Responsibilities

• Create and publish organic social content across core university channels, with a focus on reaching younger audiences and supporting key strategic plans.
• Film, edit and produce social-first content - including video, photography and simple design - optimised for platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube.
• Attend degree ceremonies, larger video productions, and other events to capture behind-the-scenes content and real moments for social channels.
• Identify and respond to cultural moments, events, trends and conversations, creating timely content that helps the OU show up in relevant and engaging ways.
• Work with students, academics and contributors to capture real stories and perspectives, supporting a range of on-camera abilities to create authentic, relatable content.
• Manage and develop a network of student content creators, ensuring a consistent flow of content aligned to the social media strategy.
• Play an active role in campaign development, working with colleagues across Marketing and Communications to shape ideas into social-first executions.
• Work closely with the paid media team to amplify content, ensuring organic and paid activity are aligned and delivering maximum reach and impact.
• Manage day-to-day community engagement across social channels, identifying opportunities to interact, amplify user-generated content and manage reputational risk.
• Monitor performance and optimise content in real time, using insights and platform data to improve reach, engagement and effectiveness.

• Work with the Senior Social Media Manager to continuously improve social media output, capturing and analysing activity metrics to make recommendations.
• Support wider social media activity across the team as required, contributing to other channels, campaigns and priorities beyond the core younger audience focus.
• Share social media insight, best practice and emerging advancements across the organisation, helping to improve the quality and consistency of social content.
• Support on reputational issues as part of the wider communications team.
• Ensure all activity is delivered to time and budget, following agreed processes, policies and governance.

Requirements

• Proven experience managing social media channels for a brand or organisation, including platforms such as but not limited to Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.
• Strong content creation skills, with hands-on experience filming, editing and producing social-first content (video, photography and simple design) in line with brand guidelines.
• Experience creating short-form video content optimised for different platforms, with a clear understanding of what drives engagement.
• Ability to identify and respond to social media trends, cultural moments and online conversations, creating timely and relevant content.
• Experience working with contributors (e.g. students, creators or colleagues) to capture authentic content, with confidence directing people with varying levels of on-camera experience.
• Experience working with contributor permissions, including content release forms and usage rights, ensuring content is captured and shared responsibly.
• Demonstrable experience building engagement and growing audiences through organic social activity.
• Experience managing social media communities, including monitoring and responding to comments, with a strong awareness of reputational risk and duty of care to contributors.
• Experience monitoring performance and using insights to optimise content, including familiarity with social media management, scheduling and analytics tools.
• Strong understanding of social media formats and best practice.

• Excellent copywriting skills, with the ability to write clear, engaging and platform-appropriate content.
• Proficiency in creative tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, CapCut, Photoshop/Illustrator (or similar), and Canva.
• Contribute to a high-performing, inclusive culture, with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation.

Nice to have

• Confidence appearing on camera, including self-filming, presenting and creating live content as a visible voice to represent the OU brand.
• Experience working with paid social media teams and media agencies in an integrated way to promote content and amplify campaigns.
• Experience working in a large or complex organisation.
• Experience in the higher education sector or working with younger audiences.
• Experience of working independently, hybrid and as part of a team, taking lead responsibility for tasks.
• Experience collaborating across teams and with stakeholders of varying seniority.
• Experience working in fast-paced or reactive content environments, with the ability to develop new ideas and social-first content formats.

Benefits

• What's in it for you?
• Flexible working
• We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.
• Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).