Senior Manager, Social Media - UAE Nationals Only

Senior Manager, Social Media - UAE Nationals Only

• Full-time
• Division:
  Revenue & Commercial Division

At Etihad Airways, we're redefining the future of travel through innovation, exceptional customer experiences, and a world-class brand. We are seeking a visionary Senior Manager, Social Media to lead our global social media strategy and elevate Etihad’s presence across digital platforms.

Reporting to the Director of Brand, Creative & Social
, this role will be responsible for shaping and executing a best-in-class, social-first approach that strengthens brand affinity, drives business performance, and supports Etihad’s ambitious growth journey.

As a senior leader within the Brand function, you will oversee a team of social media specialists, partner closely with executive stakeholders, agencies, creators, and influencers, and ensure social channels deliver measurable impact throughout the marketing funnel.

• 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.
• Champion innovative storytelling and social-first creative approaches that resonate with global audiences.
• Maintain brand excellence across all content, campaigns, partnerships, and activations.

• Oversee the development and delivery of compelling content that supports brand, customer, and commercial objectives.
• Lead forward planning of content calendars and proactively identify creative opportunities aligned with key business priorities and cultural moments.
• Ensure content is optimised for platform performance, audience engagement, and business outcomes.

• 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.

• 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.
• Drive impactful influencer collaborations and content partnerships that extend campaign reach and relevance.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Stay ahead of social media trends, platform developments, emerging technologies, and evolving consumer behaviours.
• Work closely with community management teams to monitor…