Digital Content Manager

Lead the Combined Authority’s digital content function, setting the strategic direction for all digital channels and ensuring high‑quality, insight‑driven content that supports the organisation’s priorities and prepares the CA for the arrival of its first Mayor in 2027.
 
This role is critical in laying the foundations for the CA’s digital presence ahead of the 2027 mayoral elections, ensuring the organisation has a strong, coherent, accessible digital voice ready for the incoming Mayor.
 
Own the digital content strategy and Content Forward Plan, ensuring it complements and amplifies the News Forward Plan.
 
Operate as a pragmatic, confident, organised senior practitioner who can work across multiple organisations and build strong, inclusive relationships with colleagues in councils, partner bodies, and external stakeholders, especially during statutory consultations where coordinated, accessible digital content is essential.

RESPONSIBILITIES; the Digital Content Manager will…

• Digital content strategy: develop and deliver a CA‑wide digital content strategy aligned to corporate priorities and ready to support the incoming Mayor’s communications needs.
• Content delivery plan: create and maintain a forward plan of digital content that complements the News Forward Plan and supports proactive and reactive communications.
• Foundations for 2027:  ensure digital channels, processes, standards, and content formats are robust, modern, and scalable ahead of the 2027 mayoral elections and transition to a mayoral CA.
• Cross‑organisation collaboration: work confidently and constructively with colleagues across constituent councils, combined authority partners, transport bodies, and external agencies to ensure aligned messaging and coordinated digital output.
• Support statutory consultations: develop and deliver clear, accessible digital content for statutory consultations, ensuring information is accurate, inclusive, and easy for the public to engage with.
• Strategic alignment with news: partner with the Head of News to ensure digital content amplifies announcements, press activity, and major events, providing digital expertise the news team does not hold.
• Platform leadership: oversee content across all CA digital channels (website, social media, newsletters, video platforms), ensuring consistency, accessibility, and brand alignment.
• Insight‑driven optimisation: use analytics, audience insight, and performance data to shape content decisions, improve reach, and refine strategy.
• Multimedia production: commission, oversee, and produce high‑quality video, photography, graphics, animations, and interactive content.
• Active and responsive delivery: operate at pace, responding quickly to emerging issues, opportunities, and reputational risks with timely, accurate digital content.
• Team leadership: manage and develop the Social Media Officer; oversee freelancers, agencies, and production partners.
• Inclusive content: ensure all content is accessible, representative, and inclusive, meeting WCAG standards and reflecting the diversity of the CA region.
• Self‑starter mindset: proactively identify gaps, opportunities, and improvements in digital content and channel performance without waiting for instruction.
• Governance & compliance: ensure digital content meets legal, ethical, and political restrictions, including pre‑election rules.
• Political neutrality: maintain impartiality and ensure content complies with all statutory restrictions during the pre‑election period ahead of the Mayoral election 2027. 

REQUIREMENTS the Digital Content Manager will have…

Essential

• Strategic digital leadership experience in a complex organisation, ideally public sector, political, or corporate.
• Proven ability to develop and deliver digital content strategies and multi‑channel delivery plans.
• Strong understanding of social media trends, algorithms, audience behaviour, and platform best practice.
• Confident working with senior leaders, elected members, and communications colleagues across multiple organisations.
• Experience supporting or delivering statutory consultations, including producing accessible digital content and coordinating with policy teams and partner councils.
• Demonstrable experience in video production, editing, graphic design, and multimedia storytelling.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using insights tools (Meta Business Suite, Google Analytics, Sprout, Hootsuite, etc.).
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Pragmatic problem‑solver with the ability to balance political, operational, and reputational considerations.
• Active and self‑starting approach — able to anticipate needs, spot opportunities, and drive work forward independently.
• Experience leading and developing junior digital staff.
• Ability to work in a politically restricted environment with sound judgement.
• Commitment to inclusive communication and accessible content.

Desirable

• Experience in local government, devolution, or mayoral environments.
• Experience commissioning and managing agencies or production companies.
• Understanding of behavioural insights and audience segmentation.
• Experience with web content management systems and UX principles.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The Combined Authority operates a flexible working policy. Regular presence in the region will be important to build relationships.
• Attendance at monthly in-person Management Board meetings may be required.
• Attendance at bi-monthly Board Meetings is required.
• The nature of the work may involve the post-holder carrying out work outside normal working hours.
• This is not a complete statement of all duties and responsibilities of this post. The postholder may be required to carry out other duties as directed, and which are commensurate with the level of the post. This document will also be supplemented by annual key objectives which will be set through the performance review process.