Community Management Strategist

Overview: 

The Community Management Strategist leads the success of communities within their assigned vertical, focusing on strategy, team coordination, and community operations. Prioritizing impact and client satisfaction (over volume), they manage the team and overall reporting, and operations/administration - overseeing recruitment, engagement, and rewards & incentives while directly managing a select number of high-value accounts.

Fuel Cycle is regularly recognized as a great and innovative place to work. Our recent awards include 2024 Built In Best Places to Work, as well as Comparably Best CEO, Best Company for Women, and Best Company for Diversity. Fuel Cycle is proudly a 2024 Quirk’s Top Company for Consumer Research and Online Panel Communities – MROC, and was named Top 50 Most Innovative by GRIT in 2023. Learn more about our Culture & Values here. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Strategic Leadership, Pod Management / Vertical Ownership

• Own and drive the strategy for communities within an assigned vertical or industry and handle quality assurance for key deliverables. 

• Lead a book of business focused on delivering measurable audience impact and high client satisfaction.

• Make strategic decisions on account ownership and delegate appropriately within the team.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Manage day-to-day team operations including task delegation, balancing, and mentoring junior team members.

• Serve as a key escalation point and fill in as account lead as needed to ensure coverage and quality.

• Act as AX Liaison: Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales and Client Experience (CX) to provide expert consultation and support.

Community Strategy & Engagement

• Identify audience development needs and implement strategies to optimize community recruitment, participation, engagement and retention.

• Oversee planning and execution of audience activities, engagement content, and crisis management for accounts in your pod and handle quality assurance for key deliverables. 

• Content Management: Plan audience activities, develop engaging content, and handle crisis management for all accounts in your pod. 

Reporting & Executive Enablement

• Manage KPI and data reporting and deliver insightful reports, performance dashboards, and action plans to internal and client stakeholders.

• Join executive and sales meetings to share findings, advocate for community strategy, and support business development.

Research-Driven Innovation

• Monitor and analyze industry trends to inform community initiatives and strategic planning.

• Translate research insights into actionable strategies that enhance audience experience and community value.

Your Success Metrics: 

• Vertical Gross Margin: 60% or better

• Utilization of Team:

  • 60% billable 25% nonbillable 15% internal

  • Outsourced 85% billable 15% internal

• Client Satisfaction Score (CSAT) or Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Who you’ll work with? 

• Clients in Vertical

• Account Directors

• Strategic Research Leads

• Research Directors

• VP of Client Accounts | Customer Experience 

Core Skills & Competencies: 

Competencies

• People Leadership: Effectively manages and mentors a team, delegates work, and fosters collaboration across pods and departments.

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to set long-term vision, prioritize high-impact initiatives, and align community strategy with client goals and data insights.

• Client-Centric Mindset – Proactively anticipates client needs, ensures high satisfaction, and delivers value-driven outcomes.

Attributes

• Empathy: Understands the perspectives of both clients and community members to design meaningful experiences.

• Accountability: Takes ownership of outcomes, maintains quality standards, and follows through on commitments.

• Adaptability: Comfortable navigating change, responding to crises, and shifting priorities in a dynamic environment.

Skills

• Audience Experience: Proficient in managing online participant spaces such as communities, panels or large forums, understanding member dynamics, and fostering engagement. 

• Community Engagement & Content Strategy: Designs compelling engagement plans, develops content, and optimizes participation.

• Data Analysis & Reporting: Interprets community and performance data to drive insights, reporting, and decision-making.

• Cross-Functional Communication: Communicates clearly and effectively with internal teams, executives, and clients to influence and align. 

What you’ll bring: 

• Education: Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.  

• Experience: 4-5 years managing audience experience or equivalent B2B customer-facing roles.  

• Leadership: Ability to lead and inspire audience experience teams.  

• Analytical Skills: Proficient in data analysis and reporting.  

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills.  

• Adaptability: Can handle diverse audience needs and challenges.  

• Problem-Solving: Effective at addressing complex audience experience issues.  

• Empathy: Understands audience perspectives and needs.  

• Organizational Skills: Manages multiple accounts efficiently.  

Benefits: 

• Health/Dental/Vision Insurance

• 401k match

• Equity Purchase Option

• Flexible Work Schedule

• 15 Vacation Days + 7 Sick Days annually

• 12 Company Holidays + 4 Floating Holidays/Recharge Days (giving you the flexibility to celebrate or observe non-standard holidays, or take time to rest and recharge)

• Parental Leave

• Monthly Internet/Phone Stipend

• All Team Perks: many including: Rightway, Headspace & more

• LA & NY HQ Perks: Weekly community lunches, refreshments & snacks

• Pet Friendly HQs

This position pays between $75,000 - $85,000 base salary plus a variable bonus equal to 7% of your base. Achieving the variable bonus is through meeting all of your OKRs (50% of total) and achieving a 90% contract renewal rate for your assigned vertical (50% of total). Your final base salary will be determined based on location, work experience, skills, knowledge, education and/or certifications.   

This position follows a hybrid work model and is based out of our Los Angeles or New York City HQs, with an on-site presence required 3 days/week.

About Fuel Cycle: 

Fuel Cycle accelerates decision intelligence for legendary brands by enabling organizations to capture, analyze, and act on insights required to launch new products, acquire customers, and sustain growth. By leveraging Fuel Cycle’s Research Engine, a SaaS software platform, brands forge connections with their key audiences and harness actionable insights that drive confident business decisions. Our technology enables decision-makers to maintain constant connections with their customers, prospects, and users to uncover real-world actionable intelligence and insights. By integrating human insight with critical business data, and through automated quantitative and qualitative research solutions, the Fuel Cycle Research Engine powers product innovation, brand durability and sustainable growth.    

At Fuel Cycle, we embrace the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion and are committed to fostering an inclusive company culture. We believe that everyone, regardless of their background or identity, should have equal access to opportunities for growth and advancement. Our selection processes and career pathways are designed to be fair, transparent, and free from bias. We value the unique perspectives and contributions of each team member, knowing that this diverse range of experiences strengthens our team. Fuel Cycle stands firmly against discrimination based on disability, sex, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or any other protected status under the law. 

Fuel Cycle is an equal opportunity employer and fully comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, as needed, to enable them to perform the essential functions of their job and participate in the application and interview process. If you require accommodations during any part of the application process, please contact us at [email protected] to discuss your needs. 

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