Director, Motion Graphics & Design; Intercollegiate Athletics

Position Summary

The Director, Graphics & Design is a key member of the Athletics Department's re‑imagined Strawberry Canyon Studios. The director leads the conceptualization and execution of high‑impact visual assets that define the Cal identity across sports and amplifies Cal’s brand narrative consistent with external strategy. The role captures the energy of live sporting events, produces access‑driven content, and develops personalized digital content to promote external revenue generation.

The director must be fast‑paced, solution‑oriented, and able to pitch high‑level storytelling concepts with leadership while executing bespoke graphic design on tight timelines. Leveraging emerging technologies like AI, the director maintains brand guidelines and drives speed and scale in production. The role also recruits, builds, and supervises a consistent workforce of students and interns, creating a comprehensive digital content creation program for mentorship and professional‑level storytelling across Athletics.

• Working independently and proactively to pitch high‑level storytelling concepts to Cal Athletics leadership.
• This includes developing content calendars that align with specific recruiting cycles, retention goals, and revenue‑generation windows.

• Leading the end‑to‑end execution of visual assets, including graphic design, photography, motion graphics, and identity design.
• This involves capturing the energy of live events and producing behind‑the‑scenes features that define the Cal brand identity for social and digital platforms.

• Developing AI‑generated personalized digital content and templates specifically tailored to attract elite recruits, enhance the student‑athlete experience, and drive external revenue.
• This ensures a consistent brand narrative that aids in both player acquisition, internal program loyalty, and fan affinity.

• Developing AI‑generated personalized digital content and templates for speed and scale that are specifically tailored to attract elite brands and elevate the Cal Athletics brand.
• This ensures a consistent brand narrative that aids in both traditional and new revenue streams and building fan loyalty.

• Leveraging emerging technologies, such as Generative AI and advanced editing tools, to achieve speed and scale in content production.
• This responsibility focuses on maintaining University brand guidelines while modernizing the studio's workflow for faster digital turnaround.

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

• Govern the post design review process by analyzing feedback and performance; implement continuous improvements to maintain Power 4 conference excellence.

• Advanced knowledge of program activity and best practices.
• Problem‑solving skills; multi‑task, work with frequent interruptions, and effective listener.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in the English language.
• Proficiency in the use of computer applications relevant to job duties and/or the ability to learn.
• Technical expertise in capturing high‑speed sports action and producing content specifically formatted for stadium video boards and social platforms.
• Ability to interpret digital performance metrics (engagement, reach, conversion) to refine content strategy and prove ROI for revenue generation.
• The ability to pitch "big picture" concepts to executive leadership and translate them into a cohesive brand narrative.
• Skills in recruiting, training, and mentoring a large student/intern workforce while maintaining quality control.
• Experience managing production budgets and navigating tight, deadline‑driven schedules common in collegiate athletics.
• Ability to work independently while remaining aligned with internal teams.
• A solution‑oriented mindset capable of integrating emerging technologies into traditional brand…