10 startup jobs with weird titles — plus what they actually mean

by Jess Ryan
July 11, 2016

Having spent a good chunk of my career in the social media and startup worlds, I’ve seen a lot of bizarre job titles. It’s not rare to come across a job opening for a social media “ninja,” “guru,” or even “badass.” But what does that job actually entail? What’s the difference between a social media ninja and a social media guru? And what exactly does a Chief Happiness Officer do?

There are some pretty, let’s say, "unique" job titles out there in Colorado tech. I went through our job board and picked my 10 favorite ones. Before reading the job description I wrote what I assumed you’d be doing based solely on the job title — which was obviously pretty off-base of what you’d actually be doing.

If you want a job that’ll have people asking more when you hand over your business card, check out these 10 jobs with unique titles.

 

Relationship Manager, Return Path

What I assumed you’d be doing: Return Path works with emails, so based on the job title I assumed you’d be acting as an email-based couples’ counselor.

What you’d actually be doing: You’d act as more of an account manager, working closely with clients on training, problem-solving and renewals.

 

Uber Expert, Uber

What I assumed you’d be doing: Even though pretty much everyone knows Uber at this point, this job would have you becoming BFFs with all the drivers and knowing the best routes to avoid traffic.

What you’d actually be doing: You’d be building close relationships with new drivers, helping them with onboarding and optimizing processes, as well as promoting Uber in the general community. (I actually wasn’t too far off on this one.)

 

Travel Advisor, Evolve Vacation Rental Network

What I assumed you’d be doing: Telling people where to go and what to do based exclusively on your semester abroad and extensive viewing of No Reservations.

What you’d actually be doing: You’d be helping travelers find the best vacation rental for their needs, answering questions and processing bookings.

 

Change Management Consultant, Kapost

What I assumed you’d be doing: Helping the company navigate management shakeups, which are done regularly in order to introduce everyone to different management styles.

What you’d actually be doing: You’d be helping customers and partners understand how best to use Kapost’s platform and acting as a thought leader through blog posts, webinars and more.

 

Account ________, Shop Marketing and Creative Group

What I assumed you’d be doing: Whatever you want, really, since it’s fill-in-the-blank.

What you’d actually be doing: Working with multiple accounts to plan events, guerilla marketing and other concepts.

 

King/Queen of Content, Inflow

What I assumed you’d be doing: Wearing a crown every day and deciding what content gets published. I’m guessing you’d get to shout “Off with its head!” when you reject a piece.

What you’d actually be doing: Writing copy for clients, writing and editing marketing content like eBooks and whitepapers and working with strategists to determine what content is best for the client.

 

Risk Operations Lead, Gusto

What I assumed you’d be doing: Organizing games of Risk for your fellow employees, and making sure everything goes smoothly. This would include ensuring enough snacks are around, reminding people to use their inside voices and turning off the lights in other rooms of the office when people are still playing at 1 a.m.

What you’d actually be doing: Building your own team that will keep an eye out for and prevent fraud.

 

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Growth Wizard, Digital Opera

What I assumed you’d be doing: Looking at the company’s numbers and using the “Engorgio” incantation from Harry Potter to boost sales and revenue. Unlike the King/Queen of Content, a wizard hat would be optional.

What you’d actually be doing: You’d build communities, run marketing campaigns and use social media to grow the company’s customer base. No incantations required.

 

E-Designer, Havenly

What I assumed you’d be doing: Designing emails or some other digital asset.

What you’d actually be doing: Flexing your interior design muscles by designing rooms for Havenly’s customers. It’s a remote, contractor position — hence the “E.”

 

Application Maestro, Zen Planner

What I assumed you’d be doing: Directing the music that plays in the background of apps.

What you’d actually be doing: You’d be a front-end developer working with JavaScript on an Agile team.

 

Have a tip or know of another job with a quirky title? Email us.

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