Social Media Manager

LADbible Group; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading digital media group in Manchester is seeking a football-obsessed freelancer to drive exciting content partnerships within a reactive newsroom. The ideal candidate will lead brand partnerships, track trends, and create social-first content for platforms like Instagram. Strong knowledge of football, social media experience, and basic design skills are essential. This role requires flexibility to cover key football events, fostering a creative approach that aligns with commercial goals and engages audiences.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in sports social media required.
• Comfortable balancing editorial instincts with commercial goals.
• Ability to work flexible hours around the football calendar.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day brand partnerships for reactive football content.
• Track games, news, trends, and online chatter.
• Create social-first static assets for Instagram.
• Develop reactive ideas that spark conversation.

Skills

Deep football knowledge and passion

Experience in social media within sport

Creative mindset

Basic design skills (Canva, Photoshop)

Trend spotting and quick reaction

Strong communication skills

Flexible availability

Tools

Canva

Adobe Express

Photoshop

Generative AI services (Midjourney)

Job description

Founded in 2012, LADbible Group is redefining entertainment and news for a social generation. Our global community engages with our content–spanning editorial, video, documentary and live – we reach 1 billion people each and every month. Our mission is to give the youth generation a voice by building communities that laugh, think and act. Using all major platforms, we’ve rapidly risen to become one of the world's largest publishers.

About the Role

We’re on the hunt for a football-obsessed freelancer to join SPORTbible for a project driving some of our most exciting partnerships yet: within our football reactive newsroom.

This is a unique opportunity to lead a social-first content engine that taps into real-time football moments, using your editorial instincts and creative flair to create fresh, reactive and culturally on-point content that’s highly talkable.

You’ll be working at the heart of SPORTbible’s editorial team, but with a clear commercial lens - working directly with clients across multiple brand partnerships, alongside our social, commercial and project management teams to make the projects fly.

What the opportunity looks like

• Leading the day-to-day of 2-3 brand partnerships, all focussed on reactive football content
• Tracking games, news, trends and online chatter around key games
• Spotting and jumping on moments where these specific brands can authentically show up in real-time
• Creating and publishing social-first static assets on SPORTbible Instagram (basic design/editing skills required – video not necessary)
• Developing reactive ideas that spark conversation and deliver value for the clients
• Liaising directly with the SPORTbible commercial team and other internal stakeholders
• Helping shape a best-in-class reactive model that can be scaled to future partners
• Working flexibly, including evenings/weekends to cover key fixtures and events

Skills and experience we'd like you to have

• Deep football knowledge and passion - you’re glued to the game and the group chat
• Proven experience in social media, ideally within sport and with major brands
• Creative mindset with a sharp editorial eye and confidence in ideation
• Basic design skills (e.g. Canva, Adobe Express, Photoshop and generative AI services such as Midjourney) to create static assets
• Ability to spot trends, seize opportunities and react quickly
• Comfortable balancing editorial instincts with commercial goals
• A confident communicator who can work cross-functionally and directly with clients
• Flexible availability to work around the football calendar

LADbible Group we've rolled out blended working which means the majority of departments across the business (including London, Manchester and International offices) work in the office 3 days per week.

LADbible Group is an equal opportunities employer. We are determined to create a diverse group at all levels of our company and we welcome all members of the community to apply for openings with us. As the leading social youth publisher, we have a powerful global platform to better represent our audience and enable those that do not have equal opportunities to have their voices heard. As a business, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, in an environment where everyone feels comfortable to be themselves.