Digital and Visual Content Manager

Job Title: Digital and Visual Content Manager  FLSA: Exempt

Department:  Marketing  Reports to:  VP of Marketing

Position Summary:

The Digital Content Manager will be the driving force behind our digital presence, bringing bold ideas, visual creativity, and strategic thinking to our digital platforms. This role calls for a highly imaginative and versatile thinker - someone who can blend visual storytelling and brand voice, adapt quickly to trends, and push creative boundaries to keep our content fresh and engaging. With a sharp understanding of what captures attention online, this individual will elevate our presence across all channels, introduce innovative ideas to inspire our audience, and help drive measurable growth. Overall goals are to increase brand awareness, interest, and action to grow marketing qualified leads via website form submissions. The Digital Content Manager will report to the VP of Marketing and will play a key role in expanding our online impact through thoughtful, relevant, and distinctly on-brand content.

Essential Functions:

• Create, curate, and manage compelling content across all digital platforms – social media, email, and website - ensuring digital strategies align with broader marketing goals and initiatives. Content will at least include images, videos, graphics and copy that align with Blue Plate’s brand tone and voice. Occasional graphic design work is required.
• In partnership with the VP of Marketing, Graphic Designer, and teams across Blue Plate, serve as a visual stylist who curates and develops a distinct, elevated brand identity across all channels—digital and experiential. This role brings a cohesive and impactful visual style to life, drawing inspiration from best-in-class brands to create a fresh, fun, and highly stylized aesthetic that celebrates our food, events, and culture.
• Manage social media marketing to create content, schedule posts and measure growth and audience engagement. Develop a quarterly-rolling content calendar to ensure consistent posting and engagement. Monitor activity and engagement to gain insights into customer and industry trends and preferences. 
• Regularly attend Blue Plate and other Chicago cultural events to capture images, videos, and interviews to produce content usable across all platforms.
• Lead the strategy, design, and execution of internal and external email campaigns—collaborating across departments to curate content, target key audiences, and drive awareness and qualified sales leads. Leverage automation and testing to optimize performance and continuously measure campaign effectiveness.
• Oversee and manage the Blue Plate website: plug-ins to other platforms, content and image updates, creation of landing pages; and monthly analytics reporting.
• Track and analyze all digital marketing performance and generate reports to assess the effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
• Collaborate across all departments to assist in the delivery of RFP responses. From graphic design work to content creation, to workflow management, RFP response development is a marketing team effort and assistance is ongoing and on-demand.
• Collaborate with HR, culinary, sales, and service teams to develop and implement strategies that foster engagement with local communities and strengthen positive relationships. Cultivate a vibrant community by actively creating stories to connect Blue  Plate with the communities it serves.
• Perform other job-related tasks, as assigned.

 Education and Experience: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field
• 1-3 years of experience with B2C social media marketing or content development
• Direct experience using social media management tools (Hootsuite, Sprinklr)
• Experience with GSuite (Gmail, GDrive, Docs, Sheets)

Preferred Experience and Skills: The following are preferred requirements but not required:

• Can provide examples/portfolio of content (photography and copywriting)
• Experience in food/event photography
• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.)
• Experience with Mailchimp, Loomly and Wordpress preferred
• Experience in food, fashion, or lifestyle visual styling
• 1-3 years of experience with B2B social media marketing or content development

Essential Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Blue Plate is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA):.

• Ability to demonstrate strong affinity for Blue Plate’s mission: Our mission is to “care more” for others through food and service experiences that turn our partner’s vision into reality.
• Passion for social media and mastery of the major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and social media management tools
• Proficiency with video and photo editing tools, digital media formats, and content management systems
• Excellent social listening skills
• Ability to understand historical,  current, and future trends in the digital content and social media
• Examples/portfolio illustrate strong copywriting, copy-editing, photography, and video skills
• Top-notch oral and verbal communication skills
• Impeccable time management skills
• Highly organized, responsible, and detail-oriented

Language Skills: 

Ability to read, write and speak English proficiently. English/Spanish bilingual skills preferred.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Blue Plate is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA):. 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• Possess the ability to fulfill any and all office activities normally expected in an office setting, to include, but not limited to:  remaining seated for periods of time to perform computer entry, participating in filing activity, lifting and carrying office supplies (paper reams, mail, etc.).
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. 
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• At times, may require more than 40 hours per week to perform the essential functions of the position.
• Fine hand manipulation.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Blue Plate is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA):

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time.
• Internal office space.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary Range: $78,000 – $85,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.

Benefits Overview

At Blue Plate Catering, we live our core value: We Care More by offering a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our commitment to supporting our team’s well-being and growth. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k)-retirement plan, and paid time off (PTO) with sick leave. Additional perks such as commuter benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), free meals, and pet insurance options ensure our team feels valued. We also offer wellness rewards, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and resources to help you thrive in work and life.

Blue Plate Catering complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment, including protections related to race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, or pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.