Deputy Head of Social Media

Location: Westminster, London 

Salary: Competitive 

Reporting to: Head of Social Media 

 

The Role

Reform UK is seeking an energetic Deputy Head of Social Media to help run its new centralised Brand Social Media team from the party's Westminster headquarters. Working closely with the Head of Social Media, the role will be responsible for the day-to-day desk, publishing discipline, rotas, handovers and quality of output across a seven-day operation.

The Deputy Head of Social Media will help turn Reform UK's journalism, video, speeches, events and political moments into high-quality platform-native content across Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram and other channels. The role requires excellent judgement, strong communication and the ability to keep a busy team organised while spotting and exploiting new opportunities quickly.

 

What you'll do

• Run the day-to-day social desk
• Deputise for the Head of Social Media and take clear responsibility for publishing priorities, team coordination and account output during assigned shifts.
• Manage daily commissioning, rotas, handovers and the social calendar so major stories, programmes and events are covered at the right time and in the right format.
• Maintain posting discipline and cadence across the seven-day operation, ensuring weekends, early periods and evenings do not become weak or unplanned gaps.
• React quickly to breaking news and fast-moving opportunities, reallocating producers and adjusting planned output without losing control of standards or priorities.

 

Key Responsibilities

Commission strong platform-native content

Commission and quality-control vertical video, graphics, explainers, text posts, clips, reactions, carousels and repeatable formats suited to each platform.

Ensure producers adapt content natively rather than simply uploading identical assets and copy everywhere.

Push the team to find the strongest hook, quote, image or emotional moment in every major story and production.

Maintain a balanced mix of reaction, accountability, authority, utility, proof, hope and participation so the party's social output reaches beyond habitual supporters.

Ensure major speeches, events and long-form productions are planned efficiently for social before release, with first cuts and platform assets prepared where possible.

Use numbers to improve daily decisions

Monitor real-time and longer-term platform performance and adjust distribution, sequencing, follow-ups and creative treatment when the evidence justifies it.

Help the Head of Social run weekly performance reviews by format, topic, platform and account, identifying repeatable winners and eliminating weak activity.

Encourage producers to understand reach, non-follower reach, engagement, completion, follower growth and downstream action rather than focusing only on raw views.

Turn insights into practical experiments around hooks, captions, length, posting time, thumbnails/stills, sequencing and format.

Develop producers and strengthen the team

Coach Social Media Producers on judgement, craft, platform understanding, speed and performance, giving direct and useful feedback.

Assist with rota planning, leave, handovers and performance management so the desk remains resilient and consistent.

Coordinate across Reform UK

Work closely with Website and Video colleagues so the social desk receives assets early and contributes platform insight at the commissioning stage.

Coordinate with Communications, Campaigns, Events and key account owners around important moments while preserving distinct account voices and avoiding unnecessary duplication.

Help provide practical guidance to senior figures, regions and branches on effective posting, amplification and account discipline.

 

Performance and Leadership:

• Apply strong editorial and legal judgement to fast-moving social content and escalate contentious claims, sensitive footage or high-risk material appropriately.
• Follow and help enforce strong account-access, 2FA, administrator, offboarding and recovery procedures across institutional channels.
• Keep approvals proportionate so routine content moves quickly while higher-risk material receives the right senior review.
• Keep the Head of Social Media informed about performance, opportunities, staffing, account issues and risks requiring follow-up.
• Be an excellent communicator with producers, editors, political figures, communications colleagues and external stakeholders, especially when priorities conflict.
• Bring a steady flow of proactive format, platform and distribution ideas rather than treating the role as rota management alone.
• Contribute to broader digital planning and help identify where social can increase the reach of website, video, email, ReformGo and campaign activity.

 

THE PERSON

We are looking for an experienced social operator ready for greater leadership responsibility: organised, proactive, highly numbers-driven and able to keep a seven-day desk moving at speed.

Essential experience and capabilities

• Strong experience working in a social media team for a national publication, broadcaster, political organisation, major brand or comparable high-output operation.
• Some proven management, shift-leadership or senior producer experience, including commissioning, quality control, handovers and team coordination.
• Excellent practical understanding of Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram and other major platforms, including how content and audience behaviour differ between them.
• Strong editorial judgement and the ability to recognise high-impact moments, react quickly and maintain accuracy under pressure.
• Good understanding of social analytics and the confidence to use data to change posting, creative and distribution decisions.
• Excellent communication and a proven team player, including the ability to deal effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience managing or contributing to rotas, schedules and high-volume publishing with reliable handovers across shifts.
• Comprehensive understanding of legal and compliance requirements relevant to social publishing, copyright, defamation, privacy and contentious political content.
• Proactive and full of ideas, with a track record of spotting opportunities and actively capitalising on them.
• A genuine interest in British politics and the discretion and professionalism required to work effectively inside a mission-led political organisation.
• Willingness to work full-time from Reform UK's Westminster HQ and participate in early, late and weekend cover. Flexibility is essential; this is not a standard 9-to-5 role.

Highly desirable

• Experience deputising for a Head of Social, Social Editor, Audience Editor or comparable senior role.
• Experience producing or commissioning high-performing vertical video, graphics, text formats or rapid-response political/current-affairs content.
• Experience advising public figures, presenters, politicians or creators on posting, timing and platform-native treatment.
• Experience using social data to create repeatable formats or make measurable improvements to reach and engagement.
• Knowledge of account security, permissions, crisis recovery and platform escalation for high-profile institutional channels.
• Experience working closely with website and video teams in a joined-up digital newsroom or content operation.

Why join Reform UK?

This is an opportunity to help build a national social operation from the ground up and to have real influence over the practical systems, formats and daily decisions that determine whether it succeeds.