Social Media Lead

Department: Brand Marketing

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Head Office, Chelsea House

Reporting To: Grace Goodhind

DescriptionAs Social Lead, you will own the social strategy across all platforms – from TikTok to Instagram, Threads to YouTube – crafting innovative, thumb-stopping content that brings the River Island brand to life. You'll work closely with brand, content, creative, PR and performance teams to ensure our social media is best-in-class, culturally relevant, and always on-brand.
This role demands a blend of creative vision and commercial awareness, ensuring social content not only builds brand equity but drives engagement, traffic, and revenue.

\nKey Responsibilities:
Strategy & Leadership\nDevelop and lead the overall social media strategy for River Island across all platforms.\nDefine KPIs, reporting frameworks, and clear success metrics.\nMonitor industry trends, competitor activity, and platform updates to stay ahead of the curve.\nAct as the internal expert on all things social – educating and inspiring wider teams.\nContent & Campaigns\nOversee the planning, creation, and execution of always-on and campaign content.\nCollaborate with internal creative and content teams to ensure social-first thinking is embedded from the start.\nIdentify and leverage key cultural moments, trends, and platform opportunities.\nChampion and grow River Island’s presence on emerging platforms like TikTok and Threads.\nWork closely with the Paid Media team to identify key content for boosting and paid social.\nTeam Management\nManage and mentor the small social team\nSet clear objectives, support career development, and foster a creative, collaborative team culture.\nInfluencer & Community Engagement\nPartner with PR and influencer teams to build and scale influencer strategies that align with social objectives.\nWork closely with the Senior Community Manager and CRM team to build on customer loyalty, ensuring tone of voice is always on-brand and reflective of our values.\nAnalytics & Optimisation\nUse data and insights to inform decision-making and optimise content performance.\nProduce regular performance reports and share learnings across the business.\nStay informed on social commerce, audience behaviours, and paid/organic synergy.\nAbout YouEssential Experience:\n6+ years of experience in social media, with at least 2 in a leadership or strategic role.\nProven track record of growing social media audiences and delivering high-performing content.\nDeep understanding of the social landscape, especially TikTok, Instagram, and emerging platforms.\nFashion, retail, or lifestyle brand experience highly desirable.\nStrong leadership and team management skills.\nComfortable working cross-functionally and presenting to senior stakeholders.\nSkills & Attributes:\nHighly creative with strong storytelling instincts.\nCommercially aware with an understanding of brand and performance marketing.\nAgile, adaptable, and thrives in a fast-paced environment.\nAnalytical, data-literate, and results-driven.\nUp to date with youth culture, trends, memes, and moments that matter to our audience.\n

About Us We’re a much-loved brand with an exciting future. Our Islanders are a diverse bunch of bright, talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do.  Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions. This is what a career at River Island is like. And this is where yours starts.

This role is based at our Head Office in West London.