Vertical Content & Growth Manager

The HEAT Group is seeking a Vertical Content & Growth Manager to lead how the Miami HEAT expands its social reach beyond our current following, turning new audiences into fans and fans into lasting supporters of the brand. This is a creative role built around top-of-funnel growth through short-form vertical video. This person develops distinct, platform native vertical strategy across every short-form channel (Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, YT Shorts), while also leading the Vertical Content Creator in bringing that strategy to life across every vertical channel.

They are equal parts maker and strategist, fluent enough in production to set the creative bar and rigorous enough with data, partnering closely with the Content Strategy Coordinator, to know why content does or doesn't break beyond our follower base. This is not just a publishing role, it is a growth and creative leadership role.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The following are examples of the various functions required. The job requirements are not limited to the items on this list.

• Own the brand's top-of-funnel vertical strategy (Reels, Tik Tok, Facebook and YT Shorts) designed to reach and grow non-follower audiences.
• Lead the Vertical Content Creator, providing creative direction and setting distinct, platform native vertical strategy across Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and other platforms.
• Conceive and launch original content franchises — repeatable, ownable formats with their own identity — built to perform independent of team performance and for non-follower audiences.
• Build a profile-conversion strategy — ensure content that reaches non-followers converts profile visits into follows and develop content paths that move new audiences toward becoming lasting supporters of the brand through retargeting and collaboration with Performance Marketing team to re-engage.
• Partner closely with the Content Strategy Coordinator and Director of Social & Digital Strategy to build and maintain performance dashboards, translating raw numbers like views and reach into the deeper signals that show what's actually scaling and be able to explain why.
• Run a disciplined testing practice using non-follower testing tools (e.g., Trial Reels) to validate content with new audiences before it ships broadly.
• Own the department's content tagging standard and taxonomy, in partnership with the Content Strategy Coordinator, ensuring every piece of content across every account is trackable and attributable.
• Ideate collaboratively with the Vertical Content Creator and the broader social team while personally shooting, editing and posting premium vertical content that sets the creative standard the entire team builds toward.
• Serve as the organization's internal authority on emerging platform behavior; level up the wider team's and the Director's platform fluency.
• Oversee part-time game staff who provide vertical highlights and game content, establishing best practices and supporting their development.
• Identify and develop content opportunities that organically weave corporate partners into storytelling and franchise content, rather than treating partner content as a separate, siloed deliverable.
• Partner with the Sr. Social Operations Manager as collaborators, aligning growth priorities and translating the needs they surface into content this role and the broader social team executes.
• Bring strong command of Miami HEAT and NBA storylines, culture and storytelling to every platform, ensuring content connects authentically to the team's on-court identity, not just general entertainment trends.
• Maintain primary working knowledge of and post to all other HEAT social platforms, including Twitter/X, Threads, and Snapchat, ensuring consistent presence and brand voice beyond vertical-first channels in close collaboration with the Sr. Social Operations Manager.
• On game days, primarily direct the search for and capture of the moments beyond the game action itself — the in-between, non-follower-friendly storytelling that the Vertical Content Creator executes — while also guiding how real-time highlight content is captured, used and placed across platforms.
• Expec…