Senior Manager, Social Media - UAE Nationals Only

Role Overview

Senior Manager, Social Media at Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi, UAE. This role reports to the Director of Brand, Creative & Social and is responsible for leading Etihad's global social media strategy, overseeing a team of social media specialists, and delivering measurable business impact across digital platforms.

Company Overview

Etihad Airways is the UAE's national airline, shaping the future of global aviation from its hub in Abu Dhabi. The airline connects people across continents and cultures while pursuing its "Journey 2030" ambition to double its fleet, expand its network, and grow its workforce for a new era of excellence.

Role Purpose

Lead the development and execution of Etihad's comprehensive global social media strategy to strengthen brand affinity, drive business performance, and support the airline's ambitious growth journey. Position Etihad as a distinctive, premium brand across social channels while delivering measurable impact throughout the marketing funnel and influencing how millions of customers engage with the airline daily.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Planning

• Develop and execute a comprehensive global social media strategy aligned with Etihad's brand and commercial objectives.
• Create a clear social media playbook that enables Etihad to stand out, drive engagement, and win in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.
• Leverage audience insights, analytics, and emerging platform opportunities to continuously optimise performance.
• Define how Etihad's brand strategy translates across social media channels, ensuring a consistent, distinctive, and premium presence.
• Lead forward planning of content calendars and proactively identify creative opportunities aligned with key business priorities and cultural moments.

Brand & Creative

• Champion innovative storytelling and social-first creative approaches that resonate with global audiences.
• Maintain brand excellence across all content, campaigns, partnerships, and activations.
• Ensure content is optimised for platform performance, audience engagement, and business outcomes.

Content & Campaign Delivery

• Oversee the development and delivery of compelling content that supports brand, customer, and commercial objectives.
• Provide strategic leadership for major brand moments, global partnerships, events, and campaign launches.
• Oversee real-time social coverage and live content execution to maximise engagement and visibility.

Performance & Insights

• Establish and monitor key social media KPIs, using performance data to drive decision-making and optimisation.
• Translate social media performance into actionable business insights and demonstrate ROI to senior stakeholders.
• Continuously evaluate and refine strategies to maximise reach, engagement, conversion, and advocacy.
• Work closely with community management teams to monitor sentiment and identify actionable customer insights.

Partnerships & Influencer Management

• Drive impactful influencer collaborations and content partnerships that extend campaign reach and relevance.
• Serve as the primary lead for global and regional social media agency relationships.
• Ensure agency partners deliver exceptional performance and strategic value aligned to Etihad's objectives.
• Evaluate and manage influencer partnerships, ensuring alignment with brand values and campaign goals.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of social media professionals, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and excellence.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide ongoing mentorship to support professional growth and career development.
• Build a high-performing function focused on innovation, accountability, and results.

Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Act as Etihad's senior subject matter expert on social media, advising internal teams and external partners on best practices.
• Collaborate closely with Brand, Creative, Digital, Commercial, Communications, and Customer Experience teams to ensure aligned and integrated campaigns.
• Build strong relationships across the organisation to drive social media excellence at every touchpoint.

Innovation & Trends

• Stay ahead of social media trends, platform developments, emerging technologies, and evolving consumer behaviours.
• Foster a culture of experimentation, innovation, and continuous improvement across the social media function.

Qualifications & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in social media, digital marketing, or content strategy, gained within a leading global agency or a major consumer-facing brand.
• Proven track record of developing and executing high-impact social media strategies that drive brand growth, audience engagement, and measurable business results.
• Experience operating in complex, global organisations with multiple stakeholders and market considerations.
• Demonstrated success leading, inspiring, and developing high-performing social media teams.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels and build productive partnerships across internal and external audiences.
• Proven ability to lead complex projects, manage multiple priorities, and deliver excellence in fast-paced environments.
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Digital Media, Business, or a related discipline.
• Experience within aviation, travel, hospitality, luxury, or lifestyle brands is highly desirable.

Skills & Competencies

• Advanced knowledge of social media publishing, measurement, analytics, and social listening platforms.
• Strong understanding of paid social strategies and digital performance marketing.
• Familiarity with SEO principles and their role within integrated digital campaigns.
• Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite tools such as Photoshop or Illustrator is advantageous.
• Strong strategic acumen, with the ability to translate business objectives into innovative social media initiatives.
• Deep understanding of how social media contributes across the marketing funnel, from brand awareness and engagement to conversion and loyalty.
• Experience using data, insights, and performance metrics to inform decision-making and optimise results.
• Experience managing and maximising relationships with creative, social media, influencer, and media agency partners.
• Strong organisational skills with a focus on execution, quality, and impact.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Arabic language proficiency is highly desirable.
• Innovative, commercially minded, and passionate about digital storytelling.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where adaptability and agility are essential.
• Curious, forward-thinking, and constantly seeking new opportunities to elevate performance and brand impact.
• A collaborative and proactive mindset, with a passion for delivering outstanding outcomes through cross-functional teamwork.
• Strong understanding of evolving digital trends, consumer behaviours, and the social media landscape.

Additional Information

• This position is available to UAE Nationals only.