Branded Content Creator - Social

A fast-growing, multi-brand winery and restaurant group is looking for a Brand Content Creator: a versatile, hands-on creative who can ideate, shoot, edit and publish best-in-class content across every platform where our guests live. This is a maker's role for a seasoned creator who is equally confident behind a camera (including an iPhone), in an edit timeline and inside a content calendar. Working closely with the brand's content lead and marketing team, you will translate brand and campaign direction into scroll-stopping work, fast. While the heart of this role is social content (short-form video, Reels, photography), you are also an on-site creative resource who supports the broader brand across photography, video and visual storytelling needs. You move quickly, produce professionally and stay resourceful when a moment needs to be captured and posted in real time. This role supports three restaurant brands, including a test kitchen concept, and is part of the Marketing team. Engagement Details - Location: Local to the Chicago area; on-site at restaurants, the test kitchen and the corporate office in Downer's Grove, IL - Type: Full-time W-2 contract - Term: 3-4 month initial contract - Rate: $70-80/hr * We will not consider candidates outside the Greater Chicago area for this role. Job Description Content Creation & Production (the core of this role) - Ideate, shoot, edit and publish high-performing content (short-form video, Reels, TikToks and photography) for organic and paid social that brings the brands and menu to life - Own the full production process end to end: concept, capture, edit, color, sound, captions and final delivery, with a strong eye for pacing, framing and brand aesthetics - Act as the on-the-ground content creator at restaurants, the test kitchen, events, activations and tastings, capturing and posting in real time, including when the lead content creator isn't on-site - Produce platform-native content optimized for Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and emerging platforms, adapting tone, format and aspect ratio for each Beyond Social: In-House Brand Creative - Serve as a flexible in-house creative resource, supporting broader brand media needs including lifestyle and food photography, video production and visual content for marketing campaigns - Create guest-facing video content for in-restaurant tasting rooms - Partner with Brand, PR and Creative teams to ensure visual consistency and a cohesive brand identity across channels and touchpoints - Bring fresh, trend-aware creative ideas to the table and prototype new content formats and series Publishing, Community & Light Monitoring - Publish and schedule content through Dash Social, ensuring posts align with the marketing calendar and brand standards - Provide light community management, monitoring comments and DMs and escalating notable guest feedback or brand sentiment to the marketing team (community management supports the role but is not its primary focus) - Support influencer and cross-brand collaborations through content coordination, tagging and cross-posting for wine partnerships, member events and brand collaborations Trends & Performance Awareness - Stay ahead of platform updates, formats and cultural trends, bringing timely ideas that keep the brands relevant and culturally fluent - Review content performance with the marketing team and apply learnings (engagement, views, saves, growth) to sharpen future content Qualifications What You'll Bring - Multi-medium craft: 5+ years creating social-first content, with a portfolio or reel that demonstrates strong shooting and editing across video and photography - Production skills: Proficiency with video and photo editing tools (Adobe Premiere Pro, CapCut, Lightroom/Photoshop or similar); comfortable shooting on iPhone as well as operating cameras, lighting and audio in run-and-gun and styled settings - AI: Demonstrated proficiency with AI platforms (e.g., Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, Canva or similar) and a passion for adopting emerging technologies that enhance creative performance - Platform fluency: Deep working knowledge of Instagram, Facebook and TikTok best practices: trends, algorithms, formats and what makes each platform perform - Tools of the trade: Hands-on experience with a social media management platform (Dash Social or Sprout Social preferred) for scheduling, publishing and monitoring - Speed + polish: Able to turn around professional work quickly in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment without sacrificing quality - Resourcefulness: A self-starter who can solve problems on set, capture the moment and make great content with whatever the situation allows - Collaboration: Takes creative direction well, communicates clearly and works smoothly across Brand, PR and Creative partners - Industry experience: Hospitality, food and beverage, or lifestyle brand experience is a strong plus Additional Information