Deputy Social Media Editor

Role Overview

The National, the Middle East’s leading quality news organisation, is seeking a dynamic and innovative Deputy Social Media Editor to join our newsroom in Abu Dhabi. This role is central to shaping our digital storytelling strategy, curating short-form video content, and driving engagement across social platforms. The successful candidate will combine editorial judgment with social media expertise to ensure The National remains at the forefront of news delivery in the Middle East and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

This role will sit between the Social Media Editor and a team of social media journalists, assisting the Social Media Editor in leading the development and execution of social-first editorial strategies, with a focus on TikTok and other emerging platforms. This role will be a true generalist one, balancing long-term and short-term strategies to handle daily desk management of social media journalists while maintaining focus on short-form video strategy, particularly on TikTok. The Deputy Editor will fill in for both the Social Media Editor and social media journalists in case of absences, while also crafting a unique vision to capitalise on trending moments in day-to-day social coverage. This role requires strong collaboration and communication skills as well as the ability to balance shifting priorities in a fast-paced newsroom environment.

Responsibilities:

• Liaise between Social Media Editor and social media journalists to ensure daily social desk management
• Trend Monitoring: Stay ahead of digital trends, platform updates, and audience behaviours to inform content decisions. Attend daily editorial meetings to report on trends and suggest wire or social content to clip for platforms.
• Video Curation: Work with The National’s video team to identify and curate short-form video content that captures trending topics and resonates with diverse audiences.
• Audience Engagement: Drive growth and performance of The National’s social channels by optimising content for reach, engagement and impact.
• Editorial Oversight: Collaborate with video, newsroom editors, reporters and social media journalists to translate complex stories into compelling social media narratives.
• Team Collaboration: Mentor junior journalists and contribute to a culture of innovation and excellence in digital journalism.
• Must be comfortable with shift work, sometimes including evenings and weekends

Required experience:

• 3–5 years of professional experience in news and social media, ideally within a newsroom or publisher environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of Middle Eastern politics and cultural sensitivities to ensure accurate, balanced and responsible coverage.
• Proven track record in short-form video curation and social coverage for trending topics. While video production is not a requirement for this role, proven experience with short-form video editing would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to drive high-performing content on TikTok for news publishers.
• Fluency in English required; advanced proficiency in another Middle Eastern language is a strong advantage.
• Excellent understanding of social media analytics, audience insights and platform best practices.