Social Media & Content Manager
Islander UK
We’re looking for a Social Media & Content Manager to take the next step with Islander’s social presence.
This is a hands-on role for someone who genuinely enjoys creating content, spotting opportunities and turning what is happening across the business into something people want to watch, share and engage with.
Islander is much more than a handbag brand. Alongside our products, we have busy retail stores, Make Your Own Handbag workshops, customers visiting us from around the world, new launches, collaborations, events, creators and plenty happening behind the scenes.
There is already a strong foundation in place. We’re looking for someone with the energy, ideas and instinct to build on it.
The role
You’ll take day-to-day ownership of Islander’s social channels, bringing fresh ideas, energy and creativity while building on what is already working.
You’ll plan and create content across our social platforms, while working closely with the wider team to shape activity around product launches, workshops, retail priorities, campaigns, collaborations and key dates across the business.
Some content will be planned. Some of the best content won’t be.
You might arrive at one of our stores or workshops intending to film one thing and leave with five pieces of content because you spotted a brilliant customer creation, an interesting moment, a new product combination or something happening that was simply worth sharing.
We want someone who notices those opportunities.
What you’ll be doing
- Managing Islander’s day-to-day presence across our key social channels.
- Planning and maintaining the social content schedule around wider business priorities, campaigns and key dates.
- Playing an active role in developing and maintaining the wider marketing calendar, working collaboratively with the relevant areas of the business.
- Creating engaging short-form video, photography, Stories and other social-first content.
- Filming and editing content yourself rather than relying on everything being produced externally.
- Writing captions and social copy in a way that feels natural to the Islander brand.
- Creating content across our products, stores and Make Your Own Handbag workshops.
- Making sure our Edinburgh and London locations are represented consistently and creatively.
- Bringing workshop content to life and finding new ways to communicate the experience online.
- Identifying trends, conversations and reactive opportunities that Islander can participate in naturally.
- Developing ideas for new content formats and testing what works.
- Managing influencer and creator activity, including identifying suitable partners, organising gifting, coordinating visits and collaborations, agreeing content requirements and following up on resulting content.
- Building and maintaining relationships with relevant creators and influencers.
- Supporting and contributing ideas for product and lifestyle photoshoots.
- Capturing behind-the-scenes content during shoots, launches, events and other activity.
- Working collaboratively with the wider team on launches, promotions, partnerships and marketing priorities.
- Engaging with our online community and understanding what our audience responds to.
- Monitoring social performance and using the results to shape future content.
- Keeping an eye on competitors, emerging platforms and changes in social behaviour.
- Looking for opportunities to grow reach, engagement, followers and ultimately the commercial impact of our social channels.
What this role is
- A genuinely hands-on social media and content role.
- An opportunity to take day-to-day ownership of active and growing social channels.
- A role for someone who likes to create, not simply coordinate.
- A chance to bring new ideas into a brand that already has a strong identity and audience.
- A role with freedom to test ideas, experiment with formats and react quickly.
- A collaborative position where you’ll work closely with different areas of the business.
- A role where growth, engagement and commercial impact matter alongside great creative content.
What this role isn’t
- A position where you’ll be handed a finished calendar and asked simply to schedule posts.
- A job where every piece of content begins with a formal creative brief.
- A traditional Creative Director role.
- A role that works in isolation. Marketing priorities, campaigns and key dates will be discussed and agreed collaboratively across the relevant areas of the business.
- A large-team management role.
Who we’re looking for
We’re looking for someone with strong creative instincts who understands how social media actually works now.
You should be comfortable coming up with ideas and equally comfortable picking up a phone or camera and creating them.
You’ll need to be proactive, but just as importantly, reactive. Social moves quickly and we want someone who can recognise a good opportunity without needing to be told that it is one.
You’ll ideally have:
- Previous experience managing social media and creating content for a consumer, fashion, lifestyle, retail, hospitality or experience-led brand.
- A strong portfolio of social-first content.
- Experience creating and editing short-form video.
- A good eye for photography, composition and visual storytelling.
- An understanding of Instagram and TikTok in particular and what makes content perform on each.
- Strong written communication and an instinct for tone of voice.
- Experience managing influencers, creators or brand partnerships.
- An understanding of social analytics and the ability to explain what is and isn’t working.
- Evidence that you have helped grow or develop social channels rather than simply maintained them.
- Confidence working independently while also collaborating closely with a wider team.
- The ability to manage planned work while still leaving room for spontaneous content and opportunities.
You don’t need to have worked in handbags.
You do need to understand brands, people and content.
Location & travel
This is an office-based role in Edinburgh. Regular communication and collaboration across departments are essential, so this is not a hybrid position.
Frequent travel to our Islander stores and Make Your Own Handbag workshops will be required throughout the year to create content, support campaigns, collaborate with teams and capture activity on location. With further workshops planned across the UK and internationally, the role will also offer opportunities to support Islander’s continued expansion.
About Islander
Islander is a Scottish handbag and accessories brand with retail stores and our Make Your Own Handbag workshops across Edinburgh and London.
Our workshops have become a major part of the business, attracting customers from the UK and around the world, while our handbag collections continue to grow across retail, online and wholesale.
It means there is rarely a shortage of things to talk about.
What we need is the right person to turn those things into content people actually want to see.
How to apply
Please submit:
- Your CV.
- A portfolio or examples of social media and content work you have created or managed.
- Where possible, examples of work for consumer, fashion, lifestyle, retail, hospitality, tourism or experience-led brands.
Applications without both a CV and relevant portfolio or work examples will not be considered.
Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete and present a short, relevant creative task as part of the interview process.
Pay: £30,000.00-£36,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
- Transport links
Work Location: In person
