Vice President, ESPN Social and Creators at The Walt… · Bristol

ESPN Social is at the forefront of modern sports storytelling, fan engagement, and innovation. This team blends expertise and cultural fluency to create and distribute industry-leading content that resonates with millions of fans across an ever-evolving digital landscape. We’re looking for a dynamic leader who can set strategic vision, forge meaningful partnerships, and oversee a large, talented group of managers, producers, and specialists who drive engagement across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X, Snapchat, YouTube, and new, emerging media.

The Vice President, ESPN Social and Creators must understand the intersection of sports, social media, creators, and digital communities while driving growth, engagement, monetization, and innovation. The ideal candidate will combine creative instincts, data-driven decision-making, and a deep understanding of social platforms to connect with audiences and amplify ESPN’s position as the leader in sports media and entertainment.

Job Responsibilities:

• Social Strategy Development: Define and execute ESPN’s overarching social media and creator strategy to engage diverse sports audiences across TikTok, Instagram, X, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, and emerging platforms.

• Creator Ecosystem Leadership: Spearhead ESPN’s creator strategy to expand ESPN's reach to new audiences.

• Team Leadership: Manage and inspire a 70+ person team of social media professionals, including strategists, producers, editors, and analysts, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.

• Platform Innovation: Stay ahead of platform trends and algorithm changes, ensuring ESPN’s social presence remains cutting-edge and optimized for reach, engagement, and monetization.

• Content Development: Oversee the creation and distribution of real-time, culturally relevant, and engaging content that resonates with sports fans globally, maintaining responsibility for both journalistic, brand, audience growth goals.

• Operational Alignment: Collaborate across departments (e.g., editorial, production, marketing, sales) to integrate social media strategies into ESPN’s broader business objectives and campaigns.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Leverage insights, analytics, and performance metrics to refine strategy, optimize engagement, and inform content creation decisions.

• Revenue and Sponsorship Strategy: Partner with sales teams to develop innovative monetization opportunities for social platforms, including branded content, sponsorships, and creator collaborations.

• Industry Leadership: Serve as ESPN’s key voice and thought leader in the social media space, fostering relationships with platform partners, creators, and external vendors to drive collaboration and innovation.

Basic Qualifications:

• A minimum of 10 years of increasingly responsible roles in social media, including direct involvement with senior business executives in high growth, entrepreneurial business environments.

• A minimum of 5 years of experience managing large-scale teams, including complex operations and cross-functional collaboration.

• Expertise in the current social media and creator landscape, including platform-specific strategies, audience segmentation, and emerging trends.

• Proven track record of driving audience growth, engagement, and revenue through social media and creator strategies.

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire creativity, innovation, and collaboration within large teams.

• Exceptional news judgment, cultural fluency, and understanding of storytelling across diverse audiences and demographics.

• Deep familiarity with social analytics tools and content management systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience managing social media accounts with millions of followers and engagement at scale.

• Experience working with creators, athletes, and influencers to produce engaging, authentic content.

• Strong knowledge of emerging technologies such as AI and VR/AR tools.

Basic Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, marketing, digital media, or a related field.