Sr Director, Original Content Development
Jetzt bewerben Später bewerben Job ID 10132132 Standort New York City, New York, USA / Los Angeles, Kalifornien, USA / Bristol, Connecticut, USA Veröffentlichungsdatum 26/09/2025 Unternehmen ESPNJob-Zusammenfassung:
The Senior Director of Original Content Development, leads ESPN’s multiplatform storytelling strategy, overseeing the creative development and incubation of premium content across 30 for 30, ESPN Films, original series, shorts, podcasts, and scripted projects. The role spans creative, business innovation, talent strategy, and cross-functional integration, ensuring that ESPN’s storytelling slate reflects cultural relevance, commercial value, and long-term brand impact.
Responsibilities:
- Oversee a brand-agnostic content development team responsible for nurturing stories across the entire original content spectrum from documentary and scripted to audio and digital (30 for 30/Films and Podcasts, Originals, and Features.
- Lead a collaborative development culture with internal EPs and external production companies to bring ambitious, meaningful stories to life. Must have established relationships in the industry.
- Lead a team of four in the day-to-day of development which includes recognizing the volume of pitches (hundreds!) that are received for the Films/Originals/Podcasts groups.
- Oversee the development of a system that harnesses our internal IP for future films and audio projects.
- Manage ESPN’s global master slate, balancing creative ambition with audience needs, distribution strategy, and business goals.
- Ensure a diverse mix of formats, genres, and voices identifying gaps and surfacing the next wave of IP across linear, streaming, digital, and audio platforms.
- Guide creative alignment across departments and ensure development slates remain responsive to shifting cultural, audience, and platform trends.
- Incubate and develop early-stage concepts in partnership with emerging and established talent.
- Identify and match the established and or first-time directors, producers/ production companies with the right stories for upcoming and future projects.
- Lead development strategy briefings and executive presentations for the President of Content and SVP, Original Content helping to influence overall creative direction.
- Ability to lead and collaborate around ESPN’s hosted-content model work in partnership with Ad Sales.
- Build and refine commercial frameworks that allow brands to underwrite and integrate with editorially sound content, reshaping how ESPN monetizes premium storytelling.
- Partner across The Walt Disney Company including Disney+, ABC, Hulu, and International teams to align on shared IP, talent, and platform opportunities.
- Incubate and collaborate on global content initiatives with VP and SVP of Films and Originals along with regional leaders, helping scale ESPN storytelling across Latin America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific markets.
- Conduct market scans and cultural intelligence to identify emerging trends, storytelling gaps, and next-gen formats.
- Use research, testing, and audience insights to inform project development and strategic planning.
- Represent ESPN as a voice in the industry with agents and agencies.
- Champion ESPN’s commitment to inclusive storytelling, IP innovation, and global content leadership.
Qualifications:
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in content development within media, entertainment, or related fields—preferably with a strong focus on premium documentary, original series, or podcast production.
- Proven track record of developing and launching successful multi-platform content, including long-form films, audio, and digital.
- Minimum of 5 years of leadership experience demonstrated experience leading creative teams, managing talent, and overseeing high-volume pitch pipelines in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Strong existing network within the creative industry—relationships with producers, directors, agents, and production companies are essential.
- Experience collaborating with brand and ad sales teams to develop sponsored or hosted-content models without compromising editorial integrity.
- Deep understanding of audience development, platform strategies, and content trends across streaming, digital, linear, and audio formats.
- Ability to understand what fits for the brand - but also understanding what is happening in the industry/marketplace.
- Should be identified as an individual tastemaker.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience developing and launching scripted formats
- Familiarity with international markets and global storytelling sensibilities is a strong plus.
Required Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Film, Media, Communications, Journalism, or a related field.
Preferred Education
- Advanced degree (e.g., MFA, MBA) a plus but not required
The hiring range for this position in New York, NY is $160,500 to $215,300 per year and in Los Angeles, CA is $153,200 to $205,500 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.
Über ESPN:
Bei ESPN zu arbeiten, ist anders als alles andere. Denn wir finden immer wieder neue Wege, um mit den Fans zu interagieren – egal wie und wo sie sich mit dem Sport verbinden. Jeden Tag tun wir Dinge, die noch niemand getan hat, und das in einer dynamischen Kultur, in der wir den Widrigkeiten trotzen und uns ständig selbst übertreffen. Wenn Sie die neueste Technologie, wegweisende Ideen und Weltklasse-Talente in Ihrem Team haben, ist jeder Tag außergewöhnlich.
Über The Walt Disney Company:
Die Walt Disney Company ist zusammen mit ihren Tochtergesellschaften und verbundenen Unternehmen ein führendes, diversifiziertes internationales Familienunterhaltungs- und Medienunternehmen mit folgenden Geschäftsbereichen: Disney Entertainment, ESPN sowie Disney Experiences. Von seinen bescheidenen Anfängen als Zeichentrickfilmstudio in den 1920er Jahren bis zu seiner aktuellen Vorreiterrolle in der Unterhaltungsindustrie trägt Disney stolz sein Erbe weiter und bietet Geschichten und Erlebnisse von Weltklasse, die alle Familienmitglieder bezaubern. Disneys Geschichten, Figuren und Abenteuer erreichen Verbraucher und Gäste aus allen Teilen der Welt. Gemeinsam schaffen unsere Mitarbeiter und Darsteller aus Niederlassungen in über 40 Ländern der Welt Unterhaltungserlebnisse, die sowohl auf globaler Ebene als auch im heimischen Umfeld begeistern.
Diese Position ist bei ESPN Productions, Inc, das Teil eines Geschäftssegments ist, das wir ESPN nennen.
ESPN Productions, Inc bietet als Arbeitgeber Chancengleichheit. Die Beurteilung der Möglichkeit der Beschäftigung von Bewerbern erfolgt unabhängig von ethnischer Zugehörigkeit, Religion, Hautfarbe, Geschlecht, sexueller Orientierung, Geschlechtsidentität, Geschlechtsausdruck, nationaler Herkunft, Abstammung, Alter, Familienstand, militärischem Status oder Veteranenstatus, Gesundheitszustand, genetischen Informationen oder einer Behinderung, oder anderer gemäß Bundes-, Landes- oder örtlichem Gesetz verbotener Merkmale. Disney fördert eine Unternehmenskultur, in der Ideen und Entscheidungen aller Personen uns dabei helfen, zu wachsen, innovativ zu sein, die besten Geschichten zu schreiben und in einer sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Welt von Bedeutung zu sein.