Social Media Manager
Matt Lockshin
Description
COMMON GROUND COLLECTIVE
Effective Advocacy. Inclusive Coalitions. Real Results for Chicago.
OVERVIEW:
Common Ground Collective (CGC) is seeking a creative, community-minded Social Media Manager with a strong interest in local influencers, neighborhood networks, and grassroots digital engagement. This role is ideal for someone who understands how people in Chicago communities organize online—whether through parent groups, neighborhood pages, block club leaders, small business owners, or hyperlocal creators—and can translate those connections into meaningful storytelling and engagement.
The Social Media Manager will help execute CGC’s grassroots digital program, build relationships with trusted community voices, and produce compelling content that elevates local issues such as public safety, small business vitality, and neighborhood well-being.
REPORTING STRUCTURE:
The Social Media Manager reports to the Senior Advisor, and will collaborate closely with the communications and engagement teams.
Requirements
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop digital strategies to elevate CGCs voice and online profile.
- Design a strategy and set goals for social media accounts and maintain a posting calendar in service of that strategy and goals
- Draft clear, persuasive, and authentic social copy, adjusting tone for different messengers and communities.
- Identify local influencers and community connectors (e.g., neighborhood leaders, parent groups, block club presidents, small-business owners) who shape conversations on key Chicago and Illinois issues on social media.
- Engage directly with community voices to build authentic digital relationships and amplify local perspectives.
- Capture, edit, and produce short-form video content that reflects real community stories and drives engagement.
- Create eye-catching, well-composed content (graphics, copy, short videos) tailored to specific audiences and platforms.
- Support bilingual content development (English/Spanish) for posts, captions, and scripts.
- Monitor online conversations and trends related to community safety, neighborhood pride, small business issues, and civic participation.
- Track performance analytics to inform ongoing digital strategy.
- Work collaboratively with internal teams and consultants to align digital engagement with organizational goals.
- Stay organized, meet deadlines, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
- Other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- 3–5 years of digital, communications, or community organizing experience (or equivalent nonprofit/social impact experience).
- Experience identifying and building relationships with local influencers, grassroots leaders, or online community groups.
- Strong social media skills: content creation, short-form video, writing for digital platforms.
- Demonstrated ability to write persuasively, authentically, and concisely
- Familiarity with Chicago communities, neighborhoods, and local issues is a strong plus.
- Comfortable collaborating across teams and taking feedback constructively.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, responsive, and adaptable.
- Ability to work occasional evenings/weekends during rapid-response or peak moments.
- Fluency in writing and developing content in Spanish is preferred (or strong proficiency with willingness to grow).
START DATE: January 2026
LOCATION: Chicago, IL (hybrid)
SALARY & BENEFITS:
The anticipated salary for this position is $90,000-$120,000. CGC offers a benefits package that includes employee medical and dental insurance.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your qualifications and interest in the position to [email protected]. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
ABOUT US
Common Ground Collective (CGC) is a 501(c)(4) issue advocacy organization dedicated to educating and mobilizing local elected officials, building grassroots coalitions, and proactively engaging voters around effective policies that benefit Chicagoans in every neighborhood. Focused on solving problems and delivering results, CGC supports policies that reflect Chicago’s deeply held democratic values. We work to defeat extremist policies from both the far right and far left that seek to divide our city.
CGC is a nonpartisan organization and operates independently of candidate campaigns, in full compliance with federal and state laws.