Head of social job description.

If you're hiring a head of social or preparing to lead social strategy yourself, this job description outlines strategic responsibilities, leadership skills, common next steps in career progression, and salary ranges for senior roles.

Table of contents

    What does a head of social do?

     

    The head of social leads the overall social media strategy for a business, ensuring content, tone, and engagement align with brand goals. They manage teams or agency partners, set platform strategies, and report on social performance to leadership teams.

     

    Responsibilities include campaign oversight, trend spotting, content approvals, paid social strategy, and stakeholder education on social best practices. They often collaborate closely with PR, brand, and performance teams.

     

    In fast-moving or digital-first businesses, the role is central to building reputation and driving performance. In more traditional industries, it may focus on brand visibility and customer engagement.

     

    Key responsibilities of a head of social.

     

    The responsibilities of a head of social typically involve setting vision, leading teams, and owning social performance across all platforms:

    • Creating a unified social media strategy aligned with brand and commercial goals

    • Managing and mentoring social teams, agencies, or content producers

    • Leading campaign planning and cross-channel execution

    • Establishing tone of voice and social governance policies

    • Managing paid and organic social performance across platforms

    • Overseeing social listening, crisis response, and community management frameworks

    • Reporting on impact using social analytics, GA4, and BI dashboards

    • Coordinating with PR, brand, and influencer teams on narrative and reach

    • Testing and scaling new formats, platforms, or social products

    • Advising executives on emerging social opportunities and risks

    This role blends leadership, platform knowledge, and strategic ownership.


    Skills and requirements for a head of social.

     

    Heads of social lead strategy, team performance, and platform growth, requiring leadership and deep channel knowledge. Employers typically look for:

    • 7–10 years of social media or digital content experience

    • Experience leading teams across multiple platforms and industries

    • Proven record of growing brand visibility and engagement through organic and paid strategies

    • Ability to develop channel strategies aligned to business goals

    • Strong understanding of creative formats and platform-specific trends

    • Confidence working with influencers, content creators, or agencies

    • Comfortable with performance tracking, insights, and reporting

    • Skilled at cross-functional collaboration across marketing and comms teams

    • Leadership, team development, and budget ownership experience

    Most heads of social have grown from content or digital marketing roles and report into senior brand or marketing leadership.

     

    Average salary for a head of social.

     

    In the UK, the average salary for a head of social typically ranges from £70,000 to £100,000, reflecting responsibility for channel strategy, team leadership, and brand voice.

    • Mid-level heads of social tend to earn between £70,000 and £85,000

    • Senior heads leading global campaigns or overseeing performance media can earn between £86,000 and £100,000

    • Businesses placing strategic value on social as a revenue or engagement driver often offer higher packages

    Salaries peak in London, especially within fashion, fintech, lifestyle, and consumer tech brands.

     

    Career progression for a head of social.

     

    A head of social leads the entire social media function across organic, paid, and influencer activity. It’s a senior role with clear potential for director-level progression. The career path may include:

     

    Social media executive

     

    Delivers content and monitors daily performance. Gains platform expertise and campaign experience.

     

    Social media manager

     

    Owns strategy across platforms. Tracks KPIs and leads small teams.

     

    Head of social

     

    Sets direction, innovates formats, and manages a multi-person team. Aligns social with brand and performance goals.

     

    Director of social / digital

     

    Drives growth and engagement. Owns budget, reporting, and high-impact activations.

     

    VP of marketing / CMO

     

    Takes ownership of the entire marketing function, with a focus on storytelling, customer acquisition, and team leadership.

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    MEET THE TEAM

    Meet our team of social media recruiters.

    Sophie Shakeshaft
    Sophie Shakeshaft

    Digital Marketing - UK

    Maddie Richardson
    Maddie Richardson

    Content, Social & PR - UK

    Megan Dunn
    Megan Dunn

    Recruitment Consultant

    salary guide

    Our UK marketing salary guide.

    Senior social media professionals are expected to lead strategy, manage teams, and stay ahead of rapid platform changes. Hiring a head of social means competing for top-tier talent.

     

    Use our 2025 UK marketing salary guide to understand what competitive offers look like for this role, whether you’re hiring in-house or for an agency.

    FAQS

    Head of social FAQs.

    The ideal candidate has led multi-channel strategies, managed teams or agencies, and delivered measurable growth across both paid and organic social. Experience with platform innovation, executive comms, and performance attribution is also key.

    They shape the social narrative to support brand goals, campaign timing, and customer engagement. In many organisations, the head of social is also involved in brand storytelling, influencer partnerships, and executive visibility strategies — especially on LinkedIn.

    Aside from the core platforms, they should be confident with social analytics suites like Sprinklr, Brandwatch, or Sprout Social. Experience with paid social campaign managers, creative briefing tools, and performance dashboards is expected.

    Look for someone with proven results across multiple channels, a strong grasp of content planning tools, and experience briefing designers or freelancers. Bonus points for candidates who’ve scaled brand accounts, managed influencers, or built internal content processes from scratch.

    They often lead real-time response planning on social, working closely with comms, legal, and brand teams. Monitoring sentiment, crafting reactive messaging, and maintaining brand voice under pressure are key parts of the job.

    B2C brands, digital-native startups, fashion and lifestyle, and media companies frequently hire for this role. Demand is high in creative hubs like London, Manchester, and Leeds — especially in businesses scaling their online presence.

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