Freelance Social Media and Content Manager

ABOUT BOOMTOWN Boomtown is a world-leading creative organisation known for pioneering artistic output, large-scale immersive environments and storytelling rooted in community values. Based in Bristol, we produce an annual five-day festival for 77,000 people at the Matterley Estate in the South Downs National Park - bringing together music, theatre, art, culture and innovation. We exist to inspire creativity, connection and collective action. Beyond the event itself, we champion social awareness, environmental responsibility and community engagement through year-round partnerships, educational initiatives and sustainability programmes.

ROLE PURPOSE Boomtown needs an experienced freelance social media and content manager to step into a key role. This is a temporary contract covering a colleague taking some time away due to illness. We're looking for someone who can pick up the reins of our digital comms operation immediately and carry it through to the end of the festival in August - covering the pre and post event campaign periods and the live event itself. This is an exciting role at a critical moment and for the right person, it's also a rare opportunity. Full access to Boomtown’s inner-world and digital channels at the peak of its season.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

● You'll be responsible for the full scope of Boomtown's digital communications - social media output, paid digital campaigns, community management, and performance reporting - from now through to post-event wrap. ● This is a business-as-usual cover role with real creative scope. ● You need to be able to create content yourself, shooting and editing image and video to a high standard, while also being confident managing the broader comms operation: scheduling, copywriting, reactive messaging, ad campaign management, and reporting against KPIs. ● During the live festival (12-16 August), you'll be embedded in the onsite comms operation, working round-the-clock shifts covering live social media, app push notifications, reactive communications, and coordinating with a substantial content and media team on the ground. ● You won't be doing it alone, there's a strong production, film, and photography team around you, but you need to be able to do the work yourself and lead the digital output with confidence.

ROLE-SPECIFIC / TECHNICAL

● Day-to-day social media management across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and YouTube ● Day-to-day responsibilities for app content and campaigns ● Original content creation, self-shot and self-edited image and video for social platforms ● Paid digital advertising campaigns across Meta, TikTok, and Google, including budget management ● Conversion-focused campaigns supporting ticket sales targets ● Community management and audience engagement ● Performance analytics and regular reporting to the Director of Brand ● Onsite live comms during the festival: real-time social coverage, reactive messaging, app push notifications ● Coordination with in-house designers, videographers, and external media teams to maintain brand consistency ● Liaison with film and photography crews for access and content capture during the event

WHAT YOU’LL ACHIEVE ● Maximise audience growth and engagement through the peak festival period ● Deliver a measurable uplift in followers and engagement rate between start date and end of August ● Capture and publish high-performing original content from the live event that extends Boomtown's reach beyond the existing audience

Responsibilities will be adaptable during the live event period. Adjustments and support will be discussed individually where needed.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE You will bring experience, transferable skills or knowledge that enables you to: ● Proven experience managing digital communications and social channels for a brand, ideally in music, festivals, or live events ● A strong portfolio of content you've created yourself - video and image, not just strategy decks ● Fluency in short-form video (Reels, TikToks, Shorts) and static/carousel content ● Experience managing paid campaigns with real budgets and reporting on performance ● The ability to step into a live operation and be effective from day one - you've worked fast-moving events before ● Confidence working independently while collaborating with a wider creative team ● Experience coordinating a diverse team of creatives ● Calm under pressure, especially in the high-intensity onsite environment ● Flexibility to live and work onsite for around 20 days during late July and August

TO APPLY We're not asking for a cover letter. We want to see what you can do. To apply, send your CV with the following four things to job@boomtownfair.co.uk with the subject line "Social Media and Content Cover - [Your Name]”:

1. Share your work Provide a link to your portfolio - this needs to include your channels, or anywhere we can see content you've actually made. Social accounts you've managed, campaigns you've run, videos you've edited, pages you've grown. Live links etc. We want to see your work. If you managed the account but didn't make the content, please be honest about which bits are yours.

2. Make a piece short-form video content Boomtown Chapter 5 is nine weeks away. Create a single piece of short-form video content (60 seconds max) as if you were posting it to Boomtown's TikTok or Instagram Reels right now. The objective: build hype and drive sign ups to Boomtown 2027 ticket pre-sale waitlist. Use whatever you've got - your phone, existing footage, screen-captured content from our channels. Upload it as an unlisted link (YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive) and include it in your application.

3. Prove your impact with real data Tell us about one social channel or campaign you personally managed. Give us three figures: ● Where it started (follower count, reach baseline, or engagement rate at the beginning) ● Where you took it (the same metric at the end of your involvement) ● How long it took

4. Finally, write one sentence Tell us in one sentence, one thing you’d do differently on our channels if you were successful in getting the role. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT We'll review applications as they come in. If your work stands out, we'll invite you to a working interview. You’ll get involved in a practical scenario and we’ll have a conversation about how you'd approach the role.

DEADLINE Applications close on the 22nd June 2026. Interviews will take place on 25th/26th June.