Details
1110639
Heriot-Watt University
25/04/2026
2 Months
14 hours
Not Applicable
Pay
£13.45
£1.62
Description
Role
This role is tailored for students pursuing Communication and Design or Creative Environment studies at our Scottish Borders campus, but applicants from other academic backgrounds are able to apply if they can demonstrate suitable experience.
The Sustainability Unit is dedicated to delivering one of the university's key Strategic Performance Indicators. They aim to embed the UN Sustainable Development Goals into learning, research, and operations, setting globally relevant targets for emissions, organisational practices, and behaviours. The Digital Sustainability Hub will be a vibrant, community-powered platform that brings sustainability stories to life through immersive technologies, from AR/VR to metaverse experiences. It will inspire people across our University and wider communities to explore, share, and shape their own sustainability journeys. It will bridge students, staff, alumni, local groups, SMEs, and global partners, empowering them to co-create practical solutions to today's sustainability challenges. Through storytelling-led experiences, green technology showcases, and accessible digital engagement, the Hub will widen participation, amplify diverse voices, and make sustainability knowledge and innovation available to all. It will foster dialogue, build carbon literacy and skills, and support collaborative initiatives, including our climate advocacy challenge. Above all, the Digital Sustainability Hub will champion an inclusive, just, and community shaped approach to sustainability, bringing people together to accelerate a fair and prosperous future for everyone.
Within this setting, the Video & Narrative Design Intern will play a key role in shaping how sustainability knowledge is communicated. They will transform data, research findings, and written stories into clear, compelling videos and visual narratives, contributing to short films, motion graphics, and multimedia features for the Digital Sustainability Hub. Their work will help build engaging, accessible content that inspires understanding and action.
This internship offers hands on experience in sustainability communication, digital media production, and collaborative design. It provides an opportunity to develop and showcase creative storytelling skills while contributing to a high-impact, community driven sustainability initiative.
Duties and responsibilities
1. Video Production & Narrative Design
- Support the development of short films, explainers, and visual narratives for the Digital Sustainability Hub.
- Translate data, written stories, and research insights into engaging scripts, storyboard concepts, and narrative structures.
- Assist with filming, recording, and/or gathering visual material as required.
- Edit videos using tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or similar software.
- Create motion graphics, titles, and simple animations to enhance clarity and engagement.
- Refine and repurpose existing media content for improved quality and accessibility.
- Produce supporting visuals such as graphics, infographics, lower-thirds, icons, transitions, and brand aligned elements.
- Prepare media assets for use across multiple platforms - including web, social, and digital displays in the Hub.
- Optimise video files and graphics to meet technical requirements for different platforms.
- Support the upload, organisation, and maintenance of content within the Hub's digital interface.
- Ensure all outputs meet accessibility standards and are inclusive for diverse audiences.
- Work with the Sustainability Unit, student contributors, staff members, and the SBC creative teams to shape narrative themes.
- Participate in reviews, feedback sessions, and content development meetings.
- Produce a short reflective blog or post summarising their experience, skills developed, and contributions to the project.
- Assist with tasks related to sustainability communication, media production, and creative development as required by the Sustainability Unit and SBC teams.
- Collaborate with the Sustainability Unit (Lindsay Wilson), the School of Textiles and Design, and the CUBE Lab (Communicative, Unreal and Build Environments) (David Cavallaro and Dr Theo Dounas) on tasks related to immersive design and digital sustainability.
- Participate in team sessions, user testing, and reviews to help shape the Hub's development.
Skills and experience
Experience in digital media production, particularly video editing, motion graphics, or visual storytelling, with familiarity in tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, or equivalent software. Applicants should demonstrate strong visual communication skills, an interest in narrative design and data driven storytelling, and the ability to translate written or research based material into engaging visual formats. Excellent attention to detail, strong organisational and time management abilities, and the capacity to work both independently and as part of a team are essential.
Location
Scottish Borders Campus - Galashiels
Additional information
To Apply: This role is for current Heriot-Watt Students only. Please submit a relevant CV as well as a cover letter which clearly states your degree as well as your suitability and reasons for applying for this role. For advice on CVs, cover letters and job applications, Heriot-Watt students can visit the Careers Service.