Sr. Manager, Branded Digital Video - job 1 of 2

VERSANT is a leading force in news, sports and entertainment - home to iconic and trusted brands that inspire, inform, and delight audiences. Our unique combination of content, technology and services enriches the cultural fabric, igniting passions, sparking conversations, and connecting people to what they love most.

As an independent, publicly traded company, VERSANT brings together powerhouse cable networks - including USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Golf Channel - with dynamic digital and direct-to-consumer brands such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. Together, these businesses reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences across every screen and service.

VERSANT is an industry-changing media company fueled by innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. With a strong foundation and a forward-looking vision, VERSANT empowers creativity, embraces change, and drives connection in an ever-evolving world.

Role Summary:

Versant Sports is hiring a Sr. Manager, Branded Digital Video to join our growing Sports digital video editorial team. This role will be responsible for managing, conceptualizing and executing our branded content creation and output, and will be a key leader in shaping our Sports branded digital content. The ideal candidate has prior experience producing and editing branded digital video from end to end: from conceptualizing a project alongside sales to producing to editing the video. The ideal candidate has both a background in Sports and branded video storytelling. The ideal candidate is creative, adaptable, and very fast at producing and editing digital video content, proven video editing skills, and a clear understanding of the key difference and parallels between traditional media and digital-first content.
 

The Sr. Manager will oversee the branded digital and digital video workflow, overseeing projects from start to finish. They’ll work closely with producers, editors, and senior production staff on a variety of digital projects—including branded content, live streams, original digital series, and multi-platform video content designed for audience engagement, views, and revenue. You’ll support the full pipeline from ideation through post: pitching, interfacing with clients and sales, creating project timelines, creating beat sheets, organizing assets, establishing edit timelines, producing in the field, contributing to edits, exporting and delivering content, and maintaining a smooth editorial workflow under tight deadlines. You should be very confident producing and managing a production in fast-paced environment and managing multiple versions/exports in order to support client needs. A strong understanding of how content performs across social and digital platforms is crucial, and a clear understanding of the social platforms’ branded content tools is a must. 
 

This role reports to the Sr. Director, Sports Digital and will work closely with the Sr. Manager of Video Production as well as the larger Versant Digital & Original Programming teams.

Responsibilities:

• Develop deep expertise on the Versant Sports portfolio — including brands, content themes, and audience insights — to inform strategic branded content opportunities and work with internal teams to ideate branded content opportunities and execute projects.
• Serve as the client-facing project management lead for original content production, managing timelines, approvals, and deliverables from concept through delivery
• Lead the creative pipeline for branded content by creating compelling thought-starters, cross-platform property recommendations, and pitch materials across video, social, and live events
• Responsible for the production calendar and edit schedule for all branded and original projects, in communication and partnership with Director of Social Media and Sr. Manager, Video Production, as well as all edits and deliverables.
• Produce and edit all projects with ease in Adobe Premiere, AfterEffects and other tools as needed. This lead role will have access to a small team to lead, but in many occasions, it will be expected that the Sr. Manager makes edits themselves in order to complete projects.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the larger sports calendar and work with peers to identify unique digital opportunities for coverage of tentpole events across brands.
• Lead live event branded content strategy and on-site execution, bringing custom brand integrations and live content capture to life where applicable.
• Work hand-in-hand with our leaders of Content, Editorial and Social Media to build a digital video program for Sports that meets KPIs across platforms. The ability to identify what is performing and pivot teams creatively and on programming to reach goals is a must.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across Sales, Marketing, Production, Legal, Finance, and Brand teams.
• Contribute to team brainstorms by pitching content ideas that will help build video views and revenue opportunities cross-platform.
• Liaison with producing team, booking team, and post-production as needed
• Comfort working on fast timelines in live sports and ability to quickly spot top performing moments. Weekends, odd hours etc. may be required per sports programming
• Develop and mentor junior talent, fostering a creative and collaborative team culture.

Basic Qualifications:

• BA or BS from a four-year accredited college or university or equivalent experience
• Minimum of (5) years of experience producing video content end-to-end for social & digital platforms at a professional, collegiate or agency / brand sports property, with 1-2 years managerial experience preferred. 
• Expert knowledge of a range of video formats and platform-specific best practices, with a deep understanding of how online video algorithms work and ways to best leverage content to grow audiences and viewership.
• Strong proficiency in digital video editing and storytelling, with a demonstrated ability to support the creation of high‑quality, on‑brand content for premium digital platforms.
• Excellent expertise with the Adobe Creative Suite (Premiere, Photoshop, After Effects.)
• Ability to work ideate and work within existing graphic packages.
• Experience working on commercial / branded content projects.
• Must be able to work under extremely tight deadlines
• Extensive knowledge of sports and internet culture
• Excellent writing and copywriting skills and the ability to provide feedback to editors and content leaders that collaboratively positions our Sports content as an industry standard.
• Effective communicator capable of collaborating closely with producers, directors of photography, production crews, editors, and graphics teams to maintain smooth post‑production workflows. 
• Willingness to be an individual contributor while working within a team environment and contribute to the overall brand’s growth and success

Eligibility Requirements:

• Interested candidates must submit a resume for this job online to be considered
• Must be willing to work in Stamford CT
• Must have work authorization to work in the United States
• Must be 18 years or older
• Must have ability to work flexible hours including weekends and evenings as needed.
• Occasional travel to on-site production, approx. 5-10% of year.

Desired Characteristics:

• Demonstrated knowledge of sports, ideally including any / all of the following: Golf, NASCAR, Premier League, WNBA, Volleyball.
• Leader who prioritizes team mentorship and growth of junior talent
• A passion for digital video content in general, sports storytelling, and lifestyle programming. 
• Finger on the pulse of what branded content/branded video is resonating with clients in the sports media space. Clear understanding of how to create a winning pitch and a stellar branded video that aligns with client needs but speaks authentically to a sports audience
• The ability to translate linear content into digital-first storytelling
• Strong understanding of digital production trends and how to utilize them to optimize our properties. 
• Dependable, collaborative, and proactive project manager with strong communication skills and a love for what they’re creating. 
• Flexible and has ability to shift gears quickly between multiple campaigns and projects managed
• Strong understanding of digital trends
• Effective communication and experience working across multiple departments
• Excellent organization and time management skills with initiative and attention to detail.

As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected].

VERSANT Media is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc.

VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means.