Bachelor's
GPA
3.7
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration
Concentration · Project Management
Columbia Southern University
Portfolio · 2025
Will Hayden
Project Management/Strategic Operations/AI Video Workflow Optimization
"I transform complex, high-stakes workflows into systematic, repeatable excellence."
01 — Profile
A precise, results-oriented operator.
Results-oriented professional with a B.S. in Project Management and a background in high-pressure broadcast technical direction.
Proven ability to enhance operational performance, evidenced by achieving a 20% increase in customer satisfaction and a 15% reduction in resolution times through strategic problem-solving. Expert in managing frame-accurate live broadcasts and leveraging automation systems to optimize complex workflows and maintain rigorous quality standards.
Seeking to apply advanced training in strategic planning and risk mitigation to provide an analytical, detail-oriented approach to training and refining cutting-edge AI video technologies.
20%CSAT Lift
15%Faster Resolution
10+Years on Air
02 — Engagements
A decade of high-stakes execution.
Client Success Associate
Aloria
Oct 2021 — Jun 2022- Lead Qualification & Relationship Building
Served as primary point of contact for high-priority customer issues, building rapport and trust to de-escalate situations.
- Performance-Driven Results
Operated in a metric-driven environment, directly contributing to a 20% increase in customer satisfaction and a 15% reduction in resolution times.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
Acted as key liaison between customers and internal technical teams to drive retention.
Newscast Director / Automation Specialist
Sinclair Broadcast Group
Nov 2016 — May 2021- Technical Precision & Detail
Directed multi-camera live broadcasts with frame-accurate cuts, transitions, and audio mixes.
- Quality Control & Analysis
Maintained real-time QA of video and audio feeds, identifying technical errors instantly. Conducted post-broadcast reviews to analyze pacing and provide feedback.
- Process Optimization
Leveraged automation systems to streamline workflows, reducing manual errors across multiple daily newscasts.
Technical Director
OTA Broadcast Group
Jul 2014 — Apr 2016- Technical Scrutiny
Oversaw all technical aspects, evaluating video composition, lighting, and audio levels to meet broadcast standards.
- Detail-Oriented Execution
Managed frame-accurate video switching and effects under live conditions.
Director / Technical Director
News-Press & Gazette Company
Jul 2011 — Jul 2014- Project Leadership
Directed live newscasts, coordinating all technical and on-air personnel for top-rated broadcasts.
- Goal-Oriented Planning
Set and implemented quarterly goals through structured workflows and detailed project plans.
03 — Capabilities
A toolkit refined under pressure.
Project Management
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- Project Coordination
- Marketing Project Management
- Marketing Event Planning
- Delivery of Projects
- Strategic Planning
- Risk Mitigation
Communication
- Active Listening
- Stakeholder Communication
- Customer Support
- De-escalation
- Cross-Team Liaison
Technical & Broadcast
- Video Quality Control
- Pacing Analysis
- Frame-Accurate Editing
- Visual Consistency
- Live Directing
- Automation Systems
- Audio / Video Mixing
- AI Video Tools (Runway, Sora)
04 — Education
Academically rigorous.
Operationally tested.
"My degree wasn't a credential — it was a framework. Columbia Southern gave me the vocabulary and discipline to take the instincts I sharpened in live broadcast and turn them into repeatable, defensible systems."
Associate's
GPA
3.9
Associate of Science, Business Administration
Concentration · General Business
Columbia Southern University
Frameworks I carry into every engagement
01
Strategic Planning & Risk Mitigation
Built fluency in long-range planning, SWOT analysis, and structured risk registers — translating uncertainty into mitigation strategies that protect scope, schedule, and budget.
02
Data-Driven Decision Making
Trained to ground operational decisions in evidence — KPIs, variance analysis, and quantitative comparison — rather than instinct alone.
03
Project Lifecycle & PMBOK
Formal grounding in initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closing — applied to real workflows across communications and broadcast operations.
04
Leadership & Organizational Behavior
Studied team dynamics, stakeholder leadership, and change management — the human systems that determine whether a plan actually executes.
Capstone
Notable
Academic Work
Senior Capstone · 2023
"Operational Resilience in Live Production: Applying Risk-Mitigation Frameworks to High-Stakes Broadcast Workflows."
Synthesized PMBOK lifecycle methodology, quantitative risk analysis, and lessons drawn from a decade in the control room into a working playbook for managing zero-margin-for-error operations — translating directly to AI-assisted video pipelines.
4
Frameworks Applied
A
Final Grade
120+
Pages of Analysis
Selected Coursework
Strategic Planning·Risk Mitigation·Data-Driven Decision Making·Project Lifecycle Management·Operations Management·Organizational Behavior·Leadership Theory·Business Analytics·
05 — Contact
Let's discuss the brief.
Available for project management, operations consulting, and AI video workflow engagements. Typical reply within one business day.