Production Broadcast and Content - Social Media Manager

Social Media Manager

Reporting to: Content Studio Senior Manager

Direct Reports: Social Media Executive (and contractors/agencies as required)

Purpose

The Social Media Manager is responsible for leading VRC's social media strategy, performance, content direction, and community engagement across all owned social platforms.

This role drives the growth, relevance, and commercial impact of VRC's social presence, ensuring social media supports organisational priorities including membership, attendance, brand awareness, customer engagement, hospitality, racing, and the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The Social Media Manager combines strategic thinking with strong content instincts, leading the planning, execution, optimisation, and measurement of social media activity while managing the Social Media Executive and collaborating closely with marketing, content, media, creative, partnerships, racing, events, and corporate affairs teams.

As the social media subject matter expert, this role identifies opportunities to grow audiences, strengthen brand affinity, increase engagement, and position VRC as Australia's premier racing and events destination.

Stakeholders

Internal

CEO, Executive Leadership Team, Heads of Department, Marketing, Communications, Digital, Content, Partnerships, Membership, Customer Experience, Racing, Events, Hospitality and broader VRC teams.

External

Media partners, sponsors, influencers, content creators, agencies, suppliers, members, guests, racing participants and industry stakeholders.

Focus Areas

Social Media Strategy & Leadership

· Develop and lead VRC's social media strategy and set KPI’s aligned to business, brand and commercial objectives.

· Establish platform-specific strategies across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and X.

· Identify opportunities to grow audience reach, engagement, brand relevance and customer acquisition.

· Lead the development of the annual and seasonal social media content strategy, including major race days, Melbourne Cup Carnival and key VRC campaigns and initiatives.

· Ensure social activity supports broader marketing, communications and content strategies.

· Stay ahead of platform developments, audience behaviours, content trends and emerging technologies.

Content Strategy & Editorial Direction

· Own and oversee VRC's social content strategy.

· Provide creative direction for content production across all platforms.

· Ensure content reflects VRC's brand positioning, values and tone of voice.

· Identify storytelling opportunities across racing, events, hospitality, fashion, membership and broader VRC experiences.

· Lead planning and delivery of major social media content moments around Melbourne Cup Carnival and other key events.

· Work closely with photographers, videographers, designers, content creators and agencies to deliver best-in-class content.

Campaign Planning & Execution

· Lead social components of integrated marketing campaigns.

· Partner with marketing and media teams to maximise campaign effectiveness.

· Develop channel strategies, content plans and activation approaches for major initiatives.

· Ensure social media contributes meaningfully to attendance, engagement, membership and revenue objectives.

· Manage influencer, creator and ambassador activity where appropriate.

Community & Brand Reputation Management

· Oversee community management strategy across all channels.

· Establish community engagement standards and response protocols.

· Monitor sentiment and identify emerging opportunities or risks.

· Manage escalations relating to reputation, issues management or sensitive content.

· Foster highly engaged digital communities that strengthen customer loyalty and advocacy.

Insights, Analytics & Optimisation

· Establish meaningful performance measures and reporting frameworks.

· Analyse audience, campaign and platform performance.

· Provide regular reporting and actionable insights to stakeholders.

· Use data and insights to continuously optimise content and channel performance.

· Track competitor activity, industry benchmarks and emerging platform trends.

People Leadership

· Lead, coach and develop the Social Media Executive.

· Set clear expectations, priorities and performance goals.

· Foster a culture of creativity, accountability and continuous improvement.

· Coordinate specialist contractors, agencies and freelance resources where required.

· Build social media capability across the broader organisation.

Governance & Risk Management

· Maintain social media governance standards, policies and processes.

· Ensure compliance with relevant legal, regulatory and brand requirements.

· Manage content approvals and publishing protocols.

· Ensure appropriate management of customer data, privacy and intellectual property requirements.

Key Capabilities & Experience

Essential

· 5+ years' experience in social media, digital content or related marketing roles.

· Demonstrated experience developing and executing successful social media strategies.

· Strong understanding of audience growth, engagement and platform optimisation.

· Proven experience leading social media activity for brands with large consumer audiences.

· Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities across complex campaign and event environments.

· Strong copywriting, storytelling and content planning capabilities.

· Deep understanding of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.

· Strong analytical capability and ability to translate insights into action.

· Experience managing agency, influencer or creator relationships.

· Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.

· Experience leading or developing team members.

· Knowledge of content production workflows including photography, videography and post-production.

Desirable

· Experience within sport, racing, entertainment, events, hospitality or membership-based organisations.

· Experience managing social media for large-scale events or festivals.

· Familiarity with social listening and reporting platforms.

· Experience in paid social campaign collaboration and optimisation.

Values

Think VRC: We deliver with one purpose and plan. We’re one VRC team.

Create Joy: We design every experience, for our members, customers and each other, to create joy.

Be Gutsy: We are grounded in our heritage; we’re brave and curious in our pursuit of a bigger future.

F-Learn: We fail but learn, treating setbacks as opportunities for growth.

Care Deeply: We genuinely care about each other: our people, our members, are customers and our community.