Social Media Content Manager

The Franklin Institute (TFI), the most visited museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, strives to be the world leader in promoting science and technology education and literacy through inspiring and engaging experiences that cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and an understanding of the crucial role science plays in our lives.

At TFI, we provide an environment that is as nurturing as it is dynamic. Our team-oriented approach allows for ample learning and career growth opportunities. We think you will find the Institute offers the ideal atmosphere in which to best use your skills and talents. We are eager for your input, ideas, and inspiration.

TFI seeks a highly creative, platform-native Social Media Content Manager to lead the development, production, writing, and publishing of compelling social content that grows audience engagement, strengthens brand relevance, and expands follower growth across priority channels. This role is designed for a creator-strategist: someone who understands how to turn institutional priorities, exhibits, science education, visitor experiences, pop culture moments, and behind-the-scenes access into entertaining, useful, and high-performing social content. This position is centered on original content creation, short-form video storytelling, social copywriting, platform fluency, creative testing, and performance-driven iteration. The successful candidate will bring a strong portfolio of made-for-social content and the ability to execute quickly, creatively, and at a premium level across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X, and emerging platforms. The goal of this role is to redirect the trajectory of TFI’s social media presence by making each channel more engaging, more distinctive, and more valuable to both current and prospective audiences. The Social Media Content Manager will be responsible for:

• Strengthening TFI’s position as a leading cultural and science institution on social media. Building a recognizable social voice that is smart, curious, accessible, and compelling.
• Translating TFI’s brand, exhibits, programs, people, and science expertise into social-first content. Increasing engagement from current followers by creating content that is useful, entertaining, timely, and emotionally resonant. Growing follower count through stronger platform-native storytelling, creative testing, and audience development.
• Using performance data to improve content quality, posting decisions, creative formats, and audience response.

Social-First Content Creation

• Concept, script, shoot, edit, write, and publish original social-first content across priority platforms. Produce short-form video, Reels, TikToks, YouTube Shorts, Stories, social graphics, carousel posts, captions, hooks, and platform-specific copy.
• Identify compelling visual and narrative moments across the museum, exhibits, programs, visitor experiences, science demonstrations, collections, staff expertise, and events. Create content that balances institutional priorities with audience interest, entertainment value, and social relevance.
• Develop recurring content formats and series that build familiarity, repeat engagement, and audience loyalty.

Platform Strategy and Channel Optimization

• Apply platform-specific best practices for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other priority channels. Stay current on platform changes, algorithm updates, content trends, creator tools, and audience behavior.
• Understand the creative and distribution differences between entertainment-driven platforms, search-and-discovery platforms, professional platforms, and community platforms.

Social Copywriting and Brand Voice

• Write strong, concise, engaging social copy with clear hooks, audience value, and platform-appropriate tone. Develop captions, headlines, social scripts, post copy, replies, calls to action, and campaign language.
• Translate complex science, exhibit, and institutional messaging into accessible, compelling copy. Maintain a voice that is smart, confident, curious, entertaining, accurate, and aligned with TF brand.

Creative Campaign Development

• Build social content plans for major exhibits, events, membership campaigns, ticketing priorities, science stories, partnerships, and institutional moments. Turn campaign goals into compelling content concepts that can drive awareness, engagement, traffic, ticket sales, attendance, membership value, or brand affinity.
• Partner with programming, education, experience, development, membership, and external agencies to identify content opportunities.

Video and Visual Storytelling

• Bring strong cinematic judgment to short-form social content, including framing, pacing, sequencing, music selection, text overlays, transitions, lighting, and story structure.
• Capture high-quality mobile-first video and photo content in real time. Edit polished short-form video using appropriate tools and platform-native features.
• Maintain quality standards while producing content efficiently and consistently.

Performance, Testing, and Optimization

• Monitor performance across channels and use results to improve creative decisions. Track engagement rate, reach, follower growth, saves, shares, comments, watch time, completion rate, click-through behavior, and other relevant metrics.
• Identify patterns in what content performs, what underperforms, and provide clear recommendations based on data, not just reporting summaries.
• Conduct creative testing across formats, hooks, lengths, posting times, captions, thumbnails, and calls to action.
• Adjust content strategy based on audience response, platform behavior, campaign performance, and institutional goals.

Content Calendar and Publishing

• Own and manage the social content calendar for organic channels. Ensure posts are accurate, approved when needed, brand-aligned, and published on schedule. Coordinate with internal teams to gather assets, verify information, and schedule coverage.
• Balance planned campaign content with timely, reactive, and opportunistic content and maintain flexibility to respond to timely cultural, scientific, local, and institutional moments.

Community and Audience Engagement and Influencers

• Monitor audience responses and identify engagement opportunities that strengthen the brand. Surface audience insights, recurring questions, sentiment patterns, and content opportunities.
• Oversee Coordinator or similar to respond or escalate comments, questions, and issues according to established guidelines. Partner with communications leadership on sensitive or high-risk social issues.
• Identify and work with a select list of content creators (aka influencers) to support the museum’s mission and revenue driving initiatives (ticket sales, membership, public campaigns). Manage outreach, contract terms, monitor participation, and invite them to events and programming to generate social content.

Live and Real-Time Content

• Capture and publish real-time content during exhibit openings, press events, member events, public programs, evening events, and select weekend moments. Identify what should be covered live, what should be captured for later editing, and what does not merit social coverage.
• Work with photographers, videographers, event teams, and external partners to gather strong social assets.

Additional eligibility requirements – Include work hours, schedule, and physical requirements

• Full-time role based in Philadelphia at The Franklin Institute
• Evening and weekend work will be required for select events, exhibit openings, live coverage, and timely content opportunities.
• Some travel may be required for partnership, media, or off-site content opportunities.

Required/Preferred Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Digital Media, or a related field preferred; equivalent professional experience and demonstrated success in social content creation and audience growth will be considered.
• 5-8 years of professional experience creating social media content for a brand, publisher, cultural institution, entertainment property, attraction, agency, nonprofit, media company, or creator-led environment.
• Demonstrated portfolio of high-performing social content, including short-form video, social campaigns, social copy, and platform-specific creative.
• Proven ability to create entertaining, engaging, made-for-social content from concept through execution.
• Strong short-form video production skills, including shooting, editing, scripting, pacing, and visual storytelling.
• Excellent social copywriting skills, including hooks, captions, calls to action, campaign copy, and platform-specific voice.
• Strong knowledge of platform-native content formats, audience behavior, and social media best practices.
• Ability to interpret performance data and translate insights into stronger creative decisions.
• Strong editorial judgment, attention to detail, and ability to communicate complex topics clearly.
• Ability to work independently, move quickly, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Comfort working cross-functionally with internal teams and external partners.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends for events, launches, and timely coverage.
• Experience creating social content for museums, science centers, cultural attractions, entertainment brands, tourism destinations, sports, media, education, or family-focused organizations.
• Experience growing engagement and followers for an established brand account.
• Strong on-camera, directing, interviewing, or field-producing instincts.
• Experience developing recurring social series or audience-building content formats.
• Experience using social listening, analytics, and scheduling tools. Meta Business Suite and Emplifi experience a plus.
• Experience with paid/organic integration and campaign optimization.
• Familiarity with accessibility best practices, including captions, alt text, and inclusive content standards.
• Comfort using creative tools such as Adobe Premiere, CapCut, Canva, Photoshop, Lightroom, After Effects, Sprout Social, native platform analytics, and AI-assisted tools.

Status: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week

Salary Range: $70,000 - $75,000

Benefits Information: The Franklin Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision, 401K, life insurance and disability coverage. We also offer generous Paid Time Off, paid holidays, and numerous wellness program benefits.

To apply, please visit our Career Center. We look forward to hearing from you!

Research shows that women and people from underrepresented groups often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this role.

The Franklin Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability or protected veteran status.