Digital Community Officer

The University of Sunderland is seeking a forward-thinking Digital Community Officer to lead a fundamental shift in our online engagement strategy. This is a newly created role designed to move our digital presence beyond traditional content broadcasting toward a model of active, strategic community building.

The appointed Digital Community Officer will be responsible for establishing self-sustaining organic communities and facilitating authentic peer-to-peer connections. By implementing sophisticated, channel-specific engagement strategies, the post-holder will transform passive audiences into active university advocates. Furthermore, the Digital Community Officer will develop scalable processes across key social platforms and third-party review sites to ensure a consistent, positive and high-value brand presence that supports long-term institutional goals.

This is a fixed-term post until 31/12/2027.

We are seeking a proactive digital specialist with a "can-do" attitude and a proven track record in community management. The successful candidate will possess the technical digital expertise to establish thriving online communities, alongside the leadership skills to inspire student ambassadors to develop authentic, peer-to-peer connections.

The appointed candidate will demonstrate excellence across the following critical areas:

• Community management and engagement: You must have proven experience in building and growing online communities across various digital platforms, with a deep understanding of platform-specific etiquette. You should be skilled in planning content strategies that drive organic engagement and brand loyalty.

• Brand protection and professional communication: You need high-level writing skills to draft empathetic, evidence-based responses to negative commentary or factual inaccuracies. Experience in maintaining a daily monitoring schedule on third-party review sites to safeguard the brand's reputation is essential.

• Ambassador leadership and stakeholder collaboration: You must demonstrate the ability to recruit, train and manage Digital Student Ambassadors to ensure authentic peer-to-peer engagement. Experience working with diverse stakeholders in a complex organisation to develop dedicated content for various audience segments is critical.

At Sunderland University, we're more than a place of learning, we're a welcoming community that values inclusivity, collaboration, and well-being. We don't just offer jobs, we offer careers that come with support, flexibility, and plenty of perks:

• Up to 44 days' holiday - that's 31 days' annual leave, 5 festive closure days and 8 Bank Holidays!
• Award-winning staff networks that celebrate who you are.
• Lifestyle benefits, with savings on shopping, tech, bikes, and even cars.
• Health and well-being support, from private medical cover to gym discounts.
• Learning and development that helps you achieve your goals.

The University of Sunderland offers life-changing opportunities for more than 27,500 students across our campuses in Sunderland, London and Hong Kong, as well as through global partnerships in 19 countries. We're an inclusive, ambitious and forward-looking University in a vibrant city that's constantly evolving. We're also entering an exciting new phase with a refreshed vision and strategic ambitions shaped around the changing higher education landscape.