Visual Content Creator

Virginia Tech • Blacksburg, VA

3d • $55,000 - $57,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech seeks a creative, collaborative visual storyteller to join its Marketing and Communications team. The Visual Content Creator will envision, produce, capture, edit, and distribute compelling photo and video content that showcases the impact of the college, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, and Virginia 4-H.

This position serves as both the college's primary visual storyteller and social media coordinator, producing engaging multimedia content from concept to completion while overseeing the day-to-day management and strategic growth of the college's social media presence. The successful candidate will create authentic stories that connect audiences with the people, research, teaching, Extension, and outreach that advance agriculture, natural resources, youth development, and community well-being across the Commonwealth.

The Visual Content Creator will identify storytelling opportunities, capture photography and video in a wide variety of settings, edit content for multiple platforms, and publish and manage content across social media channels. Assignments may range from documenting research in laboratories and fields to covering Extension programs, student experiences, alumni stories, donor impact, and major college events.

The Visual Content Creator will work independently on many assignments while collaborating with faculty, staff, students, Extension professionals, administrators, and university partners to develop creative visual stories that support strategic communications, recruitment, advancement, research visibility, and public engagement. Projects include short-form social media videos and reels, documentary-style storytelling, event photography, recruitment and promotional videos, social media campaigns, livestreams, and multimedia assets for websites and publications.

This position also oversees the college's social media channels for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Virginia 4-H by developing and implementing platform-specific strategies, creating and publishing content, monitoring trends and performance, and collaborating with university social media teams and college communicators. The Visual Content Creator serves as a resource for visual storytelling, content strategy, and platform optimization while ensuring all content aligns with university brand standards, accessibility guidelines, and communications priorities.
The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple projects with varying timelines while maintaining high standards for creativity, technical quality, and strategic impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in video or film production, photography, visual communications, journalism, new media, marketing, communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience producing high-quality photography and video from concept through final delivery.
• Demonstrated experience creating engaging visual stories for digital and social media platforms.
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud, including Premiere Pro, Lightroom, Photoshop, and After Effects or other professional photo and video editing software.
• Experience managing organizational social media accounts and developing platform-specific content.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with professional camera systems, lighting, and audio equipment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
• Portfolio demonstrating excellence in photography, videography, editing, and visual storytelling.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in higher education, agriculture, Extension, nonprofit, government, or a similarly mission-driven organization.
• Experience creating content optimized for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and emerging social platforms.
• Knowledge of social media strategy, analytics, audience engagement, and platform best practices.
• Experience planning and executing integrated social media campaigns.
• Experience covering live events and producing rapid-turnaround multimedia content.
• Demonstrated understanding of branding, accessibility, and digital communications best practices.
• Experience collaborating across large, decentralized organizations.

Responsibilities

• Envision, produce, capture, edit, and distribute compelling photo and video content.
• Serve as the college's primary visual storyteller and social media coordinator.
• Produce engaging multimedia content from concept to completion.
• Oversee the day-to-day management and strategic growth of the college's social media presence.
• Create authentic stories that connect audiences with the people, research, teaching, Extension, and outreach.
• Identify storytelling opportunities.
• Capture photography and video in a wide variety of settings.
• Edit content for multiple platforms.
• Publish and manage content across social media channels.
• Document research in laboratories and fields.
• Cover Extension programs, student experiences, alumni stories, donor impact, and major college events.
• Work independently on assignments while collaborating with faculty, staff, students, Extension professionals, administrators, and university partners.
• Develop creative visual stories that support strategic communications, recruitment, advancement, research visibility, and public engagement.
• Create short-form social media videos and reels, documentary-style storytelling, event photography, recruitment and promotional videos, social media campaigns, livestreams, and multimedia assets for websites and publications.
• Oversee the college's social media channels for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Virginia 4-H.
• Develop and implement platform-specific social media strategies.
• Create and publish content for social media channels.
• Monitor social media trends and performance.
• Collaborate with university social media teams and college communicators.
• Serve as a resource for visual storytelling, content strategy, and platform optimization.
• Ensure all content aligns with university brand standards, accessibility guidelines, and communications priorities.
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple projects with varying timelines.
• Maintain high standards for creativity, technical quality, and strategic impact.

Benefits

• Professional development opportunities
• University shared governance participation

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level