About the Role

We believe that where you start in life, shouldn’t limit where you go.

The Open University is a unique institution created 50 years ago to open up education for all. We are open to anyone, anywhere, changing millions of lives across the world and always looking for new ways to help people succeed. Our pioneering use of innovative methods, such as our BBC partnership, means we reach more people than any other university.

We work across all four nations of the UK and we are the most popular choice for online, distance, flexible study.

The Social Media Manager will generate engaging creative content for the OU’s social channels. They will particularly focus on the OUs growing social channels and video content as part of delivering greater reach plan and reaching new key audiences. 

The role will play a key creative part in contributing to OU external communications campaigns and will advise on channel engagement and campaign delivery. 

They will work as part of a community of communications professionals alongside the nations, faculties and other units in encouraging their creation of ‘social ready’ content. 

In addition, the role will advise key university practitioners, in other units and faculties, on social media best practice, policy and delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Create, and share organic social media content, across core university accounts with a focus on communications objectives including delivering the greater reach plan and other key strategic plans.
• Daily management of the team of student content creators, ensuring content plans are kept up-to-date and there is a regular stream of content across our channels that aligns with the social media strategy.
• Leading on the generation and curation of video content for growth social media channels such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
• Playing a creative role in developing campaigns in conjunction with colleagues across Marcomms, ensuring they are high impact, reach key audiences and deliver OU key messages.
• Keep abreast of new and emerging social media advancements, ensuring that best practice knowledge is spread throughout the communications community.
• Daily community management of core university social media channels, identifying opportunities for engagement, use of user generated content and potential reputational risks.
• Supporting, as part of the wider communications team, on reputational management issues.
• Work with the Senior Social Media Manager to continuously improve social media output and performance by capturing and analysing campaign and social media metrics, utilising insights derived to make recommendations and acting on information in a timely manner.
• Alongside another Social Media Manager, lead on the planning of social media activity, ensuring content aligns to the social media strategy and greater reach plan.
• Feeding back insights into the overall Marcomms evaluation processes.
• Manage the delivery of any campaigns and projects to time and budget adhering to team and unit processes and governance structures.
• Ensure social media toolkits, policies and processes remain up to date and reflect trends in social media tools, applications, channels, design and strategy.

Skills and Experience

Essential Requirements 

• Proven experience of working extensively with a brand or large organisation’s social media channels including, but not limited to, Instagram, TikTok. YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Bluesky and X, and creating multimedia content including short-form video.
• Prior experience of using social media channels for a brand/large organisation to build engagement with key audiences and develop highly engaged and affiliated communities.
• Extensive experience of planning, creating and implementing complex communications projects and campaigns, across a wide media mix and developing content for integrated campaigns including video assets, graphics and live social media events. 
• Demonstrable experience of monitoring social media performance, providing analytics and measures for evaluating campaign performance, working with tools like social media scheduling and listening tools.
• Advanced skills in Adobe PhotoShop/Illustrator or similar, Adobe Premier Pro or similar video editing software and Canva.
• Expert knowledge and understanding of the core social media platforms and social media trends.
• Excellent copywriting skills – a proven ability to write clear, engaging copy for different audiences and platforms. 

Desirable Requirements 

• Experience of developing paid social media as part of social media campaigns.
• Experience of working in the higher education sector.
• Experience of working independently, hybrid and as part of a team, taking lead responsibility for tasks.
• Experience of working across an organisation with a range of people of different seniority levels. 

Essential Requirements

As part of the application process, you will be expected to submit your CV and a Supporting Statement (maximum of 1000 words) that demonstrates how you meet the essential / desirable criteria listed above. 

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 may work for you and the role.

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We anticipate this being once per fortnight on average. 

**We may close this job advert earlier than the published closing date where a satisfactory number of applications are received. We would therefore encourage early applications.**