Deputy Head of Social Strategy

Job Description

The Times and The Sunday Times represent a combined 400 years of covering news and providing comment and analysis on the UK and the world. We are authoritative, credible, responsible, trusted and a part of the nation’s cultural heritage.

Your role: The Deputy Head of Social Strategy (Editorial) supports the delivery of a video-first social media strategy designed to grow reach, engagement, and revenue, while upholding our editorial values. Working closely with the Head of Social Strategy, our social production coordinator and the wider newsroom, this role ensures our social content is executed to the highest standards — day in, day out.

The deputy will play a key role in leading the daily operation of the social and video team, overseeing content production and distribution across platforms, and ensuring our output is audience-focused, data-informed, and brand-consistent. This position requires flexibility to work on a shift pattern, including weekends, to provide consistent leadership and support to the team.

Day to day you will:

• Support the Head of Social Strategy in executing a video-first social media strategy that aligns with editorial priorities and business goals.

• Oversee the daily publishing schedule and editorial output across social platforms, ensuring timely, high-quality, and audience-relevant content.

• Lead on shift and weekend coverage, providing real-time editorial judgment, escalation support, and decision-making in collaboration with newsroom editors.

• Manage and mentor social editors and video specialists, ensuring strong performance, creativity, and adherence to best practices.

• Work closely with the Head of Social Strategy and data analysts to monitor performance, interpret insights, and adjust tactics in response to trends.

• Collaborate with marketing, video, and commercial teams to maximise reach and revenue opportunities on key social platforms.

• Maintain consistency in tone, visuals, and editorial standards across all channels.

• Encourage experimentation with formats, tools, and storytelling techniques to drive growth and innovation.

• Act as deputy in the Head of Social Strategy’s absence, providing continuity of leadership and maintaining high editorial and operational standards.

What we’re looking for from you:

• Proven experience in a senior social media, audience, or newsroom role, ideally with a focus on video and visual storytelling.

• Strong editorial judgment and understanding of what drives engagement and conversation across platforms.

• Experience managing or supervising teams in a fast-paced publishing environment, including shift-based operations.

• Proficiency in using analytics and audience insights to inform editorial decisions and optimise performance.

• Collaborative, adaptable, and confident working with senior editors, marketers, and commercial stakeholders.

• Excellent understanding of emerging social trends, tools, and video formats.

• Strong communication and organisational skills, with the ability to balance strategic priorities with hands-on daily delivery.

We are News UK: One of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. Our newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS. Our national broadcast brands include talkSPORT, Times Radio, Talk and Virgin Radio UK, and we have market-leading local radio stations across Ireland. Our world-famous brands provide news, analysis, opinion and entertainment to almost 40 million people each month. Spanning print and pixel, audio and video, events and experiences, our multiplatform brands are home to a plurality of opinion, representing the diverse communities we serve. News UK is wholly owned by News Corp.

Life at News

Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.

To do this, we believe our employees must represent different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. We strive to maximise and encourage every individual’s potential and ensure everyone feels valued. We support this through our Diversity Strategy, which focuses on three main priorities - attracting talent from a wider, more representative pool, developing equity programmes to drive better representation in our leadership, and ensuring diversity in our workforce as well as the journalism and content we produce. We also currently have 13 employee led networks and groups that support our strategy and connect like minded employees socially.

Benefits

Some of our benefits include:

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks

• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access

• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions

• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly virtual yoga classes

• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme

• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books

• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities

• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling

• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%

• 30 days holiday, plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. If you require reasonable adjustments due to a disability or health condition at any stage of your application or interview, please let us know. You can contact us at careers@news.co.uk to discuss how we can support you to perform at your best.