for three professional contacts.

Job Summary

The Director of Social Media Strategy and Engagement is a strategic, senior leadership position for the recently merged UT San Antonio. The team member in this newly created position will set the comprehensive vision for social media brand promotion, audience engagement and reputation management through curation of the flagship (official) @UTSA channels.

A successful candidate proactively understands and applies social media trends while forecasting new channels and engagement strategies to expand the flagship presence and deliver business outcomes. Additionally, the candidate understands how to ethically apply AI models for social listening strategies, multimedia content and/or an effective workflow.

The position serves as a cross-functional, strategic advisor to senior executives and demonstrates exceptional judgment, discretion and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

This leader is responsible for guiding and developing a high-performing team and contributes to designing and implementing strategies to bolster and/or protect the institution's reputation through social presence, creative storytelling, executive visibility and digital platform management.

Reporting to the Senior Executive Director of University Strategic Communications, the individual will be responsible for building internal and external relationships to include cross-divisional teams, peers, direct reports and student-workers.

Core Responsibilities

1. Leads the university's flagship institutional social media strategy and engagement efforts while serving as a central strategic advisor to colleagues across the university on digital engagement, reputation management and emerging social media trends.
2. Establishes systems, processes and standards informed by competitive data and insights, including AI, that ensures the flagship social presence is managed with the highest level of care.
3. Evaluates emerging platforms, technologies and digital engagement strategies to support storytelling, innovation, audience growth and generative engine optimization. Recommends new approaches to enhance visibility, engagement and brand affinity across digital channels.
4. Oversees the design, development, publication and distribution of multimedia content for the flagship social media channels to ensure consistency, quality, accessibility and alignment with institutional voice.
5. Develops strategies to advance executive visibility and institutional thought leadership across digital channels.
6. Monitors and analyzes social media conversations, emerging issues, news cycles and public discourse that may impact the university's reputation or operations. Synthesizes these discussions and competitive trends into real-time, actionable insights to support issues management, crisis communications and executive decision-making.
7. Leads flagship social media communications during emergencies, operational disruptions and other reputational matters.
8. Oversees social media analytics, measurement and reporting efforts to evaluate channel performance, audience engagement and institutional impact. Develops executive-level reports and presentations that communicate outcomes, trends, reputational insights and strategic recommendations.
9. Empowers a multi-person social media team, including full-time staff members and student workers by delivering coaching and feedback, clarity and opportunities for professional development.
10. Develops and oversees enterprise social media standards, governance and best practices. Leads the university's Social Media Collective.
11. Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
• Seven (7) years of related work experience, including at least five (5) years of full-time experience in social media strategy and engagement.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience in supervising a full-time social media or digital media team.
• This position requires the ability to maintain the security and integrity of UT San Antonio and its infrastructure per Texas EO-GA-48.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Mastery of social media trends and audience behavior.
• Strategic leadership in social media, with the ability to translate insights into action.
• Demonstrated success in strategic communications and reputation management using social media.
• Strong people leadership skills, including team management and mentoring.
• Robust analytics, decision-making, forecasting and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communications with executives.
• Broad understanding of how AI impacts social media.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Ability to support crisis communications and issues management.

Working Conditions

• Office environment. Ability to travel to and from meetings, training sessions, or other business-related events. Workdays, areas, and work hours may vary depending on the department's needs.

Physical Demands

• Jobs are sedentary; if walking and standing are required, only occasionally. Ability to exert up to 10 pounds of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

This position will work both on campus and remotely in Texas. Travel and parking expenses are the employee's responsibility.

This position is contingent upon a successful background check. Verification of a valid driver's license and Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) may be completed as applicable. Applicants selected must be able to show proof of eligibility to work in the United States by time of hire.

Equal Employment Opportunity

As an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer, it is the policy of The University of Texas at San Antonio to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetic information, and veteran status. The University is committed to the Affirmative Action Program in compliance with all government requirements to ensure nondiscrimination.