Senior Communications Specialist– Army Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO)

The Army OCIO is seeking a highly skilled and self-directed Social Media Manager to lead digital communications and content strategy across LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram. This position demands a strategic thinker and full-stack content creator who can independently research, plan, produce, and publish engaging and policy-driven multimedia content to amplify the Army CIO’s messaging priorities.

This role combines strategic social media planning with hands-on content production, metrics reporting, and leadership engagement. Candidates must possess strong storytelling abilities, an understanding of Army IT/cyber policy, and the agility to work across teams and with senior leadership.

SMS has been serving the advanced information technology needs of the federal government since 1976, delivering talented teams and innovative, cost-effective solutions and services to support our customers’ missions for more than 45 years. SMS is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with offices and on-site operations at customer locations throughout the United States. For additional information on SMS, visit www.sms.com.

Location: Hybrid – primarily remote with required in-person support for events across the Washington, D.C. metro area (DMV). Official duty stations are the Pentagon and Fort Belvoir. Occasional domestic and international travel may be required.

Submit your resume today!

Key Responsibilities:

• Content Strategy & Management:
• Plan, research, write, design, and publish daily content that supports Army CIO messaging.
• Collaborate in content ideation for campaigns on topics such as cybersecurity, Army IT modernization, software delivery, AI programs, etc.
• Ensure all content is factually accurate, aligned with Army/DOD policy, and written in AP style.
• Translate complex policies and technical documents into digestible, educational social media content and post within a timely manner.
• Write social media captions that are engaging, policy-compliant, and SEO-aware.
• Creative Production:
• Shoot and edit photography and videography at Army events.
• Use visual storytelling techniques for content capture.
• Create motion graphics, reels, short-form video, gifs, and infographics using Adobe CC tools and Canva.
• Metrics & Reporting:
• Analyze and report monthly social media metrics using Sprinklr.
• Customize dashboard layouts, track platform performance, and provide insight-driven reports to Army CIO leadership.
• Continuously assess what works and refine content strategies accordingly.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
• Work directly with Army leadership and staff to ensure alignment on digital messaging.
• Present ideas, content plans, and concepts through PowerPoint briefings.
• Records Management & Organization:
• Maintain a consistent and organized archive of all content, footage, and photos.
• Ensure all content is properly labeled, stored, and compliant with Army records management guidance.
• Policy Fluency & Accuracy:
• Read, analyze, and extract messaging from Army OCIO policy documents.
• Maintain a high level of accuracy and compliance with Army and DOD policies related to social media and public communication.
• Serve as an internal advisor to guide clients on content execution that follows DoD Social media policy standards.

Required Skills & Tools (Non-Negotiable):

• Canva
• Adobe Premiere Pro (or similar approved video editing programs)
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Acrobat
• Adobe Lightroom
• Batch closed captioning for videos
• Photography/videography equipment (camera, mics, lighting)

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, digital media, journalism, public affairs, or a related field.
• 7-10 years of experience managing professional social media accounts, preferably for government or military entities.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating strategic content creation.
• Secret level clearance or ability to obtain.

Preferred Experience:

• Familiarity with Sprinklr or similar platforms (e.g., Hootsuite); must be able to learn and manage metric dashboards.
• Experience in or working with the Department of Defense, especially Army components.
• Demonstrated ability to balance creative vision with strict policy and brand guidelines.
• Strong understanding of content records management and government documentation standards.
• The candidate must be tech-savvy and have a working understanding of emerging technologies, such as AI, including how to effectively use prompts for content ideation and messaging support.

SMS is a dynamic systems integrator established in 1976, delivering talented teams and innovative, cost-effective solutions and services to support our customers’ missions for more than 47 years. Our ability to hire and retain quality people in a rapidly evolving IT market is proven through our employee retention rate averaging over 3 years. At SMS, we place a high value on quality of service, customer satisfaction, and best-of-breed policies and practices, resulting in CMMI Level 3 certification and ISO registrations including 9001:2015, 20000-1:2018, and ISO/IEC 27001:2013. SMS is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with offices and on-site operations at customer locations throughout the United States. 

SMS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.