Social Media Lead

Location: Mumbai

Team: Editorial / Digital

Reports to: Editor - Digital

We are hiring a Social Media Lead, and are looking for someone who has worked within a newsroom or news platform and grown their social media platforms.

This is NOT a brand marketing role or a campaign-led function. This role requires hands-on experience handling news content, breaking developments, and sensitive stories in real time.

• 6+ years of social media experience, with at least 3–4 years in a news platform, digital newsroom, or broadcast media organisation.
• Direct experience working with editors, reporters, or anchors.
• Demonstrated handling of breaking news, corrections, and evolving stories.
• Organic growth experience for news or current affairs accounts.

1. Newsroom Social Strategy

• Own platform strategy for X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook from a news-first lens.
• Decide what goes out, when, how, and on which platform.
• Serve as the social editorial checkpoint for accuracy, framing, and tone.

2. Editorial Judgment & Story Framing

• Work closely with reporters, editors, and producers to identify social-worthy angles.
• Translate complex news into platform-native formats without oversimplification.
• Balance speed with accuracy and context.

3. Breaking News & Live Coverage

• Lead social coverage during breaking news, policy announcements, market movements, and major events.
• Manage real-time updates, follow-ups, and corrections when required.
• Exercise judgment on when to post immediately and when to hold.

4. Formats & Execution

• Drive formats such as threads, reels, shorts, carousels, explainers, polls, and live coverage.
• Encourage experimentation while maintaining editorial standards.
• Review performance and iterate formats consistently.

5. Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor social media editors, producers and designers.
• Set daily priorities aligned with the news cycle.
• Establish clear workflows, escalation protocols, and quality benchmarks.

6. Metrics & Insights

• Track engagement quality, shares, saves, watch time, and meaningful conversations.
• Use insights to refine strategy and inform editorial teams.
• Avoid chasing metrics that do not serve editorial goals.

• Strong editorial judgment with deep platform understanding.
• Experience handling business, markets, policy, or political news is a plus.
• Comfort working in fast-moving news environments.
• Clear communicator who can push back when needed.
• Calm, decisive, and accountable.

• Not a brand marketing or influencer management role.
• Not limited to scheduling or repurposing content.
• Not suitable for candidates without newsroom or news-platform experience.

• Faster and sharper social response to news moments.
• Stronger internal trust between editorial and social teams.
• Consistent organic growth without compromising credibility.
• Social platforms functioning as a strategic extension of the newsroom.