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Paid Social Media Specialist (Temporary), Salt Lake City, UT

Western Governors University
life insurance, flexible benefit account, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, sick time
United States, Utah, Salt Lake City
3949 South 700 East (Show on map)
Mar 13, 2026
If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account 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. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Professional 308 Pay Range: $73,000.00 - $109,400.00 Job Description Western Governors University is seeking a results driven Paid Social Media Specialist to elevate institutional brand awareness, strengthen reputation, and expand thought leadership visibility through ongoing and net new paid amplification strategies. This role is execution focused and performance accountable. The contractor will identify high performing organic content across university channels and strategically boost it to priority audiences. In parallel, they will develop and manage paid influencer partnerships in partner with the broader Institutional Advancement organization, ensuring that any and all creator partners drive strategic goals and initiatives. This specialist will manage campaigns across Meta, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok, optimizing performance through disciplined testing, segmentation, and data analysis. The individual will collaborate closely with Communications and Marketing teams while maintaining independent ownership of paid execution. This is not a generalist social media strategy role. It is a paid media performance role designed to increase visibility, engagement, and brand perception. Core Responsibilities Paid Social Campaign Management Develop and execute paid amplification strategies aligned with WGU's brand positioning and reputation priorities. Identify organic content for boosting based on engagement signals, strategic messaging, and leadership visibility goals. Build and manage campaigns in: Meta Ads Manager LinkedIn Campaign Manager YouTube Ads TikTok Ads Manager Design campaigns focused on brand awareness, audience growth, engagement, and message recall. Implement retargeting strategies to reinforce brand familiarity and deepen audience engagement. Conduct structured A/B testing on creative, copy, audiences, and placements. Optimize campaigns weekly to maximize reach efficiency and engagement performance. Paid Influencer Campaign Strategy & Execution Identify and vet influencers aligned with WGU's mission and brand values. Develop influencer briefs defining messaging priorities, deliverables, and brand standards. Manage negotiations, contracts, timelines, and compliance requirements. Oversee content approval to ensure alignment with brand voice and institutional guidelines. Integrate influencer content into broader paid amplification strategies to expand reach and credibility. Track influencer performance metrics including reach, engagement, brand lift indicators, and audience growth. Analytics & Performance Reporting Track KPIs including: Reach and impressions CPM Engagement rate Video completion rate CTR Link clicks Audience growth metrics Maintain monthly reporting dashboards and performance summaries for April-October. Provide insights and optimization recommendations focused on brand awareness and message resonance. Monitor budget pacing to ensure efficient allocation of funds, ensuring any recommended changes are approved by the social media manager. Cross Functional Collaboration Work closely with Communications and Marketing teams. Participate in campaign planning sessions and provide paid media recommendations aligned with brand initiatives. Support leadership visibility efforts, key announcements, and institutional storytelling campaigns. Coordinate creative needs with internal designers and content creators to ensure platform-optimized assets. Other social content responsibilities as requested. Required Qualifications 5 to 8 years of hands-on paid social media experience. Demonstrated expertise managing campaigns across Meta, LinkedIn (including Thought Leader Ads), YouTube, and TikTok. Proven experience executing paid influencer campaigns from sourcing to reporting. Strong understanding of brand awareness metrics and paid media optimization strategies. Experience managing monthly paid budgets of $30,000 or more preferred. Ability to independently manage campaign lifecycle from strategy through optimization. Preferred Qualifications Experience working in higher education or with mission-driven institutions. Experience amplifying executive thought leadership content. Familiarity with brand lift studies and awareness measurement tools. Travel Requirements Minimal travel expected. Possible support for events or internal summits may be required. #LI-TK1 Position & Application Details Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave. How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday. Additional Information Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive. Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu. Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.