Social Strategist- 12-Month Maternity Cover FTC in London

Location: Covent Garden, London (Hybrid 3 days in-office, 2 days remote)

Reporting to: Head of Social & Video, UK

Time Out is looking for a strategic, culturally plugged-in Social Strategist to help shape the next chapter of our social and video presence. This is a role at the heart of Time Out’s Social & Video team, where strategy meets creativity and insight meets cultural storytelling. You’ll lead the optimisation and growth of our social channels across London & Travel, ensuring our content is best‑in‑class, platform‑native and built for how audiences actually consume culture today.

This isn’t a desk‑only strategy role. We’re looking for someone who understands performance and platform mechanics, but who is also excited by content creation, confident contributing ideas, filming when needed and occasionally stepping in front of the camera to represent the brand. Time Out Social is fast‑moving, collaborative and genuinely fun. We cover the best of the city, food, drink, theatre, film, travel and the people shaping culture and we’re building social output that reflects that energy.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

• Social Strategy & Optimisation
  • Lead the strategic performance and growth of Time Out’s social channels (London & Travel).
  • Own publishing strategy and execution, ensuring content is delivered at the optimal time, frequency and format for each platform.
  • Analyse audience behaviour and platform insights to continuously improve reach, engagement and content performance.
  • Develop structured testing frameworks to refine content packaging and distribution strategies.
• Editorial Collaboration
  • Partner closely with editorial teams to ensure content is socially optimised without compromising quality or brand voice.
  • Help shape social‑first formats that can scale across platforms.
  • Identify opportunities to turn standout editorial moments into high‑performing social franchises.
• Content Creation & On‑Camera Presence
  • Contribute actively to content creation across platforms, including filming, scripting and shaping social‑first formats.
  • Be confident appearing on camera where appropriate, whether fronting explainers, hosting short‑form formats or representing Time Out at events.
  • Capture and direct social‑first, phone‑shot content on location when required.
  • Stay closely connected to cultural moments and platform trends to keep Time Out at the forefront of what’s happening.
• Planning & Channel Management
  • Own and manage the social publishing calendar across platforms.
  • Balance planned, reactive and trend‑led content.
  • Ensure consistent, high‑quality output across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

What We’re Looking For

• Significant experience in social media strategy and platform optimisation.
• Strong understanding of Meta, TikTok and YouTube mechanics.
• Proven ability to grow audiences through data‑informed decision making.
• Deep knowledge of platform algorithms and content distribution strategies.
• Confident on camera and comfortable filming social‑first content when required.
• Experience working cross‑functionally with editorial and creative teams.
• Passionate about culture, cities and the stories that bring them to life.

EEO Statement

At Time Out Group we believe in diversity and equal opportunity for all people. We do not discriminate against external or internal candidates on the basis of age; disability; gender, gender reassignment; race; religion or belief; sexual orientation; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity. We believe that diversity develops creativity and enables personal and professional growth where we all learn from each other. We believe in an open culture where ideas are shared candidly and where there is no fear of failure, but rather an understanding that we must experiment and have the freedom to succeed. We believe that everyone has the right to express themselves as they are as this enriches us all. We believe in an open world, social justice, and the pursuit of happiness, after all, we are in the happiness business.