DTC Community Specialist, MS NOW

Company Description

VERSANT is a leading force in news, sports and entertainment - home to iconic and trusted brands that inspire, inform, and delight audiences. Our unique combination of content, technology and services enriches the cultural fabric, igniting passions, sparking conversations, and connecting people to what they love most.

As an independent, publicly traded company, VERSANT brings together powerhouse cable networks - including USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Golf Channel - with dynamic digital and direct-to-consumer brands such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. Together, these businesses reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences across every screen and service.

VERSANT is an industry-changing media company fueled by innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. With a strong foundation and a forward-looking vision, VERSANT empowers creativity, embraces change, and drives connection in an ever-evolving world.

Reporting to the Director of Community, the Community Specialist will be responsible for day-to-day community engagement across the MS NOW platform. This brand-new role requires very strong, independent judgment and is accountable for establishing the tone of the MS NOW membership community at-large.

This is a hands-on, member-facing role focused on keeping the community active, responsive, and safe. The Community Specialist will support live programming, facilitate discussions, moderate content with the support of vendor tools, and surface insights that help inform editorial and product decisions.

The ideal candidate is thoughtful, detail-oriented, and exercises strong judgment when engaging directly with members in real time—especially during live news and politically sensitive moments. This role requires comfort operating in dynamic situations and knowing when to act independently versus when to escalate.

Responsibilities:

• Monitor and facilitate daily activity across comments, discussions, and groups
• Engage directly with members by welcoming participation, answering questions, and encouraging thoughtful conversation
• Plan and execute community programming, including posting prompts, discussions, and AMA questions
• Lead community processes for and support live Q&As, AMAs, watch events, and breaking-news discussions
• Use independent judgment to review flagged content and apply community guidelines consistently, escalating issues as needed
• Moderate conversations in real time during high-traffic or sensitive moments
• Manage a day-to-day relationship with the vendor and use vendor tools to manage moderation queues and identify patterns or repeat issues
• Build a strategy and workflow to identify and engage superusers and emerging community leaders
• Surface early sentiment trends, recurring questions, and engagement insights and translate into actionable next steps
• Support reporting by pulling metrics and sharing summaries with the Direct of Community and broader DTC team
• Document and evolve community workflows, guidelines, and onboarding materials

• 3+ years of experience in community engagement, moderation, audience development, or related roles
• Comfort engaging directly with users in public-facing environments
• Strong written communication skills and a thoughtful, measured tone
• Track record of applying judgment in sensitive or ambiguous situations
• Organized, reliable, and comfortable working across shifting priorities
• Experience with community or moderation platforms preferred
• Interest in news, media, and civic engagement a plus

Additional Job Requirements:

• Must be willing to work in New York, NY.
• Must have unrestricted work authorization to work in the United States.

This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks.

Salary Range: $90,000 - $115,000

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected].

VERSANT Media is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc.

VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means.