Freelance Social Media Strategist & Channel Manager
Shadow Lion | NFL Sports Media / Digital Series
Location: Los Angeles preferred
Start Date: ASAP (November 2026)
Duration: Through August 2027 (anticipated)
Engagement: Freelance / Contract
About the Opportunity
Shadow Lion is seeking an experienced, creative, and highly engaged Social Media Strategist & Channel Manager to lead the social presence of a high-profile, talent-led NFL news and interview show.
With three live episodes per week, prominent guests from across the sports and entertainment landscape, and a constant stream of NFL news and conversation, this opportunity offers the chance to develop and execute a dynamic, social-first content strategy.
We're looking for someone who understands the sports media landscape, knows how to turn compelling moments into engaging social content, and can help build an active, growing community around the show.
The ideal candidate is equal parts strategist, creative thinker, and hands-on channel manager, comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where timeliness, collaboration, and strong editorial instincts are essential.
Key Responsibilities
Social Strategy & Content Development
- Develop and execute a comprehensive social media strategy across Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube Shorts, and other relevant platforms.
- Build and manage a consistent content calendar, balancing episode highlights, breaking NFL news, evergreen content, and original social-first concepts.
- Identify opportunities to capitalize on trending topics, cultural moments, and emerging platform formats.
- Collaborate with talent and the production team to develop original content beyond traditional show clips, including behind-the-scenes moments, social trends, and audience-driven activations.
Channel & Community Management
- Oversee day-to-day publishing, scheduling, and optimization across the show's social channels.
- Manage audience engagement, including responding to comments, encouraging conversation, and identifying opportunities to deepen community interaction.
- Monitor channel performance, evaluate content effectiveness, and refine strategy based on audience insights and platform analytics.
- Maintain a consistent brand voice while adapting content to the unique audiences and formats of each platform.
Content Production & Team Coordination
- Oversee and coordinate a team of freelance social video editors/clippers, including helping identify and resource additional editorial support as needed.
- Manage the social content pipeline, from identifying key moments during live recordings through editing, review, approval, and publishing.
- Provide creative direction and feedback to editors to ensure content is timely, engaging, and optimized for each platform.
- Work closely with Shadow Lion's production team to maintain an efficient workflow across the show's weekly schedule.
- Identify opportunities for original social content capture around recordings, talent appearances, and special events.
Schedule & Availability
The show records live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and the selected candidate will need to be available during these sessions to monitor content, identify key moments, and coordinate timely social publishing.
Additional availability will be required for team meetings, content planning, and ongoing channel management throughout the week.
Los Angeles-based candidates are preferred, given the opportunity to collaborate directly with talent and the production team, capture original social-first content, and participate in select recordings and events. However, remote candidates with the right experience and availability will also be considered.
The role may also include opportunities for travel, on-site event coverage, and access to high-profile athletes, entertainers, and other notable guests.
Ideal Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience managing social media strategy and channels for a sports, entertainment, podcast, or digital media property.
- Strong understanding of the NFL, football culture, and the broader sports media landscape.
- Deep familiarity with Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube, including platform-specific best practices and audience development strategies.
- Strong editorial judgment and an instinct for identifying moments that will resonate with audiences.
- Experience managing freelance editors, creative contributors, or social production workflows.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, live-production environment with quick turnaround expectations.
- Excellent communication, organization, and project management skills.
- Experience with short-form video production or editing is a plus, though advanced editing skills are not required.
Engagement Details
This is a freelance opportunity with an anticipated engagement running through August 2027, beginning as soon as possible.
Compensation will be commensurate with experience and the agreed-upon scope of work.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit a brief introduction outlining their relevant experience, examples of social accounts or projects they've managed, and their availability and anticipated rate.
We'd especially love to see examples of accounts you've helped grow, original social-first content you've developed, or strategies you've implemented to build engagement around a show, personality, or media brand.
