Project Manager - Publishing

Social-First Project Manager Leading Digital Publisher | Freelance | Outside IR35 | £300-£315 per day | London I'm working with a leading digital publisher looking for a hands-on, proactive Project Manager to join its Creative Solutions team on a freelance basis. With a busy pipeline of branded content and campaigns across travel, automotive, social and events, the team needs someone who can hit the ground running, keep multiple projects on track and help bring increasingly social-first ideas to life.

This is a delivery-focused Project Management role for someone who knows how to turn creative ideas into well-managed, successful campaigns. You'll work closely with Creative, Sales, Production and wider teams, taking ownership from initial planning and sign-off through to final delivery. Publishing or media experience is key , alongside a solid understanding of campaign delivery and the confidence to get stuck in without needing constant direction.

What you'll be doing Owning end-to-end campaign delivery , managing projects from sign-off through to completion, on time, on budget and to the required standard. Building and managing project plans, timelines, milestones, budgets and workflows across multiple live campaigns. Working with Sales and Creative teams during the pitch and planning stages, advising on feasibility, resource, timings and production requirements. Coordinating clients, agencies and internal stakeholders, leading status calls and keeping everyone aligned on priorities, actions and deadlines.

Bringing social-first and branded content campaigns to life across multiple platforms. Working closely with Creative and Production teams on briefs, shoots, talent/creator requirements and production schedules where needed. Managing feedback, changing priorities and delivery challenges, finding solutions and escalating issues when appropriate. Improving workflows and processes to help the team deliver efficiently in a fast-moving environment. Collaborating with Data teams on campaign reporting, performance updates and client deliverables.

What we're looking for You'll ideally bring:
Proven Project Management experience within a publisher, media business, creative agency, production company or branded content environment . A good understanding of the publishing and media landscape. Experience managing multiple campaigns, deadlines and stakeholders simultaneously. Exposure to social-first content and/or branded content campaigns across different platforms. Strong planning, organisation and workflow management skills. Confidence managing client and agency relationships, leading conversations and keeping projects moving.

An understanding of creative production processes, including shoots, video and talent/creator activity. The ability to spot potential problems early, challenge constructively and take ownership of finding solutions. Familiarity with platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram/Meta, You Tube and Snapchat would be beneficial. The person behind the project plan matters This team needs someone who is proactive, commercially aware and comfortable taking the reins .

You'll need to ask the right questions, use your initiative, flag issues before they become bigger problems and know when to escalate. Someone who can bring structure to a busy team, build strong relationships and make life easier for the people around them. You don't need to know everything on day one, but you do need to be confident, adaptable and ready to get stuck in.

The work Expect a varied mix of branded campaigns, with a particularly strong focus on travel, alongside automotive, social-first content and upcoming events. It's a busy environment with plenty going on, so this will suit a PM who enjoys variety, thrives on juggling multiple moving parts and wants to work at the intersection of publishing, creativity and social content. Contract details Rate: £300-£315 per day, depending on experience

Contract:

Freelance, Outside IR35 Start: ASAP

Location:

London Working pattern:
Ideally three days per week in the office, although one day per week will be considered for the right person. Interested? If you're an experienced Project Manager with a background in publishing or media, strong campaign delivery skills and the confidence to take ownership, I'd love to hear from you. Send me your CV and let me know your availability and day rate.

Sphere Digital Recruitment is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.