Purpose of Role
The Creative and Content Manager will lead the strategic development and delivery of the University’s content, social media, web content and creative output. The role will oversee the University’s core social media presence, web content strategy and governance, and integrated content programmes aligned to student recruitment, research, reputation and engagement objectives, driving innovation and excellence across all channels owned.
The role holder will act as the University’s senior subject matter expert for social media, content, digital storytelling and web content, advising senior stakeholders across the institution on channel strategy, website content best practice, campaign integration, brand consistency, audience engagement and digital user experience.
The role will lead a multidisciplinary creative content team comprising social media, web content and editing, graphic design and artwork functions, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, audience-focused, accessible and brand-aligned content across the Heriot-Watt University website, digital platforms and campaigns.
The postholder will play a key role in shaping the University’s digital presence and reputation through strategic leadership, creative innovation, data-led decision making and effective web content governance.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
- Develop and implement the University's social media, design and web content strategy in line with institutional priorities, brand guidelines and student recruitment objectives.
- Plan, create, publish and optimise engaging content across the University website and social media channels to enhance brand awareness, engagement, support student recruitment objectives and assist in conversion.
- Plan, prioritise and organise own workload and resources effectively to deliver agreed objectives, ensuring projects and activities are completed to a high standard and within required timelines.
- Complete routine operational tasks independently, following established processes and procedures to support the effective delivery of content, creative and digital activities.
- Manage the University's social media channels (Instagram, X, Facebook and LinkedIn), by developing content calendars, handling community management, paid campaigns, Google reviews and audience engagement.
- Lead and manage the University's design team (staff of two), overseeing the planning, prioritisation and delivery of high-quality creative assets across digital and print channels. Provide direction, coaching and performance management to ensure design outputs align with the University's brand guidelines, campaign objectives and institutional priorities, while ensuring projects are delivered on time and to a consistently high standard.
- Maintain and update website content using the Content Management System (CMS), ensuring information is accurate, accessible, user-focused and optimised for SEO.
- Oversee the allocation of design resources across multiple campaigns and projects, working closely with marketing colleagues and stakeholders to prioritise workloads, maintain quality standards and ensure the timely delivery of creative assets that support student recruitment, events, research and corporate communications.
- Manage the University's visual content production, including photography and videography, ensuring the development of high-quality, engaging visual assets that support student recruitment, brand awareness, events, research and institutional storytelling across digital and print channels. Coordinate content capture and oversee editing and post-production.
- Ensure all digital content complies with University brand standards, accessibility requirements, editorial guidelines and best practice.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with academic schools, professional services and external partners to source, develop and coordinate engaging content and integrated marketing campaigns. Act as the key liaison for content, social media and web-related activities, ensuring information is communicated accurately, consistently and in a timely manner to the appropriate stakeholders using established processes. Develop effective working relationships and networks across the University and with external partners to facilitate collaboration, share knowledge, influence decisions where appropriate, and support the successful delivery of institutional priorities and marketing objectives. Deliver high-quality, customer-focused service to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring timely, effective support aligned with the University's strategic objectives.
- Collaborate closely with the Recruitment and Admissions teams to understand and support business priorities in measurable and impactful ways.
- Monitor digital trends, emerging platforms and industry best practice to continuously improve the University's social media and web presence.
- Undertake analytics of social media, website and campaign performance using analytics tools, providing regular reports and recommendations to improve engagement, user experience and conversion.
- Lead website content reviews, audits and optimisation projects to improve user journeys, information architecture and overall website performance.
- Support the planning and delivery of digital marketing campaigns, student ambassador initiatives and user-generated content to increase reach and engagement.
- Apply initiative, creativity and sound judgement to identify, analyse and resolve complex issues, assessing options and implementing effective solutions to support University objectives.
- Manage the day-to-day delivery of web and social media activity, ensuring projects are delivered on time, to a high standard and in line with agreed priorities.
- Provide expert advice and guidance to internal stakeholders on content strategy, social media, web content and digital communications. Regularly communicate operational and specialist information across the University and, where required, influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders on complex issues to support the successful development and implementation of University operations, marketing initiatives and strategic objectives
- Show awareness and sensitivity towards stakeholder needs, escalating concerns and seeking appropriate support where required.
Essential & Desirable Criteria
Essential
- Educated to degree level
- At least 8 years’ professional experience in content, web editing, social media, digital marketing or brand communications roles.
- Demonstrable experience of developing and delivering integrated content and social media strategies.
- Proven experience managing creative and/or multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong leadership and people management skills with experience developing high-performing teams.
- Significant experience commissioning and overseeing creative content production across multiple formats and channels.
- Demonstrable experience overseeing the production of high-quality creative assets across digital and print channels, ensuring consistency with brand guidelines and marketing objectives.
- In-depth knowledge of social media platforms, content trends, digital storytelling and audience engagement strategies.
- Excellent copywriting, editing and proof-reading skills.
- Strong understanding of brand management and experience working within established brand guidelines.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with experience influencing and collaborating at senior levels.
- Strong analytical skills with experience using insight and performance data to inform strategy and decision making.
- Excellent organisational, project management and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
- Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and maintain exceptional attention to detail.
- Commercial awareness and experience managing external suppliers.
- Excellent communication, presentation and IT skills.
- Experience managing cross-functional projects and campaigns.
- Experience of accessibility and inclusive content best practice.
Desirable
- Experience within the Higher Education sector and understanding of the macro issues affecting the sector.
- Experience of video-led and multimedia content strategies.
- Knowledge of SEO, digital analytics
Heriot-Watt University Values
With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and professionally relevant, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry.
We are a vibrant, forward-looking university, well known for the quality of our degrees with employers actively seeking out our graduates. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland’s international university with an unsurpassed international in-country presence. We deliver degree programmes to circa 30,000 students in 143 countries around the world, have a further overseas campus in Dubai and boast the largest international student cohort in Scotland.
At Heriot-Watt we’ve created an environment that nurtures innovation and leadership - where our researchers, staff and students can realise their potential and develop their ambitions.
We are proud of our collegiate atmosphere and integrated teaching and research approach which has helped to build a community of committed academics and highly motivated students. Our focus on careers delivers results and we’ve an excellent reputation for graduate employability.
In addition to the Edinburgh campus, we currently have campuses in the Scottish Borders, Orkney, Dubai and Malaysia. For all of our campuses we aim to provide stimulating, supportive environments conducive to effective learning and research, where staff and students can excel. At Heriot-Watt, we have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership, and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.
Our values describe our deeply held beliefs and our community spirit. They characterise not only how we are as a higher education institution but also frame how we want to be.
Our values are:
- Belong
- Collaborate
- Inspire
- Celebrate
As learning, living and working institution, we use our values as the building blocks of how we go about doing our work and how we each conduct ourselves as members of Heriot-Watt University. They represent what binds us together as a University community and help us to become the best at what we do.
