Social Lead — Social-First Brand Strategy & Execution

Who We Are

VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.

Role Purpose

The Social Lead is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the brand’s social presence while ensuring execution remains culturally relevant, operationally sound, and performance-driven.

This role requires a strong strategic thinker who can step back to see the bigger picture (“sit on the balcony”) while remaining deeply connected to the realities of day-to-day delivery (“dance on the floor”).

The Social Lead acts as the bridge between:

• Business objectives

• Audience needs

• Platform behaviour

• Content performance

Ultimately, this role ensures that social media is not just active — but intentional, impactful, and future-ready.

Strategic Leadership

Sit on the balcony

The Social Lead defines direction and ensures the brand is moving with purpose.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and evolve the brand’s social media strategy

• Translate business and marketing objectives into actionable social plans

• Identify opportunities for growth, innovation, and cultural relevance

• Guide campaign thinking and platform prioritisation

• Ensure the brand maintains a consistent and distinctive voice

• Anticipate shifts in audience behaviour and platform dynamics

• Provide strategic leadership to the social team

What success looks like:

• Clear strategic direction

• Strong alignment between social and business outcomes

• Proactive decision-making

• Long-term brand growth

2) Executional Oversight

Dance on the floor

The Social Lead stays close enough to delivery to ensure quality, speed, and relevance.

Responsibilities:

• Review and guide content plans and campaign execution

• Provide hands-on support during key campaigns or moments

• Ensure content reflects the strategy and brand positioning

• Identify and resolve delivery risks early

• Maintain quality standards across all outputs

• Support the team in problem-solving and decision-making

What success looks like:

• High-quality execution

• Consistent brand presence

• Reduced delivery risk

• Strong operational flow

3) Team Leadership & Capability Development

The Social Lead builds capability — not dependency.

Responsibilities:

• Coach and mentor Senior Social Media Managers and team members

• Provide clear direction, feedback, and performance guidance

• Identify skills gaps and development opportunities

• Foster a culture of accountability and collaboration

• Encourage curiosity, experimentation, and continuous learning

• Support team resilience and confidence

What success looks like:

• Strong team capability

• Clear ownership and accountability

• Improved confidence and decision-making

• Reduced reliance on escalation

4) Client / Stakeholder Leadership

The Social Lead represents the voice of social at a strategic level.

Responsibilities:

• Build trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders

• Present strategy, performance insights, and recommendations

• Translate complex social dynamics into clear business language

• Challenge assumptions and guide better decision-making

• Align stakeholders around realistic expectations

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit  www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

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