Social Media Manager - The War Zone (Remote Contract)

About The War Zone

The War Zone, part of Recurrent Ventures, is one of the most respected and influential publishers covering defense, military aviation, emerging technology, and global security. Known for its deeply sourced reporting, technical expertise, and analysis-driven journalism, The War Zone serves a passionate and highly engaged that relies on us for accurate, timely, and distinctive coverage of the world’s most consequential defense developments.

We’re looking for someone who understands our audience because they genuinely care about this space—someone familiar with military culture, modern defense technology, and the conversation happening across our community.

Role

The Social Media Manager will play a central role in growing, engaging, and supporting The War Zone’s readership across email, social platforms, and on-site membership channels. This contractor position blends audience growth, community engagement, technical execution, and customer support.

You’ll manage editorial emails, distribute and optimize content across social media, and directly support members of The War Zone’s paywall product and on-site community. You will work closely with editorial leadership to ensure all communications reflect the tone, rigor, and authority that define The War Zone.

This is a hands-on role for someone who combines excellent communication, cultural fluency, technical competence, and a passion for serving a discerning defense-focused audience.

Responsibilities

Email Marketing (Beehiv)

• Build, manage, and deploy daily and weekly editorial emails for The War Zone, as well as special editions and sponsored sends.

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  Collaborate with editorial leadership to craft subject lines, refine voice, optimize content layout, and A/B test improvements.
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  Monitor performance metrics (open rates, CTR, list growth, churn) and iterate to improve engagement.

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  Maintain list hygiene, segmentation, and deliverability best practices.

Social Media

• Own the end-to-end social strategy for The War Zone across Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads and Discord.

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  Translate breaking news, longform features, and analysis pieces into compelling, platform-native posts.
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  Manage scheduling, reactive posting, real-time engagement, and community growth.
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  Track performance analytics and adjust strategy based on insights.

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  Stay current on platform trends, algorithmic shifts, and new opportunities.

Audience & Community Support

• Manage customer service inquiries for The War Zone Paywall, including login support, payment issues, access troubleshooting, and general member communication.

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  Oversee and moderate The War Zone on-site comments, balancing community engagement with enforcement of content and conduct standards.
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  Ensure readers feel heard, respected, and supported across all touchpoints.

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  Maintain a positive, constructive environment aligned with The War Zone’s values and expectations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with editorial, product, sales, and analytics teams.

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  Provide performance insights and audience learnings to guide editorial decisions and growth strategies.

Qualifications

• 3 years experience in digital media, audience development, social media management, or community management.

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  Strong understanding of military culture, defense news, and national security trends.
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  Demonstrated ability to manage social channels for a news or enthusiast publication.
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  Experience with email platforms (Sailthru preferred) and strong editorial instincts.
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  Excellent writing, editing, copywriting, and headline skills.
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  Comfortable working with analytics tools (GA, Chartbeat, social insights dashboards).
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  Highly organized, self-motivated, and able to thrive in a remote, fast-paced environment.

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  Strong communicator and team player who collaborates well with editors and writers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Military or defense journalism background strongly valued.

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  Experience working in or alongside digital newsrooms.

Familiarity with community moderation, subscription products, or paywall operations.

Join the Team

Joining The War Zone means working at the center of one of the world’s most dynamic and consequential news ecosystems. You’ll help shape how critical defense stories reach and resonate with a highly informed audience that spans service members, policymakers, analysts, and enthusiasts.

If you want to work with a mission-driven team that values accuracy, depth, curiosity, and community, we’d love to hear from you.