Mandarin Speaking Marketing and Communications Officer

University of Sheffield; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research university in Birmingham seeks a dedicated Mandarin Speaking Marketing and Communications Officer. The role involves managing social media strategy and digital communications tailored for the Chinese market, creating engaging content, and enhancing brand awareness for student recruitment. Candidates should have fluency in Mandarin, strong content creation skills, and a deep understanding of Chinese cultural nuances. Flexible working options and a generous benefits package are included.

Benefits

Flexible working opportunities

Generous pension scheme

Wide range of discounts and rewards

Commitment to development and wellbeing

Qualifications

• Proven skills in creating engaging content tailored for social media.
• Experience of running campaigns on major Chinese social media platforms.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and adhere to deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage social media strategy for the Chinese market.
• Create engaging content for Chinese social platforms.
• Monitor and report on performance of social media activities.

Skills

Fluency in Mandarin (written and spoken)

Understanding of Chinese culture and online consumer behavior

Strong copywriting and storytelling abilities

Experience in student marketing and communications

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, or related field

Tools

Weibo

WeChat

Xiaohongshu

Douyin

Job description

We are seeking to appoint a dedicated, hardworking, and proactive marketing professional to support international marketing and communications for our Mandarin speaking audiences. The Mandarin Speaking Marketing and Communications Officer will be responsible for developing, implementing, and managing our social media strategy and digital communications specifically for the Chinese market. The primary goal is to increase brand awareness, drive engagement, and support student recruitment by creating engaging content across key Chinese social platforms and in direct digital communications. This role requires fluency in both written and spoken Mandarin and a deep understanding of the Chinese digital landscape. You'll be comfortable working with minimal supervision and will establish a network of contacts across the University, as well as externally. Reporting to the Head of International Marketing and Communications, you'll be part of a small, collaborative team within a welcoming and engaged department. The role will involve close working relations with other teams within Marketing, Admissions, Recruitment and Communications and with other professional services departments such as Campaigns, Alumni Relations and Global Engagement. We strive to embed innovation and creativity in all of our work and are passionate about the work we do.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Plan, deliver, and manage content and campaigns for key Chinese channels, including Weibo and WeChat, managing the relationship and day‑to‑day operations with a third‑party social media agency.
• Create high‑quality, original, and engaging content (text, images, short‑form video, graphics, articles) specifically for Chinese platforms.
• Provide specialist advice to colleagues to inform brand reputation content and activities to target Chinese audiences.
• Develop and manage the overall CRM email communications strategy for Mandarin speaking prospective students, writing/editing/proofreading targeted email copy that encourages audiences to move through the student recruitment funnel.
• Manage student ambassadors to create regular social media content.
• Ensure all content is accurate, reflects local traditions and culture, and adheres to University brand guidelines.
• Develop strong working relationships across the University to source compelling stories and ensure timely, relevant communications.
• Undertake regular social listening, responding to comments, messages, and inquiries in a timely and culturally appropriate manner.
• Monitor, analyse, and report on the performance of Chinese social media activities and digital engagements, embedding learnings into future activities.
• Stay up‑to‑date with the latest developments, features, and policy changes across the Chinese digital and social media landscape.
• Support live‑streaming events, online Q&A, or other interactive digital activities as needed.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post. Native or professional‑level fluency in Mandarin Chinese (written and verbal) is essential.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Essential Application / Interview: Strong understanding of Chinese culture, market trends, and online consumer behavior (e.g. popular topics, taboos).
• Essential Application / Interview: Proven skills in creating and editing engaging content tailored for social media, including strong copywriting and storytelling abilities.
• Essential Application / Interview: Experience in working in a student marketing and/or communications role.
• Desirable Application / Interview: Experience of commissioning content (e.g. photography, videos, etc.) to support recruitment/sales activities.
• Desirable Application / Interview: Experience of working in higher education and an understanding of student recruitment trends and marketing.
• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, East Asian Studies or a related field.
• Experience/demonstrable understanding of running campaigns on major Chinese social media platforms (Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Douyin) and the key metrics to measure engagement.
• Experience of managing simultaneous projects, planning and organising activities for the short and long term.
• Ability to work independently with the ability to prioritise own workload and work to tight deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate at all levels and provide a positive and proactive attitude to interacting with others.

Benefits

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pension scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks).
• Recognition awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development through learning and mentoring schemes, integrated with the Professional Services Shared Skills Framework.
• A range of generous family‑friendly policies: paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies, support for those going through menopause, paid time off and support for fertility treatment, and more.

About The University

The University of Sheffield is a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and to the highest levels of student experience.