Social Media Specialist III

Job Title: Social Media Specialist III
Location: Toronto, ON (Hybrid)
Estimated Duration: 9 Months

Duties:
Our client is looking for a Social Media Manager to support its Consumer Group Corporate Communications team and the TurboTax brand’s social media platforms.

This is a hybrid role, split evenly between social media management (50%) and content creation (50%) – and it calls for someone who can operate across three disciplines at once: the strategic ownership of a brand manager, the real-time fluency of a social media manager, and the hands-on execution of a content creator. As the go-to lead for TurboTax’s social media program, this person will also direct the brand’s social media agency – briefing, guiding, and holding them accountable, while remaining a hands-on creator themselves.
We are seeking a highly creative and culturally fluent Social Media Manager who blends real-time community engagement with hands-on content creation. This role is ideal for someone who is equally comfortable creating on-camera, platform-native content as they are acting as the voice of TurboTax, inserting the brand into live social conversations, and leading an agency partner to deliver against the program’s goals. They will be responsible for crafting our FY27 social content strategy, owning our editorial calendar, working with influencers and reporting on results to leadership.
The ideal candidate is a true native of the platforms they work in – fluent in the tone, formats, and unwritten rules of each – with a sharp pulse on culture, trends, and audience behavior. They know how to translate cultural truths and tensions into quick, compelling creative briefs and social-first storytelling. They thrive in fast-moving environments, are exceptional copywriters, and bring deep platform expertise across Reddit, Threads, TikTok, Instagram, X, Meta, and emerging channels—using both planned and reactive content to build relevance, community, and brand affinity.
This person must be fully comfortable producing, shooting, and editing their own content end to end, with no reliance on a separate production team.
Skills:
Responsibilities

• Act as the go-to social media manager for the brand, owning the day-to-day health and performance of the overall social media program.
• Lead and brief the social media agency of record, translating brand strategy, cultural insights, and campaign priorities into clear, actionable creative and strategic direction.
• Provide ongoing creative, strategic, and analytical feedback to the agency, ensuring output aligns with brand voice, editorial calendar, and performance goals.
• Lead regular status and check-in meetings with the agency, holding the team accountable to timelines, deliverables, and social media goals.
• Monitor program and agency performance against goals, proactively flagging risks, gaps, or opportunities to leadership and recommending course corrections as needed.
• Continuously monitor social platforms, comments, and cultural discourse to identify emerging trends, audience behaviors, and conversation patterns that create opportunities for the brand.
• Translate social listening, community feedback, and cultural signals into clear insights and strategic recommendations that inform content, creative direction, and engagement tactics.
• Partner with creative and strategy teams to ensure real-time insights influence content development, not just reporting or retrospectives.
• Proactively identify and execute trendjacking opportunities, determining when and how the brand should participate in moments, memes, or conversations in a way that feels timely, authentic, and on-brand.
• Own day-to-day social media engagement while also serving as a hands-on content creator, producing platform-native content across X, Reddit, Discord, TikTok, Meta, and emerging channels.
• Concept, shoot, edit, and publish short-form content and blog content—including on-camera appearances, voiceovers, and reactive formats—aligned to brand tone and cultural moments, from raw footage to final cut.
• Develop and execute content strategies and editorial calendars, balancing planned campaigns with real-time and trend-driven opportunities.
• Monitor culture, trends, memes, and platform behaviour, translating cultural truths, tensions, and insights into fast, actionable creative briefs for internal and partner teams.
• Actively identify and capitalize on real-time engagement opportunities, inserting the brand voice into relevant conversations in a timely, authentic, and value-adding way.
• Write compelling, platform-specific copy that reflects a strong brand voice, sharp wit, and deep understanding of social nuance.

Requirements

• Proven experience managing an agency as a social media manager with at least 5 years of experience.
• Experience working with influencers. Including briefing and reviewing creative work.
• Experience managing or briefing external agencies/vendors, including providing creative, strategic, and performance feedback and holding partners accountable to goals.
• Able to work on-site at client’s Canada office.
• Native-level fluency on the core platforms (Reddit, Threads, TikTok, Instagram, X, Meta), with demonstrated understanding of each platform’s culture, format conventions, and best practices.
• High proficiency in Canva, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, etc.), or equivalent creative tools.
• Experience with social media management tools for listening and engagement (Brandwatch,Sprinklr, SiftAi).
• Comfortable and confident appearing on camera, and able to independently produce, shoot, and edit self-shot or lo-fi content.
• Exceptional copywriting skills, with the ability to adapt tone, humor, and messaging across platforms and formats.
• Strong understanding of social trends, internet culture, and audience behaviour, with the ability to move quickly without sacrificing brand integrity.
• Experience working within editorial calendars while remaining agile enough to respond to real-time moments.