Remote Program Manager Jobs in Evanston, IL (NOW HIRING)

Description

OpticsPlanet is seeing a full-time Social & Brand Engagement Program Manager to join our Marketing team. As a Social & Brand Engagement Program Manager, you will lead social media and digital community engagement marketing for a 2A-focused organization, emphasizing automation through the utilization of tools, including AI to boost engagement, improve Brand reputation, and expand Brand visibility. Oversee strategy, execution, and optimization in a regulated industry, ensuring compliance while innovating with AI for personalized interactions, lead nurturing, and follower growth.

This role goes beyond traditional social media management. The ideal candidate will design and operate AI-assisted engagement pipelines, automated content generation workflows, and data-driven social campaigns that turn audiences into customers. You will interface with our internal teams and network of partners to deploy campaigns. 

You will balance creativity and strategy — crafting punchy, scroll-stopping content that elevates our voice in retail media, while establishing scalable processes, analytics, and advocacy programs. This position reports directly to leadership and has significant ownership over the growth of our social channels and community reputation.

This is a fully remote and full-time (benefits eligible) position with some potential on-site visits to our Chicagoland worksites. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Design and implement social media strategies across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit and other popular/emerging channels to enhance brand visibility, positive sentiment, and community engagement. 
• Build brand authority and community presence across relevant platforms.
• Drive AI automation initiatives, including tools for content generation, chatbots, predictive analytics, and automated posting workflows to optimize engagement and followership. 
• Analyze performance metrics to refine campaigns and achieve ROI targets. 
• Ensure all activities comply with platform policies, firearm industry regulations/standards, and legal compliance, avoiding prohibited content while maximizing reach. 
• Use AI to analyze content against shifting social guidelines before publishing, ensuring maximum reach without triggering "restricted" flags.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Buyers, Suppliers, Partnership, and Compliance teams to align social efforts with business goals, such as lead generation and e-commerce integration. 
• Manage content creation, including short-form videos, influencer partnerships, and user-generated campaigns tailored to firearm enthusiasts. 
• Identify AI opportunities to automate repetitive tasks like scheduling, personalization, and data-driven targeting for efficient scaling. 
• Stay ahead of trends in AI, social media, social algorithms, and firearm sector dynamics.
• Monitor feedback and sentiment on our social & community channels and flag any controversial issues.
• Engage via community channels (like Reddit and Facebook groups) to increase presence and manage reputation. 
• Maintain a calendar for social, telling seasonal and impactful stories throughout the year that are aligned to brand vision, goals, and campaigns.

Requirements

• 3-5 years of experience in social media in ecommerce retail
• Hands-on experience in leveraging AI tools to generate content, engage automation, lead generation, and achieve measurable results
• Bachelor’s degree is preferred
• Experience in the 2A/Firearms industry is preferred
• Deep familiarity, understanding, and experience in firearms and/or hunting 
• Strategic thinker with data-driven mindset
• Creative problem-solver adaptable to platform and industry restrictions
• Expertise in growing social followers for high-profile accounts
• Strong understanding of social landscape and algorithms
• Initiative-taker, collaborative, and organized
• Strong communicator for cross-functional collaboration
• Ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously
• Experience managing external content creators
• Ability to organize and prioritize workload to meet deadlines

Who You Are:

• You have a true entrepreneurial streak. You love building-from-scratch, experimenting, and pushing ideas forward, without waiting for direction. 
• You thrive on creative problem-solving and see constraints as prompts for better, smarter work. 
• You carry a deep sense of responsibility and pride in everything you touch, and you hold yourself to a high bar. 
• You are technical and have curiosity about new platforms, tools, and cultural shifts, and you naturally explore what is emerging before others even notice it. 
• Creativity fuels you. You are always chasing new angles, formats, and storytelling ideas that make work feel fresh and alive. 
• You see social media as a playground of possibilities and feel energized by its pace, unpredictability, and constant opportunities to try something new. 
• You inspire people through your passion, resourcefulness, and determination.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Annual Based Salary Range: $70-100K 
• The annual based range for this role considers the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled.  

Ecentria offers generous benefits to full-time employees including but not limited to:  

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance  
• 401k plan participation  
• Company paid Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance  
• Company paid Life Insurance 
• Company paid holidays  
• Employee Assistance Program 
• Paid Parental Bonding Leave 

To learn more Ecentria’s benefits, please visit: https://ecentria.com/careers/

Work Location: Fully Remote

We are open to hiring employees in states that we have an established presence. We’re excited to consider residents of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. If you’re from one of these states, we’d love to hear from you. This list is subject to change at the company’s discretion. 

Application: Your application must provide sufficient details about your background and experience to allow the screening panel to properly assess your experience in the required elements, including your experience and achievements. 

If a strong match is found between your qualifications and the requirements of the position, a member of the recruiting staff will contact you to further discuss the career opportunity. 

Equal Employment Opportunity: 

Ecentria is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.