Assistant Athletic Director, Content Studio (6566U) Intercollegiate Athletics #85502

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

As a world-leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value.

We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley.

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics consists of more than 275 staff members and coaches and sponsors 30 varsity sports programs. These 30 programs include more than 850 student-athletes who participate in the various sports programs annually within the National Collegiate Athletics Association.

The First Review Date for this job is: April 24, 2026

This role serves as the chief architect of the Cal Athletics brand, bridging high-level executive strategy with professional-grade digital production. This leader oversees the overarching visual narrative across all platforms, driving essential goals like elite student-athlete recruitment, fan engagement, and revenue generation through brand partnerships. Operationally, the role focuses on scaling a high-output team, mentoring full-time creators and a large student workforce while integrating emerging technologies like AI to maintain a fast-paced, innovative, and brand-aligned content powerhouse.

Strategic Brand Leadership & Creative Direction:

• Define and oversee the visual identity and brand narrative for Cal Athletics, ensuring consistency across all sports and external platforms.
• Translate the department's external strategy into actionable creative concepts that drive fan engagement, student-athlete recruitment and retention, generate revenue, and build brand loyalty.
• Proactively pitch high-level storytelling concepts to senior leadership, aligning creative output with broader institutional goals.
• Direct the visual look and feel; for major revenue-generating campaigns, season ticket launches, and premium in-venue experiences.

Team Management & Talent Development:

• Supervise the Athletics Content Creators and manage the recruitment, training, and performance of a large workforce of student interns and freelancers.
  Develop and implement a comprehensive Content Creation Program to mentor student staff, ensuring they execute professional-level storytelling that meets brand standards.
• Establish workflows and quality control measures to maintain high-impact output across a decentralized team of creators, inclusive of regular cross-functional syncs with sports-specific content teams and leadership.

Innovation & Operational Excellence:

• Identify and integrate emerging technologies, including AI-driven tools, to increase the speed, scale, and efficiency of content production.
• Manage the studio's production timelines and resources to ensure the successful execution of bespoke projects under tight deadlines.
• Maintain a solution-oriented mindset to navigate the fast-paced demands of live sporting events, 24/7 digital cycles, and the 365 nature of the sport.

Revenue & Recruiting:

• Collaborate with teams to scale and operationalize recruiting and retention content strategy and develop personalized digital content tailored for elite student-athletes and coaching staff.
  Collaborate with marketing and development teams to produce assets specifically designed for external revenue generation and donor engagement.

Budgeting & Strategy:

• Manage content creation budgets, track expenses, and evaluate the content effectiveness via feedback and data to improve future work.

• Deep knowledge of brand development, with the ability to define and maintain a cohesive visual identity across multiple sports and platforms.
• Strong background in managing staff members in a team environment, promoting an established vision, direction, and goals.
• Expert-level understanding of composition, typography, and cinematic narrative techniques to create "highimpact" assets.
• Thorough knowledge of NCAA Division I rules and regulations, particularly regarding social media, recruiting, and name/image/likeness (NIL) considerations.
• Understanding of how digital content integrates with marketing funnels to drive ticket sales, donor engagement, and sponsorship value.
• Advanced skills in the full Adobe Creative Suite, specifically Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
• Knowledge of emerging generative AI tools to accelerate content scaling and scale production efficiency.
• Proficiency with high-end cinema camera systems, lighting, and audio recording for access-driven content.
• Technical understanding of platform-specific requirements for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and in-venue
• Ability to design and lead a comprehensive student intern program, turning novice creators into a professional-grade workforce.
• Strong organizational skills to manage bespoke execution on tight timelines; across multiple concurrent sporting seasons.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills to pitch creative concepts to senior leadership and collaborate with coaches and external partners.
• Adaptability to thrive in a high-pressure, live-event environment where quick thinking and rapid turnarounds are required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Expert at creating strategy, empowering your team to execute, celebrating success, and coaching employees to grow and develop.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with a diverse client group.
• Ability to multi-task effectively; demonstrates sound judgment and decision-making; is an effective problem solver and effectively communicates verbally and in writing.
• Functional knowledge of the intercollegiate athletics function.
• Must maintain current knowledge of applicable rules and standards of the affiliated athletic conference, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), as well as other associations and agencies to which the campus adheres, and, at all times avoid any and all violations of these rules and standards.
• Intermediate computer application skills in programs relevant to job duties
• Strong personnel and fiscal management skills required.

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $93,000.00 - $123,000.00.

• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) career position eligible for UC Benefits.
• This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.

This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.

This job is part of the Employee Referral Program. If a UC Berkeley employee is referring you, please ensure you select the Referral Source of "UCB Employee". Then enter the Employee's Name and Berkeley E-mail address in the Specific Referral Source field. Please enter only one name and email.

Required to hold valid driver's license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/procedures, and/or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program.

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

This position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter required to report the observed or suspected abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, or elders to designated law enforcement or social service agencies. We reserve the right to make employment contingent upon completion of signed statements acknowledging the responsibilities of a Mandated Reporter.

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.