About the position
A professional South African rugby union team based in Durban, competing in elite competitions like the United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup is seeking a Head of Digital who will own the strategy, execution, and leadership of their social channels to maximize reach, engagement, and fan loyalty. Social is their most critical platform; you will dictate the "what, when, and how" to optimize for algorithms and trends, leading a dedicated team.
Responsibilities:
- Social Strategy & Growth: Own the comprehensive social roadmap aligned with rugby seasons and fan behavior. Drive platform-specific tactics for TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
- Tactical Execution: Lead daily decision-making on storytelling, hooks, and posting schedules to capture peak engagement (match-day, pre/post-match, and off-season).
- Content Optimization: Oversee ideation, A/B testing, and format experimentation (Reels, Stories, Polls) to boost virality and conversions.
- Team Leadership: Mentor and manage a high-output social team, fostering a culture of skill development and elite performance.
- Data & Analytics: Deep-dive into metrics (sentiment, reach, growth) to pivot strategies and report commercial impact to leadership.
- Brand Guardianship: Ensure all digital output aligns with the Sharks’ brand narrative, acting as the final word on tone and voice.
- Digital Oversight: Provide high-level guidance for Website (UX/SEO) and CRM (segmentation/messaging) to support social amplification.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Brief the design and production teams on social-first assets, ensuring all visuals are optimized for performance.
Minimum Requirements:
- Experience: 7+ years in senior social media leadership (Head of Social/Director) within sports, media, or high-engagement consumer brands.
- Social Mastery: A proven track record of growing audiences and driving viral moments across all major platforms.
- Leadership: Experience scaling teams and managing workflows in high-pressure, deadline-driven environments.
- Technical Literacy: Expert knowledge of social suites (Sprout Social, Hootsuite), listening tools (Brandwatch), and native analytics.
- Strategic Mindset: An analytical approach balanced with an intuitive "feel" for fan emotion and rugby culture.
- Industry Knowledge: A genuine passion for elite team sports and a deep understanding of the South African fan landscape.
- Communication: Elite briefing skills and the ability to present complex digital strategies to executive stakeholders.
- Education: Degree in Marketing, Digital Media, or equivalent industry experience.
Benefits:
- Competitive salary based on experience (salary can potentially be more based on experience/skills)
IF you meet the above requirements and want to make a career-changing move, apply today by emailing your CV to [Email Address Removed].com
Desired Skills:
- Head of Digital
- Head of Digital
- Head of Digital
