Head of Social & Influence

Location: Wilson Hartnell 6 Ely Place, Dublin 2 (Hybrid)
Reporting to: CEO
Key Relationships: Sits on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) / Practice Heads / Ogilvy & WPP Network

 

The Opportunity

At Wilson Hartnell, we design the brands, campaigns, and relationships that shape every aspect of Irish and global culture. As the largest and longest-established PR agency in Ireland, we are constantly evolving. We aren’t traditional; we are social by nature, entrepreneurial in spirit, and constantly challenging the status quo.

From our beautiful offices in Ely Place, we work with some of the world’s most iconic local and international brands, including Guinness, Baileys, Coca-Cola, AIB, IKEA, Boots, Specsavers, and TK Maxx, covering key sectors in Health, Sport, and Corporate.

We have a brilliant, dynamic team that already knows the “what” of influencer marketing. What we need now is a trailblazing leader to define the “how.”

We are looking for a Head of Social & Influence to be our ultimate Social Lead. You are someone who doesn't just understand social; you know how to explode it.

This is a pivotal, "M-shaped" leadership role. Operating with high autonomy and reporting directly to the CEO, you’ll sit on the Senior Leadership Team. You will need the strategic vision to build our social offering into a powerhouse commercial revenue stream, the tech-forward curiosity to lead our AI roadmap, the gravitas to educate our team, and the hands-on drive to deliver "best-in-class" campaigns.

 

What You’ll Do 

 

Bring the "Social-First" Lens & Intervention 

• The Social Exploder: Take our market-leading PR and comms campaigns and blow them out of the water on social channels. You’ll look at every brief, concept, and campaign through a distinct "social-first" lens.
• Social Intervention: Inject social thinking into the creative process early, seamlessly integrating campaigns across owned, earned, paid, and shared media to turn PR ideas into viral, social-first moments.

 

Commercial Growth, Strategy & Tool Ownership

• Build the Business: Turn social and influence from a supporting capability into a highly profitable, scaled commercial revenue stream.
• Spot the Opportunity: Identify untapped social opportunities within our stellar current client roster and active briefs, pitching and winning organic growth.
• Tech & Tool Definition: Take ownership of defining the right suite of technologies (for monitoring, reporting, and evaluation) to prove ROI and protect the commercial health of the practice.

 

Lead our AI Roadmap & Tech Evolution

• AI Maturity & Adoption: Spearhead the agency’s AI roadmap for social and influence. You’ll drive the maturity, adoption, and integration of generative AI tools to enhance productivity and elevate campaign outcomes.
• Ethical AI & Compliance: In partnership with the wider Ogilvy and WPP network, enforce guidelines for the correct, ethical, and responsible use of AI (respecting copyright and client confidentiality).

 

Education, Upskilling & People Leadership

• Lead the "How": Our team is already strong at the foundations of influencer marketing. Your job is to educate and upskill them on tracking metrics, data-driven methodologies, and building native, scroll-stopping social content.
• Fostering Talent: Manage, mentor, and inspire the sub-team assigned to social and influence work, building a high-performing, future-proofed team.

 

Ruthless Prioritisation & Stakeholder Management

• Considered Boundaries: When you’re the best at what you do, everyone wants a piece of your time. You will be pulled in all directions by different practice heads. You must possess the stakeholder mastery to set firm boundaries, focusing your energy only where it yields the highest commercial and creative return.

 

What You'll Need 

We aren't looking for a pure theorist, nor are we looking for a junior community manager. We need an M-shaped profile who brings:

• Social-First & Influence Passion: A proven champion of social media and creator culture with a track record of maximising project potential.
• Change Management & Transformation Skills: A leader capable of guiding teams, clients, and internal stakeholders through organisational growth and capability evolution.
• Tech & AI Forward Mindset: A keen interest in emerging technologies, with the curiosity and capability to drive AI adoption and team-wide AI upskilling (prompt engineering, generative AI).
• PR & Comms Context: Experience navigating complex, high-level client relationships, particularly across Sport, Health, or Corporate sectors. You know how to operate in regulated environments without losing creative edge.
• Commercial & Strategic Acumen: A strong affinity for data-driven decision-making, with the ability to translate analytics and social listening into profitable campaigns.

 

Benefits 

• Discretionary Performance Bonus: Annually reviewed, aligned with business growth.
• Hybrid Working: A balanced hybrid model (typically 3 days in our beautiful Dublin office, 2 days remote).
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive private health insurance and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
• Pension Scheme: Generous company pension contribution.
• Generous Annual Leave: Plus additional "Ogilvy/WPP Days" and wellness days off.
• WPP Network Perks: Access to global learning & development frameworks, WPP discounts, and international career mobility opportunities.
• Stunning Office Location: Located at 6 Ely Place, a gorgeous Georgian building in the heart of Dublin 2, close to top food, culture, and transport links.