Social Media Manager (Mat Cover)

About the role

An amazing opportunity to be part of a UK charity with a bold social purpose - helping young people discover more in themselves than they ever thought possible.

The Social Media Manager sits within our Marketing and Communications Team, running Outward Bound's social channels day to day - growing our audiences, building communities, and telling our story across platforms.

Think charity social media is all big cheques, ribbon cuttings and being "delighted to announce"? Think again. This is a role for someone who wants to play with tone of voice, bend the rules and make content that doesn't look or sound like everyone else's.

Start date: September

What you'll be doing

As Social Media Manager, you will:

Deliver and optimise the organisation’s social media and online content strategy, using compelling, authentic storytelling to bring our programmes and impact to life
Create, edit and publish high-quality, engaging content across all platforms (text, images, video and stories)
Develop relationships with ambassadors, influencers and content creators to extend reach, strengthen advocacy and create authentic social content
Plan and manage paid social and digital advertising campaigns, including budgets and performance optimisation across Meta, LinkedIn and Google Ads
Drive audience engagement before, during and after programmes through creative, social-first initiatives
Monitor social media channels and respond to comments and messages promptly and professionally, helping build an active, engaged community
Track performance using analytics tools, reporting on KPIs and making data-led recommendations to continuously improve results
Stay up to date with social media trends, tools and best practice, bringing fresh ideas into the organisation
Collaborate with colleagues across Marketing and Communications to build a strong pipeline of content and stories
Support internal communications and help embed social media best practice across the organisation
Provide guidance and training to staff to strengthen confidence and capability in using social media effectively

You’re a great fit if you...

Proven experience in a Social Media Manager or similar role
Experience creating and delivering engaging social media and content campaigns
Experience managing paid social and digital advertising (e.g. Meta, LinkedIn, Google Ads)
Strong understanding of SEO, keyword research, and Google Analytics
Experience using social media management platforms (e.g. Sprout Social, Hootsuite or similar) 
Experience using content creation tools (e.g. Canva, Adobe Express or similar)
Experience analysing data and translating insights into actionable improvements
Experience working with internal stakeholders and/or external agencies
Excellent copywriting, editing and proofreading skills

Social Media Manager

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, development and work-life balance.

How we look after you

We hold ourselves to high standards. We support one another, step up when it counts and always put young people first.

Read our Ways of Working

The Outward Bound Trust’s mission is to inspire young people to believe in themselves and achieve more than they ever thought possible.

About Outward Bound

How to apply

We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the young people we support. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and value the unique perspectives they bring.

If you are interested, please drop an email with a up to date CV and covering letter (no longer than one side) to Sarah Shutt, [email protected]

Application deadline: Monday, 20 July 2026.

First round interviews: w/c 27 July 2026.

If there’s anything about the interview process that worries you or will make it hard for you to demonstrate your skills and competence, please let Sarah know. We’re happy to discuss adjustments to our standard processes so that we can find the best candidate for the job.

Apply by 9am on 20 July 2026

We’re committed to making our recruitment process as fair and inclusive as possible. That means actively working to remove unconscious bias and the influence of privilege from our processes.

We also know how powerful it can be for young people to see themselves in the people around them. That’s why we encourage applications from individuals who reflect the diverse backgrounds and identities of the young people we work with. By building a team that young people can relate to, we can help more of them see what’s possible.

We endeavour not to discriminate based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, being pregnant, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation.