Freelance Travel Content Creator Jobs in Reston, VA

Job Posting Title:

Senior Manager, Social Media (National Geographic)

Req ID:

10156078

Job Description:

National Geographic is seeking a Senior Manager, Social Media to lead overall strategy and day-to-day execution across a world-class portfolio of social accounts reaching over 800M followers. This role will set the direction for the @NatGeo brand and vertical social accounts spanning Animals, Travel, Science, and more - driving audience growth through top-tier short-form content, community management, and platform innovation. Notably, this strategist will lead the execution of our Kids & Family social strategy, with a keen eye on growing our @NatGeoFamily handles.

Additionally, the Senior Manager will own the development and execution for key National Geographic brand priorities like our Earth Month campaign and integrated social media marketing with other Nat Geo-branded lines of business.

What You Bring:

• Proven experience leading social strategy for large-scale media brands in entertainment, editorial and beyond
• Deep expertise across platforms including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Reddit
• Strong understanding of the creator economy and platform ecosystems
• Ability to translate insights into actionable, scalable strategies
• Exceptional creative judgment and a sharp eye for platform-native storytelling
• Track record of leading fast-paced campaigns and cross-functional initiatives

Responsibilities:

Platform & Content Strategy

• Define and execute social strategy across accounts and platforms, with a focus on tactics that drive sustained and scalable audience growth and engagement across the portfolio
• Oversee always-on content development across brand and vertical accounts, ensuring consistency, quality, and performance of short-form video
• Identify platform opportunities and emerging trends to evolve Nat Geo's social presence

Account Leadership & Operations

• Own day-to-day oversight of the @NatGeo flagship brand account and key vertical handles: Animals, Travel, History, Science and Family
• Lead high-velocity content production and campaign execution from concept through deployment
• Develop social strategy and execution for Kids & Family, collaborating across the content organization to support key priorities that drive growth on our @NatGeoFamily accounts
• Develop content and distribution approaches tailored to younger audiences and family viewing
• Oversee agency partners who execute daily publishing, community management, and performance tracking

Brand Partnerships & Campaigns

• Serve as the primary social lead for Nat Geo's Brand and Franchise team, driving social campaign execution for key brand priorities like Earth Month
• Translate marketing priorities into compelling, platform-native social activations Act as the main social media team liaison to social/digital teams at National Geographic Society

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with TV, editorial, marketing, creator, and synergy teams to deliver cohesive campaigns
• Build and manage relationships across a complex set of internal and external stakeholders
• Align multiple content pipelines into a unified social strategy

Basic Qualifications:

• 7+ years' experience in social media strategy and marketing, preferably managing large-scale brand or media portfolios
• Demonstrated expertise across major social platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Reddit) with a strong understanding of platform ecosystems and trends
• Proven track record developing and executing data-driven social strategies that drive audience growth, engagement, and brand impact
• Experience leading always-on content development and high-volume publishing workflows, with a focus on short-form video and platform-native storytelling
• Experience overseeing social accounts at scale, including flagship brand channels and/or multiple vertical or audience-specific handles
• Strong campaign leadership experience, translating marketing priorities into integrated, platform-native social activations Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, partnering with editorial, marketing, creative, and external stakeholders Experience managing external partners or agencies, including oversight of publishing, community management, and performance reporting
• Deep understanding of content production workflows, with the ability to optimize and evolve processes for speed, scale, and quality
• Proficiency with social media management, analytics, and reporting tools, with the ability to translate insights into actionable strategies
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present strategies and performance insights to stakeholders Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities, operate in fast-paced environments, and meet deadlines

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience managing large-scale social or marketing budgets
• On-set or field production experience, with the ability to translate captured content into high-performing, platform-native social storytelling
• Experience working within global or multi-brand organizations, managing complex stakeholder environments and distributed teams Familiarity with youth, family, or multi-generational audience strategies, including content tailored for younger and emerging audiences
• Experience launching or scaling social handles or new content verticals, driving audience growth from early-stage to maturity
• Strong understanding of the creator economy, including partnerships

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience

The hiring range for this position in Washington, D.C. is $112,700 to $154,800 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

Job Posting Segment:

National Geographic

Job Posting Primary Business:

National Geographic (DET)

Primary Job Posting Category:

Digital Media / Social Media

Employment Type:

Full time

Primary City, State, Region, Postal Code:

Washington, DC, USA

Alternate City, State, Region, Postal Code:

Date Posted:

2026-07-21