Posted: 28-May-26
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Type: Full-time
Salary: Commensurate with experience
Categories:
Sector:
Required Education:
Position Overview
The Assistant Director of Content & Storytelling will help lead the development and production of original video content for Michigan State Athletics, with a primary focus on Spartans All-Access, documentary features, student-athlete storytelling, and strategic content connected to Spartan Ventures.
This position will work across teams, sports, and department priorities as part of a shared storytelling model. Rather than being assigned to a single vertical, this role will collaborate with other full-time producers to plan, shoot, edit, and deliver content that supports social and digital platforms, in-venue presentation, partnership storytelling, fan engagement, revenue opportunities, and long-term brand growth.
The ideal candidate is a skilled producer, shooter, editor, and storyteller who can manage projects from concept to completion while contributing to a collaborative creative environment.
Characteristic Duties & Responsibilities
- Serve as a primary producer for Spartans All-Access, including documentary episodes, feature stories, behind-the-scenes content, and cinematic storytelling across Michigan State Athletics.
- Collaborate with the Spartan Vision production team to plan and produce content across multiple sports and department priorities.
- Help develop season-long storytelling plans, episode concepts, feature ideas, interview approaches, and production timelines.
- Shoot and edit cinematic content that elevates Michigan State student-athletes, coaches, programs, traditions, and brand moments.
- Produce both long-form and short-form content for digital, social, recruiting, partnership, and department storytelling needs.
- Support content connected to Spartan Ventures, including brand-building campaigns, partnership storytelling, sponsor-integrated features, revenue-focused initiatives, and fan engagement opportunities.
- Collaborate with Social & Digital strategy, Marketing, Communications, Spartan Athletic Foundation, Spartan Ventures, and other internal stakeholders to ensure content is aligned, strategic, and impactful.
- Create game recaps, highlights, student-athlete features, social-first content, and cinematic edits under tight deadlines.
- Travel as needed for team coverage, documentary production, feature storytelling, and priority content initiatives.
- Help maintain and develop visual standards for Spartan Vision’s post-production workflow, including color correction, file formats, frame rates, export settings, and overall content quality.
- Ensure all produced content follows Michigan State Athletics brand standards and reflects the tone, values, and visual identity of the department.
- Fulfill footage requests from internal departments, media partners, external outlets, and department leadership as assigned.
- Maintain, care for, and properly use video production equipment.
- Organize, label, and archive footage according to Spartan Vision standards.
- Mentor, train, and support student employees involved in shooting, editing, and post-production workflows.
- Stay informed about trends in sports content, documentary storytelling, social video, fan engagement, and emerging production technology.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Bachelor’s degree in digital media, film production, journalism, communications, broadcasting, or related field.
- Minimum of three years of experience producing video content for an athletics department, team, league, agency, media company, or brand.
- Strong cinematic shooting, editing, producing, and visual storytelling skills.
- Demonstrated ability to create narrative-driven content, including features, behind-the-scenes pieces, social video, and/or documentary-style work.
- Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, including Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, and Audition.
- Experience with Sony camera systems or comparable cinema/video camera platforms.
- Strong understanding of lighting, audio, interviews, frame rates, formats, codecs, color correction, and post-production workflows.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize competing deadlines, and deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work with coaches, student-athletes, staff, external partners, and internal stakeholders.
- Familiarity with project management tools and organized production workflows.
- Demonstrated professionalism, sound judgment, and discretion with sensitive information.
- Proficiency in PC-based work environments.
- Ability to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends, holidays, and team travel.
- Ability to work on-site as part of a collaborative production team.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience producing long-form documentary or episodic content.
- Experience working in college athletics, professional sports, media, or brand storytelling.
- Experience creating content that supports sponsorship, revenue generation, fundraising, recruiting, or fan engagement.
- Experience mentoring students, interns, or entry-level creative staff.
- FAA Part 107 drone license.
- Familiarity with 360/VR video production or emerging video technologies.
- Experience with WSC, SIDEARM, Slate, Wrike, or other content/project management platforms.
Portfolio Requirement
To be considered, applicants must submit a relevant portfolio of work that demonstrates storytelling, cinematography, editing, and production ability.
To apply, please complete the application here and send your resume to hr@spartanventures.org indicating which position you are interested in.
