Digital Content Specialist Jobs in Chicago, IL

Job Title: Digital Content Manager

FLSA: Exempt

Department: Marketing Reports to: VP of Marketing

Customary Days: Sunday - Saturday

Customary Hours: Varies to include evenings, holidays, and extended hours as business requires

Position Summary:

The Digital Content Manager is responsible for creating and executing a high-volume content strategy that elevates the Blue Plate and Allium Events brands across social media, email marketing, and digital platforms. This is a hands-on content creation role for a creative storyteller who thrives in the field, capturing authentic moments at catered events, workplace dining locations, venues, community activations, and behind-the-scenes culinary experiences throughout Chicagoland. Regular on-site content creation and attendance at events multiple times per week, evenings and weekends are core requirements and key measures of success for this position.

Reporting to the VP of Marketing, this position serves as Blue Plate's primary content creator, producing photography, video, written content, and social campaigns that drive audience engagement, brand awareness, and qualified sales leads. The ideal candidate combines strong creative instincts, exceptional visual storytelling skills, and a passion for hospitality, food, events, and culture, with a genuine desire to be where the action is happening and transform real experiences into compelling digital content.

Essential Functions:

• Serve as primary content creator, producing a high volume of original photography, video, short-form video, interviews, written content, and behind-the-scenes storytelling across all digital channels.
• Partner with the VP of Marketing, Marketing team, Sales teams, and event photo/videographers to establish and evolve Blue Plate's visual styling standards. This role will help shape how Blue Plate and Allium Events are experienced and represented—from the plate, to the event environment, to photography, video, and social media—creating a cohesive, elevated, and distinctly recognizable brand aesthetic across all channels.
• Manage Blue Plate and Allium Events social media presences across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and emerging platforms, creating platform-specific content designed to increase reach, engagement, audience growth, and brand awareness.
• Develop, maintain, and execute a rolling content calendar that balances strategic campaigns, seasonal initiatives, sales priorities, company culture, culinary storytelling, and real-time content opportunities.
• Lead the strategy, creation, deployment, and performance optimization of all Mailchimp email marketing campaigns, including promotional, lead generation, client engagement, and internal communications.
• Manage and update website content, landing pages, photography, blog content, and integrations to ensure an engaging and current digital experience.
• Monitor social conversations, audience behavior, competitor activity, and industry trends to identify opportunities for content creation, community engagement, and brand growth.
• Track, analyze, and report on performance metrics across social media, email marketing, website traffic, and lead generation efforts, using insights to improve future content and campaign effectiveness.
• Actively engage with followers, clients, venue partners, and local communities through digital channels to strengthen relationships and increase brand affinity.
• Stay current on platform updates, creator tools, AI-enabled content workflows, and emerging technologies that improve content quality, efficiency, and reach.
• Perform other job-related tasks, as assigned.

Education and Experience: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Digital Media or a related field
• 3–5 years of professional experience creating content for brands, agencies, hospitality companies, lifestyle brands, or media organizations.
• Demonstrated experience producing photography, video, social media content, and email marketing campaigns.
• Portfolio required. Include portfolio link in resume.

Preferred Experience and Skills: The following are preferred requirements but not required:

• Can provide examples/portfolio of content (photography and copywriting)
• Experience in food/event photography and in-house photoshoots
• Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.) and Canva
• Experience with Mailchimp, Loomly and Wordpress preferred
• Experience in food, fashion, or lifestyle visual styling

Essential Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Blue Plate is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA):

• Ability to demonstrate strong affinity for Blue Plate’s mission: Our mission is to “care more” for others through food and service experiences that turn our partner’s vision into reality.
• Passion for social media and mastery of the major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and social media management tools
• Proficiency with video and photo editing tools, digital media formats, and content management systems
• Excellent social listening skills
• Ability to understand historical, current, and future trends in digital content and social media
• Excellent oral and verbal communication skills
• Impeccable time management skills
• Highly organized, responsible, and detail-oriented

Language Skills:

Ability to read, write and speak English proficiently. English/Spanish bilingual skills preferred.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Blue Plate is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA):

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• Possess the ability to fulfill any and all office activities normally expected in an office setting, to include, but not limited to: remaining seated for periods of time to perform computer entry, participating in filing activity, lifting and carrying office supplies (paper reams, mail, etc.).
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• At times, may require more than 40 hours per week to perform the essential functions of the position.
• Fine hand manipulation.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job Blue Plate is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA):

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time.
• Internal office space.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary Range: $70,000 – $80,000 annually. Compensation within this range will be based on the selected candidate’s experience, qualifications and skills.

Benefits Overview:

At Blue Plate Catering, We Care More-about our clients, our communities, and each other. Our comprehensive benefits package reflects our commitment to supporting the well-being, growth and success of our team members. Benefits for eligible employees include medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k)-retirement plan, and paid time off (PTO) with sick leave. Additional benefits include commuter benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), free employee meals, pet insurance options, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). We are proud to provide resources and support that help our team thrive both professionally and personally.

Blue Plate Catering is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. Employment decisions with Blue Plate Catering are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military status, protected veteran status or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law.