Senior Paid Media Strategist

About the role

The Senior Digital Strategy Manager is a key member of the Digital Communications team, responsible for shaping and delivering the Mayor of London and Greater London Authority’s digital communications programme. You’ll lead on paid media, email marketing, and broader digital strategy to extend our reach, deepen engagement, and connect Londoners with the work and impact of the Mayor and City Hall. This role ensures our digital communications are targeted, inclusive and effective: driving awareness, participation, and meaningful outcomes across the capital.

Principal Accountabilities

• Advise the Senior Digital Strategy Manager on developing and delivering the Mayor of London and City Hall’s digital communications strategies across social media, email, digital advertising, web, video, photography and emerging channels, with a particular focus on paid media.
• Write, design, test and optimise paid digital adverts as part of day-to-day campaign delivery, using behavioural insights and psychology principles to craft persuasive messaging and creative.
• Play a primary proactive role in leading the Mayor of London and City Hall’s day-to-day digital newsroom, ensuring timely, engaging and responsive content.
• Work closely with the Marketing Campaigns team to ensure that digital channels are effectively integrated into wider marketing activity, providing expert advice on paid social strategy and delivery.
• Design and deliver a high-performing email marketing programme, including audience segmentation, user journeys, content strategy and testing, acting as organisational lead and Mailchimp ‘guardian’, providing training, guidance and hands-on support to ensure effective and consistent use.
• Collaborate with the Senior Paid Media Manager on financial management and documentation for digital communications activity, including procurement, contract oversight, budget tracking, and preparation of formal decision forms, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and value for money.
• Collaborate with the digital team to ensure public-facing digital products and user journeys are optimised, engaging, and integrated into our broader communications and marketing activity.
• Lead on planning and implementing data capture initiatives, working with stakeholders to ensure that data capture is embedded in our engagement strategy.
• Develop best practice guidance and deliver training and support packages to build digital communications capability across the organisation.
• and manage strong working relationships with a cross-section of City Hall staff including the Mayor’s Office, senior staff, and policy leads.
• Deputise for the Deputy Head of Digital Communications at meetings with senior external and internal stakeholders, including the Mayor’s Office.
• Support the Digital Performance Analyst in monitoring performance and using data and insights to drive continuous improvement.
• Assist with the scoping, procurement and management of digital tools, ensuring they meet user need, represent good value for money, and maintain strong relationships with external suppliers.

Person specification

Technical requirements/experience/qualifications

• Significant experience of using social media and email as part of digital communications and marketing initiatives, with a strong track record in scoping, planning, and delivering and evaluating campaigns.
• Significant experience of planning, managing, executing and optimising paid social media advertising, particularly across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and Google, with a good understanding of campaign objectives, targeting strategies and creative development.
• Strong understanding of audience psychology, behavioural science principles, and how to apply them to influence behaviours and decision-making through digital content and advertising.
• Experience of developing and delivering email marketing strategies using tools such as Mailchimp (or similar), including audience segmentation, A/B testing, automation, and performance analysis.
• Experience of working in high-pressure, fast-paced and politically sensitive environments, such as non-profits, campaigns, political offices or news/media organisations.
• Significant experience of delivering integrated campaigns that combine email, social media, and paid advertising to drive engagement and action.
• Excellent communicator with the ability to build strong relationships, influence stakeholders and gain by-in to new approaches. Excellent copywriting and editing skills, with a strong understanding of tone, messaging, and persuasive writing.
• Good creative eye, and working knowledge of design tools such as Photoshop or Canva is desired.
• Line management experience, with the ability to support and develop colleagues and contribute to a high-performing team.

If you have a question about the role or would like to discuss it informally, please feel free to contact Annika Iantosca at annika.iantosca@london.gov.uk arrange a call.

Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system.

We do not accept CVs alone for this role. Please upload a personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form, ensuring you address the following technical requirements and competencies in your personal statement. Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images.

The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here: GLA competency framework

Behavioural competencies

Building and managing relationships

… is developing rapport and working effectively with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.

Level two indicators

• Develops new professional relationships
• Understands the needs of others, the constraints they face and the levers to their engagement
• Understands differences, anticipates areas of conflict, and acts
• Fosters an environment where others feel respected
• Identifies opportunities for joint working to minimise duplication and deliver shared goals

Stakeholder focus

….is consulting with, listening to, and understanding the needs of those our work impacts and using this knowledge to shape what we do and manage others’ expectations

Level two indicators

• Delivers a timely and accurately service
• Understands the differing needs of stakeholders and adapts own service accordingly
• Seeks and uses feedback from a variety of sources to improve the GLA’s service to Londoners

Level three indicators:

• Manages stakeholder expectations, so they are high but realistic
• Is a role model to others, encouraging them to think of Londoners first

Communicating and Influencing

….is presenting the information and arguments clearly and convincingly so that others see us as credible and articulate and engage with us.

Level three indicators:

• Encourages and supports teams in engaging in transparent and inclusive communication
• Influences others and gains buy-in using compelling, well thought through arguments
• Negotiates effectively to deliver GLA priorities
• Synthesises the complex viewpoints of others, recognises where compromise is necessary and brokers agreement
• Advocates positively for the GLA both within and outside the organisation

Managing and Developing Performance

....is setting high standards for oneself and others, guiding, motivating, and developing them to achieve high performance and meet the GLA’s objectives and statutory obligations

Level two indicators

• Seeks opportunities to develop professional skills and knowledge and encourages team to do so
• Ensures own and others’ workloads are realistic and achievable
• Gives staff autonomy and confidence to perform well and to their potential

Level three indicators

• Motivates and inspires others to perform to their best, recognising and
• valuing their work and encouraging them to learn and reflect
• Agrees and monitors challenging, achievable performance objectives in line with GLA priorities
• Manages performance issues effectively to avoid adverse impact on team
• morale and performance

Strategic thinking

…is using an understanding of the bigger picture to uncover potential challenges and opportunities for the long term and turning these into a compelling vision
for action.

Level 2 indicators

• Works with a view to the future, prioritising own and others’ work in line with GLA objectives
• Briefs and prepares team to accomplish goals and objectives
• Communicates the GLA’s strategic priorities in a compelling and convincing manner, encouraging buy-in
• Balances own team’s needs with wider organisational needs
• Identifies synergies between team priorities and other relevant agendas

Planning and Organising

….is thinking ahead, managing time, priorities, and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard

Level three indicators

• Monitors allocation of resources, anticipating changing requirements that may impact work delivery
• Ensures evaluation processes are in place to measure project benefits
• Gains buy-in and commitment to project delivery from diverse stakeholders
• Implements quality measure to ensure directorate output is of a high standard
• Translates political vision into action plans and deliverables

Problem Solving

..…is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable, and timely solutions

Level two indicators

• Processes and distils a variety of information to understand a problem fully
• Proposes options for solutions to presented problems
• Builds on the ideas of others to encourage creative problem solving
• Thinks laterally about own work, considering different ways to approach problems
• Seeks the opinions and experiences of others to understand different approaches to problem solving
  

Application & Additional information

This role is based at City Hall, in the Royal Docks (Kamal Chunchie Way, London, E16 1ZE.

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

London's diversity is its biggest asset, and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith, or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share.

In addition to a good salary package, we offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.

We will make every effort to give you as much notice as possible, however some interviews/assessments could be organised at short notice.

We may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.