Social Media Manager

Location: Reading, Hybrid (at least twice per month to Reading Office)

Salary: £38,000 per annum (reflecting our increased investment in this key role)

Contract Type: Permanent

Campaign Closes: 2nd February 2026

First Stage Interviews: 10th & 11th February 2026

Second Stage Interviews: 18th & 19th February 2026

As our Social Media Manager, you will play a pivotal role in bringing Make‑A‑Wish UK’s mission to life. By leveraging social channels and creating fresh, impactful content, you will engage new and existing audiences, inspire support, and raise vital awareness and funds. In this exciting role, your work will be central to achieving our strategic goals and our vision to grant wishes to every eligible child.

The Social Media Manager role requires a combination of digital marketing expertise, strategic thinking, communication skills, and business acumen, as well as a commitment to ongoing continuous improvement and a passion for the Make‑A‑Wish vision.

• Proven experience of Social Media Management within a comparable organisation (ideally a minimum of five years).
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to think creatively and find innovative solutions to challenges in a fast‑paced environment.
• Demonstrable experience in implementing social media and marketing strategies to improve audience perception and drive tangible action including fundraising. Good experience using insights and industry knowledge to build these strategies, aligning them with wider team and organisational goals.
• Strong understanding of social media technicalities and specialisms required to create engaging content, build engagement and drive action across the channels.
• Excellent ability to motivate and manage others in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to analyse data.
• Proactive and results‑oriented mindset, with the ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to manage and communicate effectively with different stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Great influencing skills with the ability to manage conflicting priorities and promote consistency.
• Experience in using relevant programmes, including social media channel planning tools such as Sprout Social and asset creation tools like Adobe Express or similar.
• Confidence in managing a small budget, accurately tracking expenditure and processing invoices.
• Working knowledge of Meta Business Suite and boosted/paid socials.
• Understanding of social media SEO best practice and requirements.
• Skilled in managing a varied workload with conflicting goals, negotiating and agreeing workload priorities on behalf of both social media, and where appropriate, the wider comms team.
• Experience with in Not‑for‑Profit or the Charity sector
• Understanding of the importance of our services to children, their families and local communities would be highly beneficial.

You will lead the development and delivery of our social media strategy, ensuring our channels and content are engaging, accessible and relevant. With responsibility for social media activity across multiple platforms (currently Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, Linked In, Tik Tok and You Tube), you will work closely with teams across the organisation and external partners to strengthen our presence and improve user experience.

As platforms and trends continue to evolve, you will shape how our social media approach adapts to remain effective and audience‑focused.

This is a strategic role, setting direction and priorities for our social media activity in line with wider organisational goals, while remaining closely involved in the hands‑on planning and delivery of campaigns and content. We are looking for a passionate, creative and values‑led individual with the ability to understand and respond to diverse audience needs while balancing internal priorities and business requirements.

• Create, implement and lead on our overarching and channel‑specific social media strategies.
• Set clear and…