Job Description

Who We Are

Since 2012, Giraffe Social has helped brands thrive in the digital world, evolving alongside the ever-changing landscape. Today, we're proud to lead a new era of human-first social - where brands put people, not algorithms, at the heart of their marketing. Our mission is clear: we partner with established brands to transform their strong company cultures into social strategies that truly engage audiences, drive conversions, and build lasting advocacy. With every client we work with, we make a promise to treat their brand as if it were our own - learning it deeply, challenging it thoughtfully, and championing it from the inside out.

Our Values

At Giraffe, our values are the core of everything we do:

Strategy and Creativity - We blend strategic insight with bold creativity. Every campaign is a deliberate move, thoughtfully designed to deliver impact without losing spark. This approach guides not just our work but how we operate as a team.

Balance and Wellbeing - We champion a healthy work-life balance, creating a space where creativity and growth thrive alongside personal wellbeing. Our team excels when professionally challenged and personally supported.

Evolution and Growth- Continuous learning and improvement are non-negotiable. We push ourselves to stay ahead of trends, sharpen our skills, and elevate the quality of our work.

Sustainability and Responsibility - We're dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint through sustainable practices and advocating for eco-friendly solutions in all we do.

Unity and Recognition - Success is a team effort. We foster a culture of mutual respect, celebrate each other's achievements, and build a positive, unified community.

Core Expectations (Manager)

You're the steady hand that drives strategy, delivery, and strong client relationships. You lead with confidence - owning communication, guiding the team, and ensuring work is smart, timely, and impactful. You spot opportunities, solve problems early, and keep things moving with clarity and care. You don't just manage the work - you make it thrive.

As a Social Media Manager (SMM) at Giraffe Social, you play a pivotal role in steering client success through thoughtful, human-first social strategies. You own the client relationship, ensuring their social media plans not only meet but evolve with their business goals, fostering long-term partnerships grounded in trust and impact.

You lead all client communications - from Partnership Launch Meetings and Strategy Reviews to regular check-ins and detailed reporting - ensuring clarity and alignment at every step. Your strategic leadership extends to paid social advertising, where you develop, optimise, and analyse campaigns to drive meaningful results.

In addition to paid media, you oversee organic social media management, crafting and scheduling content and engaging communities to build authentic brand advocacy. You also support influencer marketing efforts, facilitating genuine connections between brands and audiences.

While you have your own client portfolio, you collaborate closely with the wider team, stepping in to support colleagues when needed and gaining diverse experience across industries. Your leadership and proactive problem-solving keep projects on track and thriving.

Reporting Line

Your day-to-day work will be supported by the Senior Social Media Manager(s), with overall supervision and oversight provided by the Head of Social and People and Resource Manager.

Performance Expectations

As a Social Media Manager, the main metrics your performance will be judged upon are:

Client Retention Client Contract Rollover NPS Client Satisfaction Upselling / cross-selling
And the associated targets:

Achieve a yearly client retention figure of 92.5% or higher. Achieve a yearly client contract rollover figure of 75.00% or higher. Contribute to achieving a yearly NPS score of 53 or higher. Contribute to achieving a quarterly upsell figure to the value of 5% of monthly Revenue or higher.

Key Responsibilities

As a Social Media Manager at Giraffe, you play a pivotal role in steering client success through strategic vision, expert delivery, and strong, collaborative partnerships. You are not just managing accounts - you're driving growth, championing innovation, and embedding human-first social principles into every campaign and client interaction. Your leadership sets the tone for quality, consistency, and creativity within your team and for your clients.

Client Relationship Management

Build and sustain deep, trusting relationships with clients, acting as their strategic partner and advocate to secure long-term retention and organic growth.

Lead comprehensive discovery processes to fully understand client cultures, objectives, and challenges, translating these into tailored, human-first social media strategies that drive real business outcomes.

Own all client communications with professionalism and clarity, managing Partnership Launch Meetings, Strategy Reviews, regular check-ins, and proactive updates to keep stakeholders aligned and confident.

Manage expectations transparently by setting clear goals, timelines, and deliverables, ensuring clients feel supported, informed, and engaged at every stage.

Coordinate seamlessly with internal teams - including Social Media Executives and Creative Executives to deliver on client briefs with precision, quality, and creativity.

Monitor monthly retainer budgets vigilantly, ensuring optimal allocation of hours, timely delivery, and maximising value for clients while maintaining profitability.

Paid Social Media Advertising

Lead the strategic development and execution of paid social campaigns across multiple platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.), ensuring alignment with broader client goals and brand values.

Maintain expert-level knowledge of evolving platform policies, advertising standards, and industry best practices to safeguard compliance and optimise campaign effectiveness.

Continuously analyse campaign performance through rigorous data evaluation, leveraging insights to drive iterative improvements, maximise ROI, and exceed client expectations.

Manage advertising budgets with financial discipline, ensuring monthly spend targets are met without compromising quality or impact.

Organic Social Media Management

Oversee all facets of organic social media management, including content creation, publishing, community engagement, and reputation management tailored to each client's unique voice and audience.

Craft compelling, original content that seamlessly integrates creative storytelling with strategic intent - balancing visual and written elements to inspire, educate, and convert audiences.

Build and nurture active online communities by responding authentically to comments, facilitating conversations, and identifying opportunities to deepen audience engagement.

Spearhead influencer marketing initiatives, from strategy formulation and influencer sourcing to campaign execution and performance reporting, ensuring alignment with client brand values and objectives.

Lead onboarding of new clients, establishing campaign strategies, workflows, and communication rhythms to set every partnership up for success.

Plan and manage contests, activations, and promotional campaigns designed to amplify brand visibility and customer loyalty.

Influencer Marketing

Develop a strong understanding of our influencer marketing service, including all processes, documentation, and software. Plan and deliver influencer marketing campaigns from end to end, including strategy development, influencer research, campaign planning, influencer management, and performance reporting. Identify opportunities to upsell influencer marketing services to existing clients and support new business growth. Continuously refine and enhance the influencer marketing service through testing, feedback, and innovation.
Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Act as a dependable point of contact for client-related issues, proactively identifying and resolving challenges before they escalate.

Provide mentorship, guidance, and support to Social Media Executives and junior team members, fostering an environment of continuous learning and excellence.

Collaborate closely with Senior Social Media Managers and cross-departmental teams to share knowledge, align strategies, and ensure delivery consistency across all client accounts.

Step into cover roles as needed, maintaining continuity and quality of service during team absences or periods of high demand.

Continuous Learning, Innovation & Improvement

Conduct in-depth research into industry trends, competitor activity, audience behaviour, and platform innovations, translating findings into actionable recommendations for clients.

Use advanced analytics tools - such as Sprout Social, Google Analytics, and native platform insights - to monitor, evaluate, and report on campaign performance against KPIs.

Lead the identification of growth opportunities and performance gaps, proposing strategic adjustments that enhance paid and organic social impact aligned with evolving client needs.

Champion a culture of innovation by piloting new approaches and technologies, ensuring our work remains cutting-edge and purpose-driven.

Share insights, case studies, and lessons learned regularly with the wider team to elevate collective expertise and drive continuous improvement.

Operational Excellence & Cultural Engagement

Utilise Productive and other project management tools to meticulously organise client workstreams, track progress, and document critical communications and decisions.

Maintain active participation in company-wide meetings, virtual collaboration sessions, and Office Days, contributing positively to our inclusive, values-driven culture.

Demonstrate adaptability and team spirit by undertaking additional responsibilities beyond your role when necessary, always prioritising the overall success of the team and clients.

Requirements

Proven experience in social media management and strategy.

Expertise in managing paid social advertising campaigns.

Strong analytical skills with a data-driven approach to problem-solving.

Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

A proactive, innovative mindset with a passion for delivering exceptional results.

Previous agency experience preferred.

Suitable for hybrid or remote working.

Salary:

30,300.00 per annum

Benefits and Incentives

Benefits:
The current benefits for this role are:

Remote and Flexible Working - We allow all staff complete remote and flexible working (Conditions apply - Remote Working Policy).

Enhanced Annual Leave Allowance - We provide staff with 34 days holiday (including bank holidays, birthday leave day and Christmas break). Statutory is 28 days.

Voluntary Work Leave - We provide 3 days paid leave, per year, for the purpose of performing voluntary work for a charity.

Work Anniversary Gift - We give staff a 50 restaurant voucher for them to celebrate their work anniversary.

Birthday Gift - We give staff a birthday gift every year (approx. 20)

Christmas Meal - We organise a Christmas meal for all staff, this includes both food and drink free of charge.

Christmas Gift - We give staff a Christmas gift every year (approx. 50)

Innovation Connect Membership - All of the benefits that come with being part of Innovation Connect (Free car parking - subject to permission from the Ministry of Defence, unlimited free tea and coffee, discounted University gym membership, access to the University library and a range of discounts).

Home Entertainment Benefit - We give staff a 25 payment every month to cover their Spotify and Netflix subscriptions.

Work from Anywhere - We allow staff to work from abroad, which helps save annual leave and increases travel opportunities. (Conditions apply - Work from Anywhere Policy)

Wellbeing Mornings - We allow staff to take a morning off from work to focus on mindfulness or self-care, when required.

Occupational Sick Pay (OSP) Scheme - We provide staff with an enhanced number of paid sick days, which increases with length of service. (See Employee Handbook for more detail).

Ecologi - Climate Action Workforce - For every employee, we offset their annual carbon footprint. The average annual carbon footprint for an individual in the UK is 8T CO2e, and our monthly subscription on behalf of them more than covers this.

Spill - Mental Health Support Platform - Every employee gets access to Spill, where they can book therapy sessions, ask therapists questions, and access a huge advice library.

Giraffe Social is an equal opportunities employer. We believe that diverse teams create better ideas, and we're committed to building an inclusive culture where everyone feels welcome. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, and all candidates are assessed based on merit, qualifications and suitability for the role.

Giraffe Social is committed to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in all our business activities and supply chains. We have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of exploitation and follow ethical recruitment practices in line with the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 30,000.00-32,340.00 per year

Benefits:

Additional leave Bereavement leave Casual dress Company events Company pension Employee discount Flexitime Paid volunteer time Sick pay Work from home
Application question(s):

Do you have any experience with creating paid ads on Meta and/or TikTok? This role is a hybrid type. Can you attend Office Days in our Portsmouth office? Do you currently have the legal right to work in the UK (e.g. British passport, settled or pre-settled status)? Please note we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
Experience:

client management: 1 year (required) Social Media strategy: 1 year (required) agency work: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Portsmouth PO1 3LJ