Social Media Specialist - Independent Contractor / Freelance assignment

MSC Cruises is looking for a freelance Social Media Specialist to bring the brand's experience to life across its global channels. The role sits within the Global Social Media team and works closely with content creators and editors to turn brand priorities and emerging trends into engaging posts. This is an external contract position, so you must operate through a registered business that can issue invoices. On a daily basis you will develop and manage editorial calendars for platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Threads and Pinterest, scheduling roughly 20 posts per primary channel each month. You'll write platform‑specific captions, apply SEO and Generative Engine Optimisation techniques, and coordinate with MSC creators to prepare content for publication. The job also involves spotting content gaps, monitoring trends, proposing reactive pieces, testing new formats, and keeping abreast of platform updates. Performance analysis is a core task: you'll review weekly metrics, translate insights into recommendations, and produce quarterly reports that include competitor benchmarking. Community management includes moderating comments within set timeframes, engaging in relevant third‑party conversations, curating user‑generated content via CreatorIQ, and supporting crisis monitoring. Additional duties cover branding support, competition asset coordination, YouTube playlist maintenance, and blog writing for Pinterest SEO. To succeed, you need a solid background in social‑media management, editorial planning and community engagement, whether for a brand or an agency. Strong English copywriting abilities and the capacity to adapt content for different audiences and platforms are essential. You must have a critical eye for what makes social content relevant, confidence in interpreting performance data, and the ability to turn insights into better engagement and discoverability. Technical proficiency is required with Creator Studio, Emplifi, YouTube Studio and Meta Business Suite, as well as familiarity with Claude (Anthropic), a basic understanding of SEMrush, and the ability to work with CreatorIQ for influencer mentions and UGC selection. The role also demands excellent organisation, attention to detail, ownership of deliverables, and sound judgement when moderating conversations or handling sensitive topics. Finally, you must operate through a registered business that can enter a services agreement and issue invoices. What the role asks for: - Proven social‑media management, editorial planning, community engagement experience - Strong English copywriting and content adaptation skills - Critical eye for brand‑relevant social content - Confidence interpreting performance data to improve results - Hands‑on familiarity with Creator Studio, Emplifi, YouTube Studio, Meta Business Suite - Familiarity with Claude (Anthropic), SEMrush and CreatorIQ tools - Strong organisation, attention to detail and ownership of deliverables, plus sound moderation judgement - Registered business able to sign services agreement and invoice