Digital Communications Manager

SSENSE (pronounced [es-uhns]) is a global technology platform operating at the intersection of culture, community, and commerce. Headquartered in Montreal, it features a mix of established and emerging luxury brands across womenswear, menswear, kidswear, and Everything Else. 

SSENSE has garnered critical acclaim as both an e-commerce engine and a producer of cultural content, generating an average of 100 million monthly page views. Approximately 80% of its audience is between the ages of 18 to 40. It is privately held and has achieved high double digit annual growth and profitability since its inception.

Reporting to the Senior Manager of Brand Communications, the Digital Communications Manager plays an essential role within the Communications team and the company at large by ideating and executing digital communications strategies with a focus on new and existing social media platforms. The Digital Communications Manager will manage a small team to grow the SSENSE community at scale across a diverse mix of social and digital platforms.

Responsibilities

Strategy 10%

• Develop and present strategies to the Senior Manager of Brand Communications and manage social media engagement tactics to grow and retain the global SSENSE community at scale, including earned and paid initiatives
• Devise and execute digital media strategies across all active social media and networking platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) and represent the voice of the SSENSE community within the company
• Identify and implement growth strategies and engagement tactics in the social and digital community to build high-integrity relationships and foster brand advocacy; leveraging the existing SSENSE network of collaborators and contributors while establishing new relationships

Digital Communications 70%

• Work closely with the PR team to bridge the gap between traditional and digital communications channels to develop, leverage, and amplify cross-channel initiatives
• Collaborate closely with Design, Editorial, Brand Partnerships, Planning, Business Analytics, and Sales teams to optimize social media performance, with a focus on Instagram
• Act as the expert on emerging and existing global/regional digital and messaging platforms including but not limited to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, Weibo, Wechat, Line, Whatsapp 
• Develop social media initiatives for Brand Partnerships as needed
• Conduct in-depth analysis and leverage insights to develop digital plans to support company objectives 
• Oversee the seasonal planning calendar for all active social platforms
• Provide community support & counsel to the customer care team with a focus on customer satisfaction; creating escalation procedures and playbooks as needed
• Ensure consistent communication of SSENSE brand values, standards and personality across all platforms 
• Stay ahead of social media trends to develop strategies that will grow the SSENSE community at scale

People Leadership 30%

• Lead hiring efforts and conduct interviews to attract and retain top talent 
• Lead the creation and development of training documentation for the team
• Hold weekly one-on-ones, conduct performance reviews, analyze individual KPIs and assess promotion readiness to help each contributor evolve in their roles
• Work with Senior Leadership to gage and monitor team engagement and implement solutions to create a transparent, collaborative and productive work environment 
• Collaborate with Senior Leadership to establish the short term objectives for the department and ensure team's are engaged towards achieving the department's missions

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of professional experience managing a brand and/or company’s social media presence with a proven track record for developing and executing successful social media campaigns that achieved positive growth and engagement
• Passion and expertise for social platforms and digital communities (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Wechat, Weibo, Line, Pinterest, Snapchat, Reddit, etc.)
• Exceptional content creation and curatorial abilities
• Excellent copywriting and communication skills in English, other languages are an asset
• Flexible schedule according to the social media life cycle
• Experience using social monitoring/listening tools to compile insightful and actionable reports 
• Experience assessing risk and consulting on sensitive issues 
• Comfort with a wide variety of cultural considerations and sensitivities
• Ability to travel internationally as required
• Proficient with Microsoft Office, OS X, and Google products; experience with Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign an asset

Skills

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment
• A creative and strategic thinker who is genuine, self-motivated, collaborative, and proactive
• Strong interpersonal skills with a natural ability to build relationships; maturity, discretion, discipline, and professionalism are essential
• Healthy obsession with pop-culture and current events
• Demonstrates a keen sensibility and knowledge of fashion, retail, technology, and marketing trends