Digital Content & Communications Manager
About the Role:
The Digital Content & Communications Officer will be responsible for managing AMI’s digital presence, producing engaging content across all platforms, and ensuring that AMI’s output is presented professionally and reaches a broad audience. This is a hands-on role combining graphic design, social media management, website maintenance, management of freelancers, and basic audio/video editing. The post-holder will work closely with the research leads and institutional leadership to develop and deliver a coherent digital communications strategy.
What You’ll Do:
A. Social Media & Digital Engagement
- Manage and grow AMI’s social media accounts across Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify, ensuring they effectively communicate AMI’s events and activities.
- Manage and grow AMI’s email marketing and communication platforms, ensuring they effectively communicate AMI’s events and activities.
- Maintain AMI’s Wikipedia page and Google Business profiles to ensure all information is accurate and up to date.
- Develop and implement a content calendar aligned with AMI’s output, events, and key dates in the Islamic calendar.
- Create and schedule posts, stories, reels, and email campaigns that engage AMI’s diverse audiences: from academic peers to grassroots Muslim communities.
- Monitor engagement metrics, report on performance, and adjust strategy based on data and insights.
B. Content Design & Production
- Design professional posters, flyers, social media graphics, email campaigns, and promotional materials for seminars, conferences, book launches, and other events.
- Produce visually compelling content from AMI’s academic output: turning research summaries, podcast episodes, and public statements into shareable digital formats (infographics, quote cards, carousels, short-form video clips).
- Ensure all visual content adheres to AMI’s brand identity and maintains a consistent, high-quality aesthetic.
- Prepare print-ready materials where required (e.g. event programmes, prospectuses, banners etc).
- Outsource book cover designs for AMI publications, ensuring designs are coherent with AMI’s brand identity and maintain a consistent, high-quality aesthetic.
C. Website Management
- Maintain and regularly update the AMI website with new content, including event listings, news items, publications, podcast episodes, and blog posts.
- Maintain and regularly update the AMI Spaces, ICCI, DIA, and CIMS websites with new content.
- Ensure all websites are accurate, current, and user-friendly; liaise with external developers for technical issues as needed.
- Apply basic SEO principles to improve discoverability of AMI’s content on AI and search platforms.
D. Video & Audio Production Coordination
- Perform basic editing of seminar recordings, promotional videos, photos, audio podcasts, and event content for publication on YouTube and social media (e.g. trimming, titling, adding captions and branding elements).
- Coordinate with external editors and freelancers for higher-end production work, including podcasts, lectures, and short-form reels, ensuring quality, brand consistency, and timely delivery.
- Support the production workflow for the Thinking Islam podcast, including episode preparation, thumbnail design, YouTube SEO optimisation, and liaison with the outsourced editor.
- Upload finalised video and audio content to relevant platforms, ensuring correct metadata, descriptions, tags, and scheduling.
E. Communications & Outreach
- Support the promotion of AMI events, visiting fellowships, and institutional partnerships through targeted digital outreach.
- Liaise with partner organisations and media contacts to amplify AMI’s work where appropriate.
- Create monthly update email campaigns highlighting AMI activities and events, along with quarterly update emails for top funders and stakeholders.
- Respond to all social media, email, website, and WhatsApp enquiries in a timely and professional manner.
- Attend monthly managers’ meetings and contribute to organisational planning.
- Produce reports, presentations, and documentation of AMI’s performance across all channels.
F. Paid Media & Outsourced Services
- Manage advertising campaigns across all platforms to increase AMI’s global audience and the reach of its activities and events.
- Set clear briefs, budgets, KPIs, and deadlines for all outsourced work including ads creation, website maintenance and optimisation, design, and video-editing.
- Review and quality-control all outputs from external suppliers before publication.
Person Specification (Essential):
- Degree or equivalent professional experience in digital marketing, communications, graphic design, media production, or a related field.
- Demonstrable experience managing social media accounts for an organisation (not solely personal accounts).
- Proficiency in graphic design tools: Canva at minimum; ideally Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
- Proficiency in using AI tools i.e. ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Gemini etc to support content creation, copywriting, campaign ideation, and workflow efficiency.
- Experience maintaining and updating websites using a CMS (e.g. WordPress).
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt tone for different audiences and platforms.
- Understanding of SEO fundamentals and social media analytics.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines, and work both independently and as part of a small team.
- Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to high-quality output.
Person Specification (Desirable):
- Familiarity with Islamic educational content, Muslim community organisations, or the UK higher education sector.
- Experience with email marketing platforms (e.g. Mailchimp).
- Photography and/or videography skills.
- Basic video editing skills (trimming, captioning, adding titles/branding) using software such as Veed.AI, Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, or CapCut; and the ability to coordinate with external editors and freelancers for higher-end production.
- Intermediate to advanced video and audio editing skills, including podcast production and short-form reel creation.
- Experience managing a YouTube channel, including SEO optimisation and audience growth.
- Knowledge of Arabic, Urdu, or Persian.
Assignment:
To apply: Please submit a CV (max. 2 pages), a covering letter (max. 1 page) explaining how you meet the person specification, and the assignment materials outlined below via email to rukhsana.bhanji@almahdi.edu:
1. Portfolio or samples (required): Provide 3–5 examples of your work, which may include social media graphics, posters, short video edits, website screenshots, or campaign examples. A link to an online portfolio is acceptable.
2. Digital Audit (required): Choose any one of AMI’s current digital platforms (website, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, Linkedin, or TikTok) and write a one-page analysis (approx. 400–500 words) that includes:
- Observations: What is currently working well in terms of content, presentation, and engagement.
- Recommendations: Two or three specific, actionable improvements you would make to increase reach and engagement.
- Rationale: A brief explanation (3–5 sentences) of what informed your analysis — your professional experience, comparable organisations, or data you drew on.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete phase two of the recruitment process, which involves a range of tasks to be completed ahead of the formal interview.
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Al-Mahdi Institute is committed to equality of opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We particularly encourage applications from candidates with an understanding of the communities AMI serves.
This role is dynamic, and responsibilities may evolve in line with AMI’s strategic priorities. Please note that all appointments at AMI are subject to a probationary period, during which we assess performance, alignment with our institutional values, and mutual fit to ensure long-term success in the role.
Pay: £28,000.00-£35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Free parking
- On-site gym
- Private medical insurance
Work Location: In person