SOCIAL MEDIA ASSOCIATE

Title: Social Media Associate                                   

Department: Social Media          

Reports To: Manager of Social Media Brand Integration

Supervises People: No

About the Role

The Associate Development Program is a paid 12-month full-time (temporary) experience designed for early-career individuals or those beginning their professional careers. A bachelor’s degree, relevant certification, or a combination of related education and experience aligned with the responsibilities of the role is required. Relevant coursework, training, or equivalent experience is valued. The format allows for structured professional development and hands-on learning.

The Chicago Bears Social Media Department stives to connect fans to our iconic brand and grow affinity by telling unique, authentic stories that excite, inform and build relationships for generations. The Social Media Associate will elevate the social media presence and voice of the Chicago Bears through the club’s social activity. This person will help engage current fans and grow the next generation of Bears fans by creating and distributing social content that is relevant, timely and innovative across all platforms the club is active on. The Social Media Associate will adhere to the brand’s social media strategy and style guidelines when posting to any of the club’s social media accounts. The ideal candidate will demonstrate good communication and interpersonal skills as well as a strong knowledge of football and the Chicago Bears organization. This position would work primarily at the team’s headquarters in Lake Forest, IL plus at Soldier Field for home gamedays, with the ability for some remote work.

 Please Note: All candidates must include samples of published social media work as part of application to be considered.  

 2026 Associate Development Program Dates: Monday, June 1, 2026 – Friday, May 21, 2027

 Who We Are

As one of the founding franchises of the NFL, family is the core of who we are. We believe every person matters, and we can collectively achieve success through our values of respect, championship mindset, community, and perseverance. We’re different from other companies, as our vision is to be “one of one”. We strive to be a championship football organization that consistently performs at a level of excellence on and off the field. Our people represent a vast array of cultural backgrounds, human experiences and perspectives, and we believe they, collectively and as authentic individuals, are our greatest resource. Our working environment is one where your talent and contributions are valued by the organization and the community.

Responsibilities

• Support social media strategy, inclusive of social media brand standards, voice and platform-specific execution in order to serve avid fans and reach new, younger fans.
• Assist with writing compelling, branded, timely and engaging copy for social media posts, while keeping in mind the Bears voice and platform-specific strategy. Promote various content types with the goal of maximizing reach and engagement while being mindful of the organization and maintaining the Bears best interest. 
• Manage entertainment social media platforms, including mascot and drumline. Ideate, capture, edit and post content on these channels that target the next generation of fans while maintaining Bears voice and brand standards. 
• Help maintain the social content calendar and aid in execution of day-to-day posts, including around tentpole moments, gamedays and sponsored content. Support content capture opportunities when necessary.   
• Brainstorm new concepts and monitor emerging tools/updates in order to connect with the next generation of Bears fans. 
• Monitor and engage with fans and accounts of players, NFL and other sports, leagues, clubs and entertainment entities. 
• Aid in the creation of weekly social media analytics reports by tagging content and providing takeaways that can shape our strategy.
• Assist full social media team when needed, inclusive of corporate partnership content, social media analytics, player social media marketing, international social media marketing and influencer social media marketing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing, or a related discipline; relevant experience considered
• Strong knowledge/understanding of social media best practices and pitfalls across the industry and social platforms, including (but not limited to): TikTok, Instagram, X, Snapchat, Facebook & Threads
• Impeccable attention to detail, grammar and proofreading skills 
• Possess professional communication skills, including written and oral correspondence. This includes the ability to establish a rapport with others and build strong interpersonal relationships with a variety of personalities 
• Possess strong time management, organizational and problem-solving skills 
• Must be able to effectively work in a fast-paced environment and demonstrate the ability to juggle multiple tasks and projects while keeping key stakeholders updated 
• Must be dependable, willing to take initiative and able to adapt to a variety of situations 
• Ability to work both independently and desire to work collaboratively within larger group discussions, brainstorms, and meetings 
• Working knowledge of Photoshop, Premiere and principles of photography, videography, graphic design is a plus 
• Able to work non-traditional hours, in non-traditional settings, including weekends, evenings and holidays and able and willing to travel to off-site events as needed 
• Ability to stand/walk for long periods of time in varying weather conditions, climb up/downstairs, lift heavy objects
• Reliable transportation is required for this role.
• Experience in sports is a plus

What We Offer

We remain committed to upholding the standard of being a first-class organization and employer of choice. 

COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY PAY

The Social Media Associate is a full-time temporary position. This position is an HOURLY role. The expected hourly rate for this role is $20 per hour. Please note, due to job function, regular over-time (paid as time-and-a-half) is expected. 

 BENEFITS & PERKS

Our Associate offerings include but are not limited to: 

• Core Coverage: Optional medical coverage (employer paid premium + employee paid deductible) 
• Flexible Work Location: Up to 2 days a week of remote work (role dependent) 
• Time to Recharge: 5 days of paid vacation time, 3 paid sick/mental health days plus 10 paid holidays, paid time off to volunteer 
• Experiences: complimentary preseason tickets for one game, ability to buy additional tickets for home & away games 
• Wellness: FREE breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks, access to onsite fitness facilities and BearsFit, complimentary Calm app access 
• Connection: Social events for staff and their families, Employee Resource Groups, and more 
• Professional Development: complimentary LinkedIn Learning access, professional development sessions, guest speakers, mentorship 

 Additional information on employee benefits can be found by visiting www.ChicagoBears.com/jobs. 

 Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

The Chicago Bears organization continues to deepen its commitment to establishing an inclusive, equitable work environment that reflects the diversity within our communities and fan base. We value, respect, and appreciate diversity at all levels, on and off the field, and are guided by a vision of success that includes integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into our club's DNA and culture. The Chicago Bears seek to attract, retain and develop top talent, regardless of personal characteristics, and we invite and encourage all individuals to apply for positions of interest.

The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job. Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.