The Role
Lead creative-first paid social campaigns across Meta, TikTok and emerging platforms. Develop and execute paid social strategy for UK & Ireland, manage multi-million-pound budgets, run creative testing, optimise performance using data and GA4, collaborate with creative and marketing teams, and report insights to stakeholders to drive traffic, conversions and ROI.
Summary Generated by Built In
We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Senior Paid Social Executive to join our Paid Media team on a 6-month fixed term contract.
Reporting to the Paid Social Manager, you will play a pivotal role in our approach to channel management, measurement, and driving content excellence across our platforms.
This is a creative-first paid social role where your instinct for scroll-stopping content is as valued as your performance data. You will shape the creative direction of paid social campaigns across Meta, TikTok, and beyond — turning audience insights into ads that work.
You will bring platform expertise, a test-and-learn mindset, and genuine creative problem-solving skills to drive strong results from our Paid Social investment.
Accountabliltes:
Accountabliltes:
- Support the development and execution of paid social strategy across UK and Ireland
- Manage day to day campaign budgets within a multi-million-pound media investment, ensuring spend is delivered against performance KPIs
- Build strong relationships with platform reps and external partners to stay ahead of best practice and opportunities
Responsiblities:
CREATIVE AND CONTENT
CREATIVE AND CONTENT
- Lead the creative strategy end-to-end - briefing, testing, analysing and scaling the formats, hooks and messages that drive results
- Work closely with creative teams to brief in and develop Paid Social assets that align with campaign goals, providing clear direction on format, hook, message and personas
- Provide data-led creative insights to optimise messaging and visuals translating what the numbers tell you into concepts that stop thumbs and drive action
- Run structured creative testing across different formats, placements and hooks to identify and scale top-performing creative approaches
- Stay informed on social content trends, native formats, emerging placements and creative best practices on TikTok and Meta to guide ad design and messaging
CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT
- Manage Paid Social campaigns across Meta, TikTok and other emerging platforms, delivering against core KPIs including traffic, conversions, revenue and ROI
- Support testing across new placements, formats and bidding strategies, scaling successful initiatives
- Champion experimentation and innovation within the Paid Social channel
BUDGET MANAGEMENT
- Monitor and manage campaign budgets daily to maximise performance
- Ensure accurate forecasting and pacing of spend
COLLABORATION
- Work with Paid Media, Brand, CRM, E-com Ops, and Trading teams to deliver integrated campaigns and support trade priorities
- Share learnings and insights with wider marketing teams to influence strategy
- Collaborate with platform partners and creative teams to deliver innovative campaign activity
INDUSTRY
- Stay up to date with Paid Social trends, platform changes and new tools
MEASUREMENT & REPORTING
- Build and maintain reports using platform dashboards and internal reporting tools including GA4
- Analyse campaign performance, providing actionable insights and recommendations
- Communicate results clearly to Paid Social Manager and senior stakeholders
Skills & Abilities:
- 2+ years’ experience in Paid Social, ideally in a fast-paced B2C, retail or ecommerce environment
- Strong creative instinct — you understand what makes an ad stop the scroll and can brief it clearly
- Experience briefing creative teams and providing performance-based creative feedback
- In-depth knowledge of Meta Ads Manager, TikTok Ads Manager, with experience across additional platforms considered a plus
- Strong understanding of GA4 and web analytics tools
- Comfortable managing large budgets and driving measurable results
- Strong analytical and numerical skills — you can interpret data and turn it into creative direction
- Excellent communication and reporting skills, with ability to translate complex performance data into clear, actionable insights
- A test-and-learn mindset with genuine curiosity about what’s working in social
- Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
About Us
We’re a much-loved brand with an exciting future. Our Islanders are a diverse bunch of bright, talented people who love working together – and are proud of the work they do. Progression here can take you in all kinds of directions. This is what a career at River Island is like. And this is where yours starts.
This role is based at our Head Office in West London. Check us out here on a map.
What we can offer you:
💰 Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!
🛒 Reducing Islanders everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through the Retail Trust.
🎉 A free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & café to fill you needs. Various social events to socialise throughout the year.
🤎 Every family is unique, we support Islanders with all different family setups enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment. We also work closely with the Retail Trust to create dedicated support for all our Islanders!
💻 Flexible working, on top of payday and summer early finish Fridays.
💕 Give as you earn scheme, a ‘Giver Island’ day each year and receive matched funding.
🎓 Support with upskilling through on the job training and qualifications. A succession plan if you want to progress.
💰 A generous bonus scheme & private pension plan.
☀️ 25 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays. With the added option to purchase additional holiday twice a year for whatever the need!
This role is based at our Head Office in West London. Check us out here on a map.
What we can offer you:
💰 Generous 50% staff discount so you can treat yourself to the latest products, and a bargain staff shop on site!
🛒 Reducing Islanders everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more through the Retail Trust.
🎉 A free onsite gym, subsidised restaurant & café to fill you needs. Various social events to socialise throughout the year.
🤎 Every family is unique, we support Islanders with all different family setups enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment. We also work closely with the Retail Trust to create dedicated support for all our Islanders!
💻 Flexible working, on top of payday and summer early finish Fridays.
💕 Give as you earn scheme, a ‘Giver Island’ day each year and receive matched funding.
🎓 Support with upskilling through on the job training and qualifications. A succession plan if you want to progress.
💰 A generous bonus scheme & private pension plan.
☀️ 25 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays. With the added option to purchase additional holiday twice a year for whatever the need!
Keeping You Safe
At River Island we are committed to the safeguarding of all of our employees regardless of age or job role. We will fulfil our obligation under the Prevent duty which seeks to stop extremism and extremist views from materialising in our business. We promote and encourage the belief in British Values- including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. To find out more, please visit www.gov.uk.
Our Island is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise. To find out more about this interview process, check out our hiring process below.
Our Island is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We will consider flexible working requests for all roles unless operational requirements prevent otherwise. To find out more about this interview process, check out our hiring process below.
Skills Required
- 2+ years experience in Paid Social
- In-depth knowledge of Meta Ads Manager
- In-depth knowledge of TikTok Ads Manager
- Strong understanding of GA4 and web analytics tools
- Experience briefing creative teams and providing performance-based creative feedback
- Strong creative instinct and ability to brief scroll-stopping creative
- Comfortable managing large campaign budgets and forecasting/pacing spend
- Strong analytical and numerical skills to interpret data and guide creative direction
- Excellent communication and reporting skills for stakeholder updates
- Test-and-learn mindset and ability to manage multiple priorities
- Experience across additional ad platforms
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The Company
What We Do
Family owned from day one, we’ve been a big part of life on the UK high street for over 70 years. Today, still guided by shared values and a clear focus on our customers, we’re one of the strongest and most successful fashion brands around. And we’re changing like never before – exploring new ways to connect with our customers in person and online. And our talented Islanders are thinking differently about everything from products and stores to wellbeing and sustainability. The result is an energising culture you’ll love, work that’ll stretch you, a career you can build and a brand you’ll be proud to belong to. This is life on the island. Come and be part of it.
