[Urgent Search] Content Strategist

Mission Build and lead an independent content & media vertical that 1) scales our brand presence on YouTube and Instagram, 2) launches and grows a flagship podcast, and 3) operates as a service hub supporting our consumer brands with content strategy, production, distribution, and monetization. 12-Month Outcomes (What Success Looks Like) - YouTube: Post consistently (weekly). Get a few clear wins—think 5 videos that really pop and a healthy lift in subs (2–3×). Watch-time trending up and more people coming back because they like the format. - Instagram: Run a steady Reels rhythm (15–20/mo). Aim for 4–5%+ engagement, a couple of mini‑viral Reels each month, and regular collabs that bring in fresh audiences. - Podcast: Launch in the first 60 days, then keep it weekly. Hit your first 10k total downloads by mid‑year and land 1–2 paying sponsors by the back half. - Revenue: By year‑end, the content engine pays for itself through sponsors, affiliates, and light product promos. - Ops: A simple in‑house workflow that moves fast clear content calendar, quick title/thumbnail tests, and a one‑glance dashboard everyone checks. - Team: A lean crew that ships (editor + designer/thumbnail + producer), with freelancers plugged in when and if needed. Key Responsibilities Strategy & Leadership - Own the multi-platform content strategy, brand voice, and programming pillars for YouTube, Instagram, and the podcast. - Act as business head for the media vertical: forecasting, budgets, vendor management, rate cards, and monetization. - Build the operating model to serve internal/portfolio brands with clear SLAs and quarterly OKRs. Production & Distribution - Stand up a light-weight studio workflow (scripts, shoots, edits, thumbnails, metadata, SEO, shorts slicing, audiograms). - Ship weekly video pods, 2–3 longform videos/month, 12–20 Shorts/Reels per week across brands. - Run creator collabs, guest booking, and community initiatives (Discord/WhatsApp/YouTube Communities). Growth & Monetization - Drive channel growth via content-market fit, thumbnails/titles testing, retention curves, and distribution loops. - Build sponsorship pipeline, affiliate programs, UTM-ed storefronts, and newsletter cross-sells; integrate social commerce where relevant. Analytics & Governance - Build dashboards (YT Studio, GA4, Meta Insights, Chartable/Spotify for Podcasters). - Own IP, music/copyright, usage rights, brand safety, and crisis playbooks. Ideal Candidate Profile Must-have experience (screen-out if missing): - Proven 0→1 builder: launched and scaled a YouTube channel and/or podcast from scratch (or revived from near-zero) with clear before→after metrics. - Independent operator: prior freelance/creator/consultant stint owning outcomes end-to-end (strategy → production → distribution → monetization). - Business mindset: has turned content into a business (pricing/rate cards, sponsor deals, affiliates) with hands-on P&L ownership or direct contribution. - 7–12 years in content/media; proven YouTube channel growth and Instagram Reels expertise. - Shipped/hosted/produced at least one weekly podcast with measurable growth. - Strong editorial instincts + performance mindset (CTR, AVD, RPM, view-to-subscribe, reach-to-engagement). - Comfortable with on-camera direction and talent management. - Working knowledge of editing & production (Premiere/Final Cut/CapCut, Descript), audio (RØDE, Shure, Focusrite), and studio workflows. - Experience owning P&L and closing brand deals/sponsorships. - Excellent storytelling, scripting, interviewing, and community-building skills. Preferred backgrounds: Candidates from content/creative agencies who have helped build a content/media practice into a business unit (service line/P&L), and independent creators/consultants who have taken multiple brands from 0→1. Nice-to-have: Creator economy networks, newsletter growth, live-stream ops, social commerce, basic motion/graphics. Tooling Stack (Suggested) - Planning: Notion/Asana, Airtable content calendar, Figma for thumbnails. - Production: Sony/Canon mirrorless, RØDE/SHURE mics, Aputure lights; Premiere/Final Cut, CapCut, After Effects, Descript. - Analytics: YouTube Studio, vidIQ/TubeBuddy, GA4, Meta Insights, Chartable/Podbean, Looker Studio.