Social Media Manager

Description

At Hawkers, our food may come from the wok, but our brand lives everywhere people talk, scroll, share, and group-chat about an unforgettable experience. Our brand was born in the bustling night markets of Asia – destinations packed with color, sound, grit, and creativity. The streets are our storyboard. 

With 15 (and growing) locations across the Southeast, Hawkers is a culture-forward brand that thrives on personality, storytelling, and the kind of fun that makes people nudge their friends and say, “You’ve gotta see this.” We’re not trying to blend in – we’re here to stand out, show up, and bring people into the world of Hawkers through a digital community that’s worth being part of.  

If that sounds like your kind of playground, then you’ve come to the right place. 

The Hawkers Social Media Manager understands that social isn’t just content – it’s culture. Someone who treats channels like living, breathing spaces where brands earn digital community by being interesting, human, and self-aware. 

In this role, you’ll shape how Hawkers shows up online. You’ll create content that reflects who we are: curious, playful, bold, rooted in street culture, and always celebrating what’s happening in the world around us. You’ll tell real stories – about our people, our food, our communities, our origins – in ways that feel thoughtful, funny, honest, and distinctly Hawkers. 

This isn’t about chasing virality. It’s about building a brand presence that feels fresh, creative, and true to the Hawkers voice. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead social media strategy across core platforms through a social identity that feels instantly recognizable – visually, tonally, and energetically. 
• Ideate, create, and edit original content that captures the vibe and soul of the brand. 
• Translate cultural moments into the Hawkers world through sharp observation, humor, timing, and point of view. 
• Maintain a distinctive social voice that’s grounded in the personality of the Hawkers brand. 
• Spotlight the real stories behind our food, our people, and our communities. 
• Partner with influencers, creators, and local connectors to create work that amplifies the relationship between our brand and our community. 
• Identify cultural trends early and decide which one's matter for our brand (and which ones don’t). 
• Use data and analytics to analyze performance thoughtfully – not as a scorecard, but as a compass for better storytelling. 
• Shape the digital expression of our campaigns, openings, menu updates, and brand moments. 
• Foster strong two-way digital communities by engaging with our audience regularly. 
• Collaborate closely with the brand team and other departments to conceptualize campaigns, activations, and experiential moments. 
• Work closely with the VP of Marketing to maintain and evolve our brand ecosystem, ensuring consistency while pushing social boundaries. 

Requirements

What You Bring to the Table:

• 3-5 years of experience in social strategy, content creation, or digital storytelling – but we care more about your eye, your instinct, and your portfolio than your resume. 
• Deep fluency in the nuances among various social platforms – not just how they work, but how people actually use them. 
• A portfolio that reflects instinct, not just skill and competence. Show us you understand tone, pacing, point of view, and brand identity. 
• Strong writing instincts. 
• A natural ability to notice things others scroll past. 
• Comfortability behind the camera, in front of the camera, or somewhere in the middle – whatever your ideas call for. 
• Ability to stay agile and move quickly without sacrificing intention or brand discipline. 
• A true fan of all-things culture: food, fashion, subcultures, internet behavior, design, humor, and the fun little corners of the world where great ideas and conversations live. 
• Strong communication and collaboration skills. You know how to bring people along for the ride. 

What We Bring to the Table: 

• The opportunity to build a social presence that doesn’t look or feel like anyone else’s. 
• A creative environment that values perspective, curiosity, experimentation, and originality.
• Space to explore ideas that are unconventional, absurd, thought-provoking, and just plain fun. 
• Leadership that understands social is not an afterthought – it’s a brand engine. 
• A creative playground where big ideas aren’t just welcome, they’re actually brought to life. 
• Competitive compensation, benefits, and room to grow a team around you over time. 

Physical Demands:

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. 
• Ability to lift/carry materials up to 20 lbs.
• Must  be able to frequently stand, walk, bend, squat, and reach above shoulder level. 
• Must be able to sit for long periods of time, type, and present. 
• Frequent communications, verbal and written. 
• Potential travel to restaurant locations and community events.