Company Description
Forza Ventures has been setup with a vision to transform the sports, entertainment and digital media landscape by setting-up and incubating multiple businesses within these sectors, driving innovation and growth with an aim to create long-term value. Cricket with Forza is the first venture out of that group.
The idea behind Cricket with Forza is straightforward: dominate the non-live cricket content space in India through original shows, in-depth analysis, personality-driven podcasts, travel vlogs, and behind-the-scenes content that keeps fans engaged 365 days a year, long after the final ball has been bowled.
We're building across YouTube, Instagram, X, Facebook, and Spotify, with a roster of owned content IPs anchored by real cricket personalities: players, commentators, and creators.
The Opportunity
You'd be the first Head of Digital at Cricket with Forza. There's no team to inherit, no structure to manage around, and no one else who's been here longer than you.
The job is to build what doesn't exist yet: the content strategy, the IPs, the team, the workflows, the talent relationships as well as own a platform's editorial identity from day one
Key Responsibilities
1. Content Strategy & IP Development
- Own and drive the multi-year content strategy across all platforms - YouTube, Instagram, X, Facebook, Spotify and any additional identified platforms
- Identify, develop, and launch signature content IPs
- Build and manage the content calendar aligned to the cricket calendar - IPL, WPL, ICC events, bilateral series, and the off-season ensuring year-round publishing.
- Define Cricket with Forza's editorial voice: the unique, opinionated, fan-first perspective that distinguishes us from news-driven platforms.
- Develop and maintain a content playbook - formats, tone, production standards, and distribution logic that can scale across the team.
2. Platform and Digital Growth
- Lead YouTube channel strategy: content programming, thumbnail/title optimisation, playlist architecture, and growth initiatives.
- Oversee Instagram strategy (Reels, Stories, Carousels) with a focus on short-form virality around cricket moments, opinion, and culture.
- Manage X (Twitter) as a real-time commentary and community engagement platform during matches and news cycles.
- Drive SEO and organic discovery: leverage popular guests, search-optimised content, and trend-aligned topics for sustainable growth.
- Own platform analytics: monitor performance KPIs weekly and make data-backed decisions on content mix, frequency, and format.
3. Team Building and Leadership
- Build and lead a high-performance content team from the ground up - hire, mentor, and retain writers, video producers, editors, graphic designers, and social media managers.
- Establish scalable production workflows that enable multiple pieces of content daily across formats.
- Foster a culture of creative excellence, speed-to-publish, and data-informed experimentation.
- Work cross-functionally with the other teams to align content with business goals.
4. Talent and Creator Partnerships
- Identify, pitch, and lock in current and former cricketers, commentators, and cricket personalities as show hosts, regular contributors, and brand faces.
- Develop signature shows anchored by fan-favourite talent building IPs that become synonymous with those personalities.
- Build a contributor network of emerging cricket creators and superfans to diversify Forza's content roster.
- Manage talent relationships, deliverables, and IP rights in partnership with the legal and commercial teams.
5. Audience Growth and Community
- Drive followers and subscribers growth as well as viewership across all digital assets.
- Build an engaged fan community leveraging interactive formats, daily contests, polls, Q&As, and community posts that create high retention and repeat visits.
- Implement fan-based marketing through micro-influencers, super fans, and ambassador programmes.
- Leverage cross-audience opportunities through collaborations with non-cricket sports communities and digital creators.
6. Monetisation and Commercial Integration
- Collaborate closely with the commercial team to embed brand partnerships naturally within content through co-created series, product placement, integrated storytelling, and branded IPs.
- Develop a content-led sponsorship framework that allows brands to participate in Forza's ecosystem meaningfully beyond logo placements.
- Identify and develop revenue channels within the creator economy: YouTube ad revenue, podcast sponsorships, affiliate arrangements, and fan monetisation.
- Track and report on content-driven commercial outcomes, ensuring alignment between editorial KPIs and revenue performance.
Key Responsibilities
Experience
- At least 8-years of experience in digital content, sports media, or digital publishing, with at experience in a senior leadership role.
- Demonstrable track record of growing a digital media property - a YouTube channel, social media brand, or content platform.
- Prior experience at a sports media company or a creator-led sports media venture is strongly preferred.
- Proven ability to conceptualise, build, and own content IPs.
- Experience hiring and managing a multi-disciplinary content team.
Cricket Knowledge
- Deep, genuine passion for and knowledge of cricket. You live and breathe the sport, its history, its personalities, and its culture.
- Strong understanding of the Indian cricket content ecosystem: what's been done, who the key players are, and critically where the white space lies.
- Familiarity with both the IPL-driven short-format culture and the traditional long-form cricket audience.
Platform Skills
- Deep hands-on expertise with YouTube Studio: content programming, analytics, SEO optimisation (titles, descriptions, thumbnails), and monetisation levers.
- Strong working knowledge of Instagram, X, Facebook, and Spotify/podcast platforms including their respective algorithms and engagement mechanics.
- Proficiency in analytics tools: YouTube Analytics, Meta Insights, Google Analytics, and SEO platforms (Semrush, Ahrefs, or equivalent).
- Experience with content production workflows and tools: Notion, Airtable, Adobe Premiere, CapCut, Canva, or similar.
- Understanding of SEO fundamentals for content discovery and organic audience growth.
- Experience and working knowledge of AI tools and automation workflows. Knowledge of use of AI agents and sub agents will be a plus.
Leadership & Soft Skills
- Exceptional written and verbal communication.
- Builder's mindset: you are energised by ambiguity, start-from-zero challenges, and moving fast in an early-stage environment.
- Strong talent instincts - you can spot a compelling cricket personality, develop their on-screen persona, and retain them long-term.
- Data-driven approach: every content decision is informed by performance data, audience insight, and market intelligence.
- High ownership and accountability.
