Associate Director - Direct to Consumer Social Media Strategist

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We're looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Overview:

At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. We make a difference for people around the globe by discovering, developing and delivering medicines that help them live longer, healthier, more active lives. Not only do we deliver breakthrough medications, but you also can count on us to develop creative solutions to support communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Lilly's Social Media Center of Excellence (CoE) is seeking a strategic Social Media expert to elevate our team to new frontiers. As part of the larger Digital Engagement CoE, our goal is to deliver best-in-any class social media best practices, consistently delivering customer-centric experiences rooted in innovation and ethical connections, ultimately inspiring positive change worldwide. The digital arena is dynamic and quickly evolving-marked by frequent platform and algorithm updates, policies and regulations, shifts in user behavior and loyalty, and new ways to leverage data and content.

Position Overview:

Building a successful social media advertising campaigns takes careful planning, development, collaboration, and a strong social media strategist who can reach the target demographic, ensuring our content remains dynamic and responsive to the evolving marketplace and changing customer demands.

We are seeking a skilled Social Media Strategist with extensive experience in crafting and executing innovative social media strategies that drive measurable business outcomes. The candidate should be adept at delivering strategies that deliver breakthrough, digital-first content across paid and organic, resulting in high-performing paid content and owned content that is compelling enough to be shared on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and YouTube, elevating brand presence and achieving critical metrics, all within the framework of regulatory compliance and brand integrity. This person will lead a team of eager Social Media Strategists who are responsible for working cross-functionally with U.S. Consumer brands, brand partnership, media, and analytics teams to enable social media strategies supporting customer needs and key business priorities. This person will push us to the forefront of influencer partnerships, ensuring seamless execution and alignment with overall brand goals. They should be adept at analyzing content performance data to optimize creative output and develop robust testing plans. Additionally, the candidate should know how to effectively integrate organic content with paid advertisements to enhance impact. A consistent record of producing share-worthy, high-quality content that achieves measurable results through engaging and educational material is crucial.

Key responsibilities of this role may include, but are not necessarily limited to:

Evolve Existing Capabilities

• Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on external social platforms, using deep knowledge of current social media capabilities within the pharmaceutical industry, and work with platform representatives to identify and drive new opportunities.

• Provide ongoing education, training, and upskilling for the organization on social media standard methodologies, platform trends, algorithm updates, and new advertising opportunities.

• Develop creativity by working with the Social Media CoE, Media Services, and regulatory teams to develop communication strategies for emerging platforms or new initiatives. Ensure comprehensive documentation and adherence to change control processes.

• Cultivate a skill of experimentation within the Social Media CoE to encourage creative, scalable growth solutions. Develop and implement innovative testing plans across social media platforms to drive engagement, optimize performance, and ensure rapid growth.

• Collaborate with brand teams and brand partnerships team to identify key influencers and create comprehensive plans to integrate content into social media channels. Work closely with internal teams to ensure seamless execution and alignment with overall brand goals.

Tactical Content Development

• Build and maintain strong links within the Social Media CoE, US brand teams, and across global and affiliate teams. Collaborate with key internal team members to create and implement social-first creative strategies for campaigns.

• Lead the creation of detailed communication plans, including content calendars for both paid and organic content. Share these plans with Social Media CoE team members, brand teams, agencies, and cross-functional partners.

• Use social listening insights to closely collaborate with brand partners, ensuring that the Social Media Strategy seamlessly integrates into the broader brand strategy. This should be prioritized based on consumer insights and data-driven needs of the target patient.

• Actively steward the implementation and maintenance of a cohesive global Lilly Brand experience across all campaigns.

• Develop a scalable agile content creation framework that allows for rapid response to social media trends, seamless integration, and ensures a robust solution across the enterprise.

Measurement and Optimization

• Develop and refine content strategies to consistently meet or exceed important metrics, focusing on engagement, reach, and conversion.

• Partner with brands, data and analytics teams, and Media Services to develop robust measurement plans that coordinate with brand goals. Provide actionable recommendations for improvement and integration with other digital channels to enhance understanding of impact and investment.

• Develop a social media playbook that highlights exemplary performances, pilot projects, and lessons learned from rapid iterations for global application.

• Integrate with Brand teams to understand their strategies, goals, and objectives, providing informed recommendations based on social media expertise.

Risk Management

• Stay ahead of frequent algorithm changes and assess their impact on the business. Develop and swiftly implement marketing action plans in response.

• Maintain a strong compliance mindset when creating, reviewing, and deploying advertisements by adhering to privacy laws, FDA requirements, and internal policies.

• Lead the onboarding process for new social agencies for earned, organic, and paid campaigns, in collaboration with Media Services, Procurement, and brand teams.

• Supervise selecting and handling external social media agencies, emphasizing effective communication and collaboration to ensure partners adhere to brand standards and deliver high-quality work.

People Leadership

• Lead and coach a diverse, high performing team, fostering a positive, inclusive environment that encourages collaboration, growth, and uninterrupted improvement.

• Provide clear direction on goals and expectations, offering regular feedback and conducting performance evaluations to enhance team effectiveness.

• Collaborate with senior leadership to align team initiatives with broader organizational objectives, ensuring unified progress toward company goals.

• Promote open communication and address challenges promptly to maintain team alignment and a supportive work culture.

• Stay informed on industry best practices in leadership and team management to drive ongoing improvement in team performance.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience

• Minimum of 5 years digital/media agency experience or brand marketing experience with significant platform experience

• Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States. Lilly does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this employment position.

Additional Qualifications

• Proficient in using social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok) and understanding their features, functionalities, and standard methodologies.

• 8+ years of experience working in consumer marketing, analytics, advertising, consulting, or customer-facing processes or functions, including marketing or digital marketing/media agency experience.

• Background in people management, including setting performance expectations, conducting evaluations, and supporting individual growth within a team.

• Familiarity and understanding of pharmaceutical regulations and guidelines, including FDA and/or other global regulatory bodies, ensuring adherence to compliance standards.

• Proactive attitude with problem-solving skills, involving collaborators as needed, and a collaborative nature that connects across a highly matrixed organization with agility and respect for people (e.g., Brand, Tech@Lilly, Social agencies, Media, etc.).

• Demonstrated product launch experience.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, influence peers and leaders, and prepare the business for change, including organizational change management (OCM).

• Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving priorities and timelines, with a record of adapting to change and handling multiple projects simultaneously.

• Experience with social media management tools (e.g., Sprinklr, Quid, Meltwater, etc.), search, and measurement technologies.

• Strong expertise across multiple digital channels and in-depth expertise in social media and platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube).

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form ( ~~~ ) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and help our company develop talented individuals for future leadership roles. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, African American Network, Chinese Culture Network, Early Career Professionals, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinos at Lilly, PRIDE (LGBTQ + Allies), Veterans Leadership Network, Women's Network, Working and Living with Disabilities. Learn more about all of our groups.

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