Head of Social Media (maternity cover)

Vacancy Information

Division / Department - Media and Communications
Grade - M1
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Fixed Term Contract
Salary Grade Range - £49,716 - £54,696
Working Hours - 37.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - No
Politically Restricted - Yes
Location - Sussex Police Headquarters, Lewes

The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.

Chief Constables' Message

We really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Surrey Police and Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our counties safe.

We are looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then we want to hear from you.

We wish you all the very best with your application.

Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner

The Role & Key Responsibilities

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced communications professional to join our busy and award-winning Media and Communications Department on maternity cover as Head of Social Media.

You’ll be responsible for overseeing the delivery of our social media strategy, building reach, engagement and compliance across our channels, helping us to protect our communities, catch criminals and deliver an outstanding police service to the people of Sussex.

You must have a proven track record of delivering an engaging and high-performing social media strategy in a business environment for a high-profile organisation and be committed to using evidence and insight to help us get the best possible results for our communities.

We are looking for a leader who is accessible, knowledgeable and inspires people around them to be innovative and creative in their storytelling.

We’re a fast-paced organisation that uses Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and WhatsApp as our core channels, with growing video content and plans to diversify.

You’ll be well-versed in best use of organic and paid media, as well as working with partners and/or external agencies to maximise campaign development and distribution. You will understand the benefits of different social media management platforms and be confident in their implementation.

As a member of our senior management team, you will act as a trusted communications advisor, providing expert advice to others in the Force, including Chief Officers and external stakeholders. You will be able to respond to multiple competing demands alongside working to implement long-term improvements to how we engage online.

You will have the support of a great team and access to varied and interesting content which, used effectively, helps deliver operational policing in Sussex.

Key responsibilities:

• Maximise Sussex Police’s social media presence, supporting Force priorities and using mechanisms, measurement and marketing tools that provide enhanced opportunities to engage audiences and leverage the benefits of individual social media platforms.
• Develop, implement and maintain the social media strategy, related policy and guidance for Sussex Police to ensure its optimum, ethical and legal use across the full range of Force communications; ensure appropriate governance and information management processes are in place, followed and monitored.
• Develop a disciplined approach to evaluation and analytics to measure critical success factors of campaigns, media activity and digital engagement including the increase of public confidence and legitimacy in policing activities.
• Actively horizon scan to identify trends in digital and social communications, assess impact on policing and in particular Sussex Police, and to inform possible responses within the Force and digital communications strategies.
• Direct a programme of training activity, in liaison with the Head of Media, that identifies, develops and delivers training/coaching to ensure colleagues are using social media and other digital channels effectively and responsibly.
• Direct the implementation of a wide range of content forms, including video, text, still imagery, animation and live action that best uses the technology available on any given social media platform.
• To lead the Social Media Team and District Engagement Officers, including recruitment, retention, performance, welfare and engagement, and develop close alignment and social media upskilling of colleagues in the wider Media and Communications Department.
• Where required, operate as a senior member of the major incident structure in the context of a major/critical incident, developing and directing digital communications tactics to meet strategic or operational aims.

Skills & Experience

• Recent and proven experience of delivering an engaging and high-performing social media strategy in a work/business environment for a high-profile organisation.
• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, advertising or communications or relevant professional experience in a hands-on social media role at supervisory level or higher.
• Sound understanding and application of the approach, governance and tailored content requirements across the range of social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
• Able to demonstrate clear strategic thinking in the development of social and digital channels and content, including to mitigate risk.
• Excellent understanding and application of analytics to drive performance using native and third-party tools.
• Understanding of the relative benefits of paid-for versus organic social content with evidence of practical application.
• Knowledge, use and business implementation of social media management platforms (SMMP).
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment while being innovative in providing solutions to challenges in a digital environment.
• Excellent communication skills, including adoption of appropriate tone of voice.
• Experienced and comfortable with presenting to senior management teams and key stakeholders, including delivery of training.

Why Work With Us?

Policing is an exciting 24/7 business and we’re invested in supporting people to balance their life with work. We encourage agile working, giving you the opportunity to manage your own diary and work wherever you give the best service to the public. This may include flexi-time and home working.

We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;

• career progression
• contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
• generous annual leave allowance
• discounts for everyday spend
• on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
• generous and supportive parental leave
• financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
• discounted contributory healthcare scheme

Please use the following links for more information on the benefits of working with

Further Information

This is a politically restricted position, to view the Political Restrictions Policy for Police Staff .

Please note, this is a full-time role but we will consider flexible working requests within these hours.

This role requires travel to meetings and locations across Sussex. The post-holder must therefore have a driving licence and access to their own transport.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Hannah Easterby, Head of Media and Communications, on or Maria Newstead, Deputy Head of Media and Communications, on .

Diversity Statement

We are only as good as our people. It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.

We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our .

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at and

Additional Information

Surrey Police & Sussex Police only accept applications online via our own careers site 'Police Jobs Surrey & Sussex'. Genuine job advertisements published on other websites will always redirect you to complete your application on our official careers site, if you are not redirected to our careers site, please do not submit your application.

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly. You may wish to consider addingto your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.

This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes. Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference. This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.

Please note that not all jobs are available for internal candidates across both Forces, the current agreed recruitment principles are;

• vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
• vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally
• if the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is successful it will result in a transfer of employment

Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) covered under the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.