Hamilton will succeed Alex Gubbay, who is leaving the BBC to join Johnston Press in June as head of digital content. Gubbay, who took up the role in 2009, was the first BBC News social media editor.
In an announcement today, the broadcaster said Hamilton will be building on Gubbay's work to "coordinate the work of correspondents and reporters using social media tools, ensuring best practice is developed and shared within BBC Journalism".
Hamilton, who joined the BBC in 2000, will also manage the existing user generated content hub within BBC Newswire, developing the way this content is received and used by BBC News.
"Chris is a very experienced digital journalist who has worked on many big innovations in multimedia journalism," editor of BBC Newswire Patrick Heery said in the announcement.
"He led the editorial planning and development of BBC News' election coverage across digital platforms, including the new-look live page.
"Social media plays an increasingly important part in people's lives and the way people consume and engage with news is changing. Chris will bring a unique understanding of digital media to the role, ensuring we continue to build a strong, open relationship with our audiences and to develop our social media initiatives across the Newsroom."
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