Marketing and Content Lead - Social Enterprise
Who are we?
We are Manchester Students’ Union, the biggest SU in the country, supporting over 40,000 students throughout their time at university. We help to make student life the best it can be by supporting students to campaign for change, creating opportunities to meet new people, providing employment opportunities, providing advice and support and being a safe place on campus.
We are a values-centred organisation that employs around 90 permanent, full-time members of staff. We recruit a wide range of roles throughout the year within all our departments from our Commercial team operating Manchester Academy Venues, 13 Media, Bar 532 & Kitchen and Corridor Coffee to our Student Activities, Student Engagement, Marketing and Communications, Finance, HR and Facilities teams. Our team of around 400 part-time, studying staff are instrumental in providing to support to all departments as well as leading major projects like Student Angels. When you join UMSU, you’ll be immersed in an environment that empowers staff to make great things happen and we're always on the lookout for innovative, passionate, and proactive people to join us.
Our values are really important to us and shape the work that we do every day. As part of our recruitment process, we want you to demonstrate how your experiences, behaviours and skills align with our values. You can find more detailed explanations of our values on our website.
About the role
We’re looking for a Marketing & Content Lead – Social Enterprise to build the campaigns, content and strategies that drive income and shape the future of student-led commercial enterprise.
At the University of Manchester Students’ Union, we run a student bar, a coffee shop, a merch line, music venues, trips and events but not to generate profits for shareholders. We run them to fund services, societies, jobs, activism and frontline student support. Our commercial offer is values-led, student-powered and entirely reinvested into our mission.
As Marketing & Content Lead – Social Enterprise, you’ll lead the creative and strategic direction for marketing across 532 Bar & Kitchen, Corridor Coffee Co, Union Threads, and a year-round programme of trips, pop-ups and student-led events. These aren’t just places to hang out. They’re the engine that fuels the student experience. And your role will shape how they show up in student life.
This is not just a delivery role. You’ll be trusted to lead multichannel campaigns that blend brand storytelling with offer-led marketing. Increasing visibility, driving bookings, building loyalty and growing revenue. Whether you’re launching a new menu, rolling out a seasonal loyalty scheme, or amplifying a society-led event, you’ll ensure our marketing is student-first, insight-driven and culturally relevant.
You’ll work across Business Development, Events, Design, and Insight to deliver joined-up campaigns that feel fresh, engaging and purposeful. You’ll lead content planning and campaign delivery, manage budgets, track performance, and shape how students connect with our commercial spaces. You’ll also line-manage a graduate staff member and support a wider network of student creatives.
We’re looking for someone who’s:
- Experienced in leading multichannel marketing campaigns (hospitality, events, retail or student contexts preferred)
- Skilled in brand copywriting, content planning, and digital channel management
- Confident using CRM, email and analytics platforms to drive performance
- Comfortable managing creative workflows and coaching others
Most of all, we want someone who sees marketing not just as a function, but as a force to build communities, shift culture, and create a new model for student-led commercial success.
Please read the full role profile before applying, as well as our guide to recruitment.
Details
Salary: £31,600–£34,750 per year
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week
Location: Manchester (with flexible hybrid working)
Our Reward Package
You'll get access to our reward package which you can see here.
Recruitment Guide
We have a guide that explains our full recruitment process. We recommend reading through this before beginning an application.
If you are invited to interview with us, we will share our interview questions in advance so you can prepare your responses. We’re more interested in hearing about your experiences and ideas than in testing your memory, and so we want you to feel as prepared as possible.
Inclusivity and Accessibility
We are committed to equality of opportunity, and we work hard to ensure we appoint based on skill and values.
We particularly encourage applications from Disabled or Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African candidates as these groups are currently underrepresented in our staff team.
If you have any accessibility requirements or require adjustments to support you to apply to work with us, please get in touch. We can offer reasonable adjustments at all stages of our recruitment process.
Recruitment Timeline
Applications opened: 28/07/2025
Applications close: 25/08/2025
Interviews: 10/09/2025
Role Commencing: ASAP
We may close applications early if we receive a high volume of applications. We recommend that you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. In this case, all applicants who have started an application will be contacted 2 hours before we close the role.
Contact
People Team:
You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.
Email: jobs.su@manchester.ac.uk
Phone: 0161 306 3279
Hiring Manager: Ela Hollies
You can contact the hiring manager with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.
Email: Ela.hollies@manchester.ac.uk