Social Media Manager | Lifestyle Retail Brand

Job ID: 37837

Social Media Manager | Lifestyle Retail Brand
London | 5 days office based
£50-55k + bonus
If you know how to turn a bold idea into a viral moment, keep reading.
This is an opportunity to lead social for a global lifestyle retail brand that wants to create the campaigns everybody else wishes they had thought of first.
They don’t need someone to fill a content calendar, recycle trends or post the same creative across every platform. They need the thinker behind the work: someone who can find an ordinary product story and turn it into an idea capable of reaching millions.
You’ll set the strategy, lead three in-house content creators and build major talent partnerships. The team will bring the content to life; your role is to give them ideas worth creating.
Why this role is exciting

• Take ownership of social strategy for an established global brand with a significant audience already behind it
• Join a business where bold thinking is actively encouraged and safe ideas won’t get you very far
• Develop original, virally led campaigns designed to create global conversation
• Lead a talented team of three in-house content creators and shape everything they produce
• Build ambitious partnerships with major creators, talent, cultural names and retail partners
• Grow TikTok through its own dedicated strategy while continuing to develop an established Instagram audience
• Work with generous campaign budgets and the freedom to suggest ideas before worrying about whether they feel too ambitious
• Join an award-winning creative team with a track record of producing disruptive campaigns at scale

What you’ll be doing

• Owning the global social media strategy across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and emerging platforms
• Developing bold, original campaign concepts designed to attract attention and drive repeatable virality
• Turning everyday product stories into content people genuinely want to watch, share and talk about
• Setting the creative direction for three content creators and managing their output, deadlines and performance
• Giving the team clear briefs, constructive feedback and the support they need to deliver their strongest work
• Creating distinct strategies for different platforms rather than publishing the same content everywhere
• Identifying cultural moments, conversations and emerging trends the brand can respond to quickly
• Leading major influencer and talent partnerships from initial idea and outreach through to content delivery
• Thinking beyond the obvious when choosing collaborators, audiences and campaign formats
• Overseeing content calendars, approvals, publishing and campaign rollouts
• Using audience insight, platform performance and campaign data to improve the strategy
• Setting KPIs and reporting on organic social, creator partnerships and campaign performance
• Working closely with Creative, Brand, Ecommerce and the wider Marketing team
• Supporting shoots, launches and international activations when needed
• Helping regional partners adapt the brand’s social approach for different global audiences

What we’re looking for

• Experience leading social media strategy for a lifestyle, fashion, sport, food and drink, entertainment or culturally relevant consumer brand
• A portfolio of distinctive social concepts or campaigns that went beyond standard brand content
• Strong creative instincts and the confidence to put forward ideas that haven’t been done before
• Evidence that you understand how to build organic reach, engagement and audience growth
• Experience managing content creators, creatives, freelancers or an internal social team
• The ability to motivate people, set clear expectations and keep output moving without micromanaging
• Experience developing influencer or creator partnerships with measurable results
• A strong understanding of Instagram and TikTok, including why each platform needs a different approach
• Commercial awareness and confidence using data to judge what is working
• Excellent organisation across campaigns, talent, deadlines and multiple workstreams
• An open mindset: you’ll bring experience, but you’ll also be willing to learn what makes this category and audience different

This is not a content creator role. You won’t be expected to film and edit everything yourself.
It is a role for the person with the idea, the strategy and the judgement to bring the right people together and make it happen.
If you’re tired of being told to tone your ideas down, I’d love to tell you more.

Recruitment Consultant: Jade Watson jade@cranberrypanda.co.uk