Head of Media and Social Media

Head of Media and Social Media Ref:32756 (Fixed - Term)

Location

Brighton, UK

Hours

37.5 hours. Requests for flexible working options will be considered (subject to business need).

Salary

Grade 8 starting at £46,485 to £55,295 per annum, pro rata if part time.

Contract Type

Fixed Term Contract

About the role

Are you a strategic communicator with expertise in media relations and digital engagement? The University of Sussex is seeking an exceptional Head of Media and Social Media for maternity cover to drive our external communications strategy and ensure our stories resonate across traditional and digital platforms.

Leading a dynamic team of six, you will play a pivotal role in enhancing and protecting the University's reputation, using your expertise in media relations, social media, and crisis communications to navigate high-profile issues and maximise positive coverage.

Working closely with the University’s Executive Group, you will provide expert media counsel, forge trusted relationships, and lead on the strategic direction of our media and social media output - ensuring our message is impactful, consistent, and aligned with our key strategic priorities.

If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for storytelling and a track record of delivering outstanding media engagement, we would love to hear from you.

About you
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to manage and lead a team of six, ensuring the delivery of high-quality media and social media content that promotes and supports the University’s key strategic priorities. You will play a crucial role in shaping the University’s media presence, using innovative digital storytelling techniques and emerging platforms to enhance engagement and amplify our voice.

Building strong relationships across the University will be essential to develop impactful communication campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences. You will provide expert advice to senior leaders on media and social media trends, ensuring our strategies remain forward-thinking and competitive. A key part of the role will also involve leading on reputational risk, mitigating potential media crises, and overseeing crisis communications.

Championing diversity and inclusion in media representation will be central to your work, ensuring our communications reflect the values and broad community of the University. You will also use data and analytics to inform decision-making, optimise content strategies, and measure the impact of campaigns across channels.

This role offers the opportunity to engage students and staff in media and social media initiatives, building a sense of community and belonging. You will also oversee training programs to upskill staff in media relations, social media engagement, and crisis communications.

As part of the communications leadership team, you will manage the communications planning function and support the University’s wider content creation efforts while building key relationships across the Communications, Engagement, and Advancement directorate.

In addition, some out of office, evening and weekend working may be necessary. As part of a duty rota, the post-holder will be required to respond to emergencies and/or incidents at other times outside of the core hours (i.e. evening and weekends). Compensatory time for out-of-hours work will be given.

About our Division
The CEA division is vital in contributing towards the success of Sussex. We work closely in partnership with our academic schools and other learning institutions in the UK, and internationally to attract the very best students we can. Our ideas matter, that is why we work and advise on Institutional Growth Strategies to support the University in achieving positive outcomes. The life-long relationships with our global alumni and friends enable many of the gifts which allow Sussex’s research to flourish.

Please find further information regarding the division at Communications, Engagement and Advancement: University of Sussex.

Why work here
Our university is situated off the A27, next to the beautiful South Downs where you will enjoy everything that our 150-acre campus has to offer. We are accessible by public transport; Falmer train station is a five-minute walk to campus and several bus stops are located within campus. We also have dedicated cycling paths and encourage our staff to use these with our offering of a cycle to work scheme.

Sussex is a renowned, multi-accredited, research-led International University and this is only possible because of the people that work here. Whether you are a member of Faculty, part of a Professional Services team or a Student, it’s our people that make us great and we want you to be part of that.

Find out more about our reward and benefits package.

Find out about our equality, diversity and inclusion.

Further Key Information

Please contact Jon Street (j.street@sussex.ac.uk) for informal enquiries.

For full details and how to apply see our vacancies page.

The University of Sussex values the diversity of its staff and students, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

The University requires that work undertaken for the University is performed in the UK.

Visa Sponsorship Queries: This role may be eligible for sponsorship. Please consult our Skilled Worker Visa information page for further information about Visa Sponsorship.

Attachments

Job_Description_Ref_32756.pdf

Closing Date: March 5, 2025 11:59 PM

Expected Interview Date: To be confirmed

Expected Start Date: To be confirmed

Fixed Term Contract Duration: FTE - 1 year Maternity Cover

Apply Link: https://jobs.sussex.ac.uk/job/58f2f70a-2668-42d3-b69b-4f5c1bb94f2d

If you are experiencing any issues using our application portal or if you require adjustments to be made to the selection process, please contact us on (01273) 873743 or recruitmentadministration@sussex.ac.uk to discuss your requirements.