ESPN Careers

The Manager, Animation helps lead the ESPN Creative Studio Animation/Animation FX team and their workflows. They are responsible for balancing creative and production priorities with efficiency, staff development, and long-term strategic planning. The Manager oversees animation staff, technology resources, schedules, and team performance. They have a comprehensive understanding of animation team software, hardware, workflows, along with knowledge of individual staff skillsets and development areas. They are proactive problem-solvers with an eye on emerging production trends to anticipate future animation needs. They help create an innovative, collaborative, and creatively positive environment for the entire team. They engage and align with internal leaders on workflows to deliver against company priorities and key business goals. Responsibilities: Daily leadership, planning, monitoring, and support of all staff and assignments Daily assessment of workloads and priorities to keep projects running smoothly Easily pivot attention to where needed & readily open to diverse ideas and discussion Direct management, mentoring and coaching of supervisor- and staff-level personnel Develop and align team workflows and strategies with ESPN Creative Studio priorities Assess staff capabilities & proactively plan against known and anticipated project needs Foster a team environment that encourages innovation, creativity, and skills growth Identify and drive resolutions to technical, operational, and organizational challenges Collaborate with IT partners to guide enhancements to team software and hardware Engage with ECS leaders and outside vendors to influence and align on workflows Basic Qualifications: Minimum 10 years of experience in animation, design, tv production Strong understanding of industry-standard animation software and workflows Detail-oriented with the ability to manage priorities and meet tight deadlines Confident problem solver; able to think quickly in pressure situations Technical curiosity; keen to generate and explore new ideas Excellent organizational, communication, presentation, and group dynamic skills Excellent coaching and motivational skills Preferred Qualifications: Proven experience supervising in-person and remote creative teams Proven experience working with DEET/IT and outside vendors Strong knowledge of ESPN studio and event animation packages Strong technical troubleshooting abilities Deadline Render Manager experience Microsoft 365 application experience Required Education: High School Diploma or Equivalent Preferred Education: Degree in Animation, VFX, Graphic Design, TV/Film Production, or related field The hiring range for this position in Bristol, CT is $126,800.00 to $170,000.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

We are seeking an ambitious Referrals Strategist to join our Digital Experience and Engagement team at ESPN, within our SEO vertical. This role is pivotal in optimizing referral traffic, maximizing audience engagement, and providing actionable insights amid the rise of AI. The Referrals Strategist will play a crucial role in strengthening content visibility, identifying evergreen topics, and discovering new pathways for referral traffic and growth. This is an on-site hybrid role based in our Bristol, CT office. Responsibilities: As a Referrals Strategist, you will be responsible for developing and executing strategies to increase traffic from third-party sites, apps, and aggregators. You will collaborate with various teams to optimize digital content for referral platforms and establish best practices for link-sharing. Monitoring referral traffic performance and providing actionable insights to expand overall reach and click-through rates on digital content is essential. This role matters because it directly impacts our ability to engage with our audience effectively and grow our digital presence. Success in this role requires strong analytical skills, excellent communication, and a deep understanding of SEO strategies. Develop and execute a referral strategy to increase traffic from third-party sites, apps, and aggregators including Google, Reddit, Quora, SmartNews, Apple News, and other referral platforms. Collaborate with audience engagement, editorial, and social teams to optimize digital content for referral platforms and establish link-sharing best practices. Monitor referral traffic performance to provide actionable insights that can expand overall reach and click-through-rate on digital content. Develop a reporting framework to share key wins and areas for growth with editorial stakeholders and referral partners. Work with product team members to test technical solutions that can improve referral performance. Synchronize with business development team members to explore new referral opportunities that connect with and build on existing company partnerships. Sports is a 24/7 business, night and weekend work will be regular and required. Qualifications: Minimum 5 years of experience in audience development, with a proven track record in SEO strategies for the AI age. Experience working with news aggregators, syndication systems, and other third-party referral platforms to grow on-platform traffic. Experience with analytics platforms such as Google Search Console, Adobe Analytics, Chartbeat/Parse.ly, and others. Skilled in written and verbal communication and relationship building. Experience in pinpointing traffic trends within analytics dashboards. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, data-driven news environment. Excellent editorial judgment across different types of content (e.g., breaking news, features, explainers, investigations). Bachelor's degree in journalism, digital marketing, or another related field. Preferred Requirements: Genuine passion for sports and eagerness to expand knowledge of the digital media landscape. Required Education: High School Diploma or Equivalent Preferred Education: Bachelor's Degree in communication arts, journalism or new media or equivalent combination of education experience. The hiring range for this position in Bristol, CT is $87,200 to $106,400 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

The Manager, Animation helps lead the ESPN Creative Studio Animation/Animation FX team and their workflows. They are responsible for balancing creative and production priorities with efficiency, staff development, and long-term strategic planning. The Manager oversees animation staff, technology resources, schedules, and team performance. They have a comprehensive understanding of animation team software, hardware, workflows, along with knowledge of individual staff skillsets and development areas. They are proactive problem-solvers with an eye on emerging production trends to anticipate future animation needs. They help create an innovative, collaborative, and creatively positive environment for the entire team. They engage and align with internal leaders on workflows to deliver against company priorities and key business goals. Responsibilities: Daily leadership, planning, monitoring, and support of all staff and assignments Daily assessment of workloads and priorities to keep projects running smoothly Easily pivot attention to where needed & readily open to diverse ideas and discussion Direct management, mentoring and coaching of supervisor- and staff-level personnel Develop and align team workflows and strategies with ESPN Creative Studio priorities Assess staff capabilities & proactively plan against known and anticipated project needs Foster a team environment that encourages innovation, creativity, and skills growth Identify and drive resolutions to technical, operational, and organizational challenges Collaborate with IT partners to guide enhancements to team software and hardware Engage with ECS leaders and outside vendors to influence and align on workflows Basic Qualifications: Minimum 10 years of experience in animation, design, tv production Strong understanding of industry-standard animation software and workflows Detail-oriented with the ability to manage priorities and meet tight deadlines Confident problem solver; able to think quickly in pressure situations Technical curiosity; keen to generate and explore new ideas Excellent organizational, communication, presentation, and group dynamic skills Excellent coaching and motivational skills Preferred Qualifications: Proven experience supervising in-person and remote creative teams Proven experience working with DEET/IT and outside vendors Strong knowledge of ESPN studio and event animation packages Strong technical troubleshooting abilities Deadline Render Manager experience Microsoft 365 application experience Required Education: High School Diploma or Equivalent Preferred Education: Degree in Animation, VFX, Graphic Design, TV/Film Production, or related field The hiring range for this position in Bristol, CT is $126,800.00 to $170,000.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

We are seeking an ambitious Referrals Strategist to join our Digital Experience and Engagement team at ESPN, within our SEO vertical. This role is pivotal in optimizing referral traffic, maximizing audience engagement, and providing actionable insights amid the rise of AI. The Referrals Strategist will play a crucial role in strengthening content visibility, identifying evergreen topics, and discovering new pathways for referral traffic and growth. This is an on-site hybrid role based in our Bristol, CT office. Responsibilities: As a Referrals Strategist, you will be responsible for developing and executing strategies to increase traffic from third-party sites, apps, and aggregators. You will collaborate with various teams to optimize digital content for referral platforms and establish best practices for link-sharing. Monitoring referral traffic performance and providing actionable insights to expand overall reach and click-through rates on digital content is essential. This role matters because it directly impacts our ability to engage with our audience effectively and grow our digital presence. Success in this role requires strong analytical skills, excellent communication, and a deep understanding of SEO strategies. Develop and execute a referral strategy to increase traffic from third-party sites, apps, and aggregators including Google, Reddit, Quora, SmartNews, Apple News, and other referral platforms. Collaborate with audience engagement, editorial, and social teams to optimize digital content for referral platforms and establish link-sharing best practices. Monitor referral traffic performance to provide actionable insights that can expand overall reach and click-through-rate on digital content. Develop a reporting framework to share key wins and areas for growth with editorial stakeholders and referral partners. Work with product team members to test technical solutions that can improve referral performance. Synchronize with business development team members to explore new referral opportunities that connect with and build on existing company partnerships. Sports is a 24/7 business, night and weekend work will be regular and required. Qualifications: Minimum 5 years of experience in audience development, with a proven track record in SEO strategies for the AI age. Experience working with news aggregators, syndication systems, and other third-party referral platforms to grow on-platform traffic. Experience with analytics platforms such as Google Search Console, Adobe Analytics, Chartbeat/Parse.ly, and others. Skilled in written and verbal communication and relationship building. Experience in pinpointing traffic trends within analytics dashboards. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, data-driven news environment. Excellent editorial judgment across different types of content (e.g., breaking news, features, explainers, investigations). Bachelor's degree in journalism, digital marketing, or another related field. Preferred Requirements: Genuine passion for sports and eagerness to expand knowledge of the digital media landscape. Required Education: High School Diploma or Equivalent Preferred Education: Bachelor's Degree in communication arts, journalism or new media or equivalent combination of education experience. The hiring range for this position in Bristol, CT is $87,200 to $106,400 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.