At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over seven million GCSEs and A-levels each year and it’s our people who make this happen.

 

Social Media and Communities Manager

Permanent

Guildford: £39,000 – £42,600

Smart Hybrid Working

 

Do you live and breathe Social Media as part of your day job?

Are you experienced in creating and delivering a strategic vision?

Are you passionate about customers and their experience within the social landscape?

Are you keen to use your skills to build new, compelling communities?

 

As the Social Media & Communities Manager for AQA, you will be responsible for driving the development of our organic social strategy; keeping brand strategy and community front of mind. You will own and shape the direction of a key comms channel in a large charitable organisation, where the customer is paramount.

 

What’s in it for me?

We value our colleagues who all work hard to deliver a first class service within the world of education. We offer a range of benefits including the following:

• a basic of  25 days annual leave (rising with service) with Bank Holidays and additional closure days at Christmas on top
• a working week of 35 hours
• a good pension with up to 18.5% combined contributions
• recently refurbished office spaces offering a variety of individual and collaborative workspaces and free parking within the grounds of the University of Surrey
• free tea and coffee and discounts in selected eateries on campus
• private medical insurance and a healthcare cash reward plan
• life assurance and enhanced maternity/paternity leave and more

 

What will I need to succeed?

• Deep knowledge of social media, what is changing, and which platforms are right for our brand
• Informed, articulate knowledge on social strategy and a future-focused mindset
• Experience in owning and leading social channels for brands (experience in the education or charity sector is desirable but not necessary)
• Strong understanding and experience in building successful online communities
• Experience in fostering and activating influencer communications and how to build long-term, meaningful partnerships
• Experience in content strategy : what does good look like for AQA?
• Strong communication and collaboration skills; experienced in complex stakeholder management, influencing and presenting
• The ability to upskill colleagues to drive advocacy and leverage a greater share of voice
• Be results focused: make pragmatic decisions and deliver at pace
• Have a “step up” mindset: use sound judgement and take accountability for actions

 

What Next?

Upload your most recent CV and a cover letter explaining why you are the best person for this role.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and we will appoint when we have found the right person, so please apply promptly.

Every application will receive a response.

PRO23

Recruitment Agencies

We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.

Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.

 

 

 

Full Job Description

 

Summary

Social media is a key channel for AQA to drive brand reputation and communicate with our audience. We focus a significant amount of our marketing budget to paid social. The social media landscape continues to change, and we want to hone our organic strategy – we need a passionate, strategic, social media expert to lead this for AQA.
The Organic Social & Communities Manager will be responsible for driving the development of our social channels and be responsible for developing a strategy for each; keeping brand awareness, follower growth, engagement and community front of mind.
Building online communities is a key proposition for our future comms and we need this individual to have experience in creating and building successful communities. The Organic Social & Communities Manager will also be crucial in delivering successful social influencer partnerships as part of our overall Communities strategy.Landscape:
Working in Marketing Operations within the Marketing and Brand department, this role sits alongside 10 specialist roles within the team. Marketing Ops is home to the Creative Studio who design and deliver our brand’s creative outputs, as well as a Marketing Planning Manager and Marketing Analyst. The Organic Social & Communities Manager reports into the Senior Marketing Operations Manager and will work closely alongside the Digital Marketing Manager, who leads our paid social strategy. There will be wide stakeholder engagement outside of the direct Ops team; building relationships with Marketing Managers, Market Strategists, Events, Customer Training, PR and External Affairs. The wider Customer and Product division, in particular Curriculum, will be an extremely important stakeholder in order to successfully deliver the Communities piece.

Activities:
Lead and create a compelling organic social strategy that is intrinsically linked to our brand strategy. This will include a clear role of channel for each platform and ensuring we are introducing any new platforms in a strategic manner
Develop a sound, tangible social media framework to share with the business, aiding stakeholder management
Drive brand awareness and brand advocacy; grow and engage our social presence and community of users on a daily basis
Drive brand reputation, brand positioning and growth through the creation of new online communities and social influencer partnerships. Work with Marketing Managers & Strategists to research relevant companies, bloggers, influencers for potential partnerships
Develop and manage an inspiring content calendar for Marketing & Brand; tell the story of our brand through engaging content and supporting key propositions, e.g. events, customer training, CPD
Work closely with the Digital Marketing Manager to ensure we have a cohesive, consistent social strategy for both paid and organic
Work closely with the PR & External Affairs Social Media Lead and our Customer Services team to ensure we are close to customers
Support Customer & Product colleagues in creating a cohesive approach to social comms and community management

To be successful in this role, you will need to know:
The vast scale of social media, what is changing, and which platforms are right for our brand
Have informed, articulate knowledge on social strategy, with an understanding of ways to amplify cross-channel
Have experience in owning and leading social channels for brands (experience in the education or charity sector is desirable but not necessary)
Experienced in content strategy : what does good look like for AQA?
Strong understanding and experience in building online communities
Experienced in activating influencer comms and how to build long-term, meaningful partnerships
Experienced in upskilling colleagues as to how social should be used from their personal accounts (and in turn, how we can leverage a greater share of voice)
Experienced in leveraging social listening through platforms such as Hootsuite.
A genuine enthusiasm for the industry and ambition for what success looks like
Sound knowledge of how to measure and implement success metrics on social
Be close to industry updates and news
Be results focused: make pragmatic decisions and deliver at pace
Have a “step up” mindset: use sound judgement and take accountability for actions
Excellent communication skills – be comfortable in managing wider stakeholders and working in a complex team
3+ years experience in-house or at a social agency