Digital Manager

The Booker Prizes occupy a unique place in the literary sphere, enjoying an enviable reputation as a cultural institution that is highly respected, much loved and hotly debated throughout the world.

Since 1969, the Booker Prizes have identified and rewarded the best in contemporary fiction in the English language. We are one of the world's most revered and influential cultural institutions, harnessing the power of fiction.

The Booker Prize Foundation - the charity that awards the prizes - exists to inspire as many people as possible to read the world's best fiction, driven by a simple belief: that great fiction not only brings joy to millions but has the power to change the way we think about the world. The prizes are just one of the ways in which the Foundation fulfils its mission. Over the past few years the organisation has undergone a digital transformation, as part of which we have broadened our content and expanded our reach, deepening our engagement with existing audiences and seeking new ones around the world.

Working within the Booker Prizes digital team, the new Digital Manager will manage relationships with and oversee ongoing work and limited projects carried out by external agencies in relation to digital strategy and audience insights, as well as website support and design improvements.

They will take the lead on compiling and producing regular analytics reports (quarterly as well as at key moments in the Booker Prizes calendar, for instance around prize announcements), as well as contributing technical expertise to the in-house digital team across the Booker Prizes' entire digital portfolio.

The position plays a key role in driving digital insights, managing practical improvements, and sharing actionable recommendations across our platforms, in particular the Booker Prizes website and newsletter/Substack.

This is a part-time role, either three full days per week or the equivalent number of hours. The Booker Prize Foundation office is in central London, and while this role could be largely home-based, the successful candidate would be expected to be in the office at least once a fortnight and for key meetings.

Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will take the lead on:

• Website development (from maintenance to design/functional improvements): working closely with the in-house team and external developers, briefing on work to be done, monitoring actions, outputs and costs, managing a roadmap of deliverables and maintaining good lines of communication.
• Ongoing audience research work: working closely with the in-house team and external consultants, monitoring actions, outputs and costs, managing a roadmap of deliverables and maintaining good lines of communication.
• Digital performance analysis (ongoing): analysing usage data in GA4 and Looker Studio to understand how people are using our digital channels, drawing out evidence-based insights to inform and prioritise ongoing digital development, conducting ad hoc research when appropriate.
• Regular reporting: including the management and production of quarterly board reports, with input from BPF team, 'snapshot' reports around prize announcements, compiling monthly performance data and tracking performance against KPIs, as well working closely with the in-house team to set KPIs for the year ahead.
• Other digital projects: which may include usability testing, improving meta descriptions, SEO/content audits, a new newsletter strategy and more.

Skills:

Essential:

• Digital/web project management, including working with designers and software developers and/or digital agencies
• Experience using web analytics and data visualisation tools (Google Analytics 4, Looker Studio, heatmaps, Excel/Google Sheets) to draw out usage data and user insights
• Data literacy, including ability to define data goals and questions, interpret, analyse and communicate data to non-technical audiences, with a close attention to detail and accuracy
• Experience using content management tools to publish and manage web-friendly, optimised content
• Experience using user research insights to improve a product or service; direct experience of conducting user research (e.g. interviews, surveys, tree testing) is a bonus
• Experience procuring new work and managing contracts with third-party consultants and agencies
• Awareness of the latest SEO practices
• First-rate communication skills

Desirable:

• An awareness of modern software development practices and their impact on design methods, delivery timescales and overall website reliability (for example, responsive design, WCAG accessibility guidelines, cloud hosting)
• An interest in books, especially great fiction!