Role: Senior Creative and Content Manager
Grade and Salary: Grade 8 (£47,389-£58,225) per annum.
FTE and working pattern: 1 FTE (full-time- 35 hours per week) open-ended.
Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings-closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday). Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
Purpose of Role
The Senior Creative and Content Manager will lead the strategic development and delivery of the University's content, social media, and creative output. The role will oversee the University's core social media presence, lead integrated content strategies aligned to student recruitment, research, reputation and engagement objectives, and drive innovation and excellence across all owned channels.
The role holder will act as the University's senior subject matter expert for social media, content, and digital storytelling, advising senior stakeholders across the institution on channel strategy, campaign integration, brand consistency, and audience engagement.
The role will lead a global multidisciplinary creative content team comprising social media, graphic design, and artwork functions, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, audience-focused, and brand-aligned content across all platforms and campaigns.
The postholder will play a key role in shaping the University's digital presence and reputation through strategic leadership, creative innovation, data-led decision making and effective people management.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
- In conjunction with the Head of Marketing and Brand, develop and implement an overarching content and social media strategy aligned to the University brand and institutional priorities.
- Lead the development of integrated organic and paid content and social media plans with clear objectives to support student recruitment, research, enterprise, reputation and engagement goals across existing and emerging channels and platforms.
- Develop and oversee a cohesive content strategy across social media, digital campaigns and brand storytelling to ensure consistent messaging and audience engagement.
- Monitor and evaluate emerging trends, technologies, channels and platform developments to ensure the University remains at the forefront of digital communications and content innovation.
- Provide strategic guidance and expert advice to marketing teams and senior stakeholders on paid and organic social media activity, content strategy and digital best practice.
- Lead and manage the day-to-day operation of the content and creative team, ensuring the effective planning, prioritisation and delivery of campaigns, creative assets and social media activity.
- Line manage and develop a multidisciplinary team including social media, content and design specialists, fostering a high-performance, collaborative and creative culture.
- Oversee the production of best-in-class creative and digital content across social media and marketing channels, including video, photography, graphics, animation and written content.
Ensure all creative and content outputs align with the University- 's brand guidelines, accessibility standards and inclusive communications principles.
- Oversee the curation, scheduling and publishing of content across social media and digital channels, ensuring quality assurance and consistency of messaging.
- Lead the development of user-generated content initiatives, influencer engagement and student ambassador programmes to expand reach, authenticity and audience engagement.
- Work collaboratively across MRAC, academic schools and professional services to develop integrated campaigns and content plans supporting institutional priorities.
- Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders to source, develop and coordinate compelling content opportunities across the University.
- Lead cross-functional projects and campaigns, working closely with communications, recruitment, web, brand and academic marketing teams.
- Utilise analytical, reporting and social listening tools to measure performance, provide actionable insight and support continuous improvement across content and campaign activity.
- Establish benchmarks, KPIs and reporting frameworks to evaluate channel performance, audience growth, engagement and campaign effectiveness.
- Manage content and creative production budgets effectively, ensuring value for money and alignment with strategic priorities.
- Ensure the effective commissioning, briefing and management of external creative suppliers, agencies and freelancers where required.
- Lead, coach and develop team members through regular performance management, mentoring and identification of training and development opportunities.
- Develop and deliver social media, content and brand training, guidance and best practice resources for colleagues across the University.
- Work across departmental boundaries to support institutional reputation management and ensure alignment between communications, marketing and digital content activity.
- Represent the University at internal and external events, sector networks and professional forums as required.
- Deputise for the Head of Marketing and Brand where appropriate.
Essential & Desirable Criteria
Essential
- Educated to degree level or able to demonstrate substantial relevant professional experience.
- At least 8 years professional experience in content, social media, digital marketing or brand communications roles.
- Demonstrable experience of developing and delivering integrated content and social media strategies.
- Proven experience managing creative and/or multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong leadership and people management skills with experience developing high-performing teams.
- Significant experience commissioning and overseeing creative content production across multiple formats and channels.
- In-depth knowledge of social media platforms, content trends, digital storytelling and audience engagement strategies.
- Excellent copywriting, editing and proof-reading skills.
- Strong understanding of brand management and experience working within established brand guidelines.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with experience influencing and collaborating at senior levels.
- Strong analytical skills with experience using insight and performance data to inform strategy and decision making.
- Excellent organisational, project management and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
- Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and maintain exceptional attention to detail.
- Commercial awareness and experience managing budgets and external suppliers.
- Excellent communication, presentation and IT skills.
- Experience managing cross-functional projects and campaigns.
- Experience of accessibility and inclusive content best practice.
Desirable
- Experience within the Higher Education sector and understanding of the macro issues affecting the sector.
- Experience leading creative design or studio functions.
- Experience of video-led and multimedia content strategies.
- Experience of managing influencer, ambassador or community engagement programmes.
- Knowledge of SEO, digital analytics and content optimisation.
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted up to 11:55pm (UK time) on Sunday 6th September.
Interviews are expected to take place during the week of 21st September.
Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g.; part-time working and job share options.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .
Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.
About Heriot-Watt University
At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.
