YouTube Strategist- Contract

About Crunchyroll Founded by fans, Crunchyroll delivers the art and culture of anime to a passionate community. We super-serve over 100 million anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories, and help them connect with the stories and characters they crave. Whether that experience is online or in-person, streaming video, theatrical, games, merchandise, events and more, it’s powered by the anime content we all love. Join our team, and help us shape the future of anime! This is a remote contract role. We are seeking a self motivated, curious, and capable individual to join our Audience Development team as a YouTube Strategist. This position will play a key role in shaping the content and growth strategy across Crunchyroll's global YouTube network, which has over 18M subscribers. If you have a strong understanding of content strategy, audience behavior, and a passion for anime, this might be the job for you! This role will partner closely with internal teams and external agency partners to define how we show up on YouTube and drive audience growth and engagement. The YouTube Strategist should have a strong point of view on what makes content resonate with anime audiences and how to translate that into scalable programming strategies. This includes identifying high-impact moments, guiding content packaging (titles, thumbnails, formats), and continuously optimizing based on performance insights. Above all, we're looking for someone who is deeply in tune with fandom culture, understands the nuances of anime storytelling, and is excited to shape how millions of fans discover and engage with content on YouTube. A Day in the Life of a YouTube Strategist (Responsibilities) Define and evolve the content strategy for Crunchyroll's global YouTube ecosystem, including the main channel and affinity channels. Provide creative direction for clips, Shorts, and channel programming Provide input on affinity channel strategy and positioning to ensure clear audience targeting and differentiation Partner with agency teams to guide content selection, packaging, and publishing approach Curate and guide the selection of compelling and timely clip content for YouTube and broader social channels, balancing hands-on execution with strategic oversight Write, optimize, and refine video title best practices, maintaining Crunchyroll's authentic tone and improving performance across regions Analyze YouTube performance data and deliver actionable insights and recommendations to improve content performance Identify audience trends, content opportunities, and emerging formats to drive growth and engagement Develop and refine testing frameworks (titles, thumbnails, formats, cadence) to optimize performance Ensure alignment with marketing priorities, seasonal titles, and franchise strategies Partner with internal teams to support content monetization, ensuring alignment with platform policies and revenue opportunities About You (Requirements & Skills): 2+ years of experience in content strategy, social media, or YouTube-focused roles Experience working with high-volume content workflows or publishing cadences Strong understanding of YouTube platform dynamics, content optimization, and audience growth strategies Proven ability to translate data into clear, actionable content recommendations Experience working with external partners or agencies Excellent communication skills with the ability to provide clear, creative direction and feedback Strong understanding of internet culture, fandom communities, and content trends Passion for anime and familiarity with the anime industry and audience behavior Demonstrates a proactive, growth-oriented mindset, continuously identifying opportunities to optimize content strategy and performance Bonus Points for: Experience working in the anime, animation, or gaming industry Familiarity with YouTube analytics tools (YouTube Studio, Tubular, etc.) Experience developing multi-channel content strategies Understanding of YouTube SEO and content packaging best practices Experience with Shorts or vertical video strategy Working knowledge of video editing or design tools (e.g., Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop) The Pay Range for this position is listed. Actual pay will vary based on factors including, but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Crunchyroll’s Total Rewards offerings for employees. Other rewards may include performance bonuses, employer matched retirement savings, time-off programs, and progressive health benefits and perks. Pay Transparency - Los Angeles, CA $38.63 — $48.29 USD The Pay Range for this position is listed. Actual pay will vary based on factors including, but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Crunchyroll’s Total Rewards offerings for employees. Other rewards may include performance bonuses, employer matched retirement savings, time-off programs, and progressive health benefits and perks. Pay Transparency - Remote, USA $33.60 — $42 USD About our Values We want to be everything for someone rather than something for everyone and we do this by living and modeling our values in all that we do. We value Courage. We believe that when we overcome fear, we enable our best selves. Curiosity. We are curious, which is the gateway to empathy, inclusion, and understanding. Kaizen. We have a growth mindset committed to constant forward progress. Service. We serve our community with humility, enabling joy and belonging for others. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion Our mission of helping people belong reflects our commitment to diversity & inclusion. It's just the way we do business. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at Crunchyroll. Pursuant to applicable law, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between US-based Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Japan's Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. Questions about Crunchyroll’s hiring process? Please check out our Hiring FAQs: https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040471712-Crunchyroll-Hiring-FAQs Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Policy for more information about how we process your personal information, and your data protection rights: https://tbcdn.talentbrew.com/company/22978/v1_0/docs/spe-jobs-privacy-policy-update-for-crpa-dec-21-22.pdf Please beware of recent scams to online job seekers. Those applying to our job openings will only be contacted directly from @crunchyroll.com email account.