Marketing Specialist

Marketing Specialist
Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC), the #1 firearms auction house in the world, is searching for professional and reliable Marketing Specialist. Our Marketing Specialist plays a critical role to ensure digital marketing content continuously, consistently, and strategically embodies the voice and presence for RIAC. While working alongside key team members, this position champions assigned digital marketing projects with autonomy to apply technical creativity within scope and quality standards.

RIAC standard hours of operations are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST with weekly pay every Thursday. The salary is dependent on experience and qualifications but ranges from $45,000 - $65,000.

Essential Job Functions

• Serves as digital brand ambassador to build, develop, and/or maintain strong social media presence, engagement, and on-brand content for optimization using SEO, Google Analytics, and A.I..
• Creates reels and daily posts for all social channels.
• Applies advanced knowledge of firearms for concise and engaging content creation.
• Performs research, compiles and discerns appropriate information for content writing.
• Writes digital content, both narrative and technical, for videos, blogs, and social media posts.
• Writes content with strategic effort and appeal for niche or target audiences, as appropriate.
• Assists with content creation and features to develop and/or support brand awareness.
• Analyzes online statistics, identifies opportunities to optimize performance, and reports insights to key internal stakeholders.
• Fosters interaction with subscribers via social channels with comments, responses to inquiries, and general engagement.
• Develops and manages calendar of significant historical and innovative events relevant to RIAC audience as well as the firearms culture.
• Schedules and posts social media content.
• Narrates with visual presence as spokesperson for digital content (i.e., videos), as necessary.
• Collaborates effectively with team members to ensure timely execution for meeting established internal deadlines.
• Travels domestically up to 25%.
• Attends trade shows, when needed (i.e., NRA, Shot Show), and represents RIAC as brand ambassador.
• Works required auction weekends (approximately 3 per year). 
• Completes other duties, as assigned.

• Ability and willingness to learn, understand, and follow all company rules for firearm safety and general safety.
• Advanced knowledge of firearms and its history across multiple platforms.
• Effective research skills with desire to gain deeper understanding of unusual, rare, and historical firearms and weaponry.  
• Exemplary writing skills, both narrative and technical, and superior editing skills while meeting internal quality standards and expectations.
• Extensive knowledge with managing multiple social media outlets, SEO and data analytics.
• Strong work ethic with standards of excellence resulting in high productivity, efficiency, and accuracy.
• Strong desire and ability to exhibit polished demeanor, professional image and conduct, including respectful communication, with all internal and external stakeholders via multiple communication avenues, media platforms and outlets, and competency to understand the importance of such.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills in order to balance competing priorities and successfully meet deadlines.
• Ability to proactively anticipate and plan for editing.
• Ability to work well under pressure and proactively anticipate and plan for edits, but also maintaining creativity.  
• Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality while working with sensitive information.
• Aptitude to positively encourage and motivate team members.

• Ability and willingness to take initiative without prompting while using strong attention to detail.

• Ability to understand the importance for handling all equipment and auction items with care, caution, consideration, and respect, and skill to demonstrate such.
• Ability to use and operate media equipment and other relevant equipment, and office machinery such as computer, copier, scanner, and fax machine.
• Reads, writes, speaks, and understands English fluently.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically up to 25%.
• Ability to obtain and maintain active FOID card (Illinois residents only).

• Either:
  • A Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or related field;
  • Three (3) years’ previous relevant work experience with effective results-driven digital marketing efforts or strategies and content writing; or
  • A combination of equivalent relevant work experience and education required. 
• Advanced knowledge of firearms required.
• Proven work experience proficiently using Microsoft Office Suite (i.e., Excel, Access) and social media outlets such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the like, required.
• Professional portfolio with writing submissions or assignments demonstrating writing and editing skills preferred.
• Experience using Google Analytics preferred

Physical Requirements
Constant sedentary work for prolonged periods up to 100% of the time with frequent ascending, descending, or positioning self to maintain, move, and transport media equipment and auction items. Routinely moving and transporting up to 25 pounds with occasional moving and transporting up to 50 pounds. Must be able to constantly communicate and exchange accurate information. Must be able to detect, identify, inspect, observe, perceive and assess digital media operations. Constantly operates and uses media equipment, computer, and other relevant equipment, and office machinery. Constantly works with and around firearms, bladed weaponry, historic relics, and valuable collectibles.

Rock Island Auction Company has been the #1 firearms auction house in the world every year since 2003. Today, RIAC employs a growing team of about 150 people and continues to set industry standards and expectations year over year. Between our 6 public auctions and 8+ online auctions each year, we sell tens of thousands of firearms, bladed weapons, military artifacts, and firearms accessories annually. We have a habit of excellence, regularly breaking and re-breaking our own records and redefining success in our industry, as more and more customers admire our results and trust our reputation.

The employer and its subsidiaries are Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employers. To learn more about EEO, please review "EEO is the Law" poster in English (including a screen-readable electronic version), Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese.