Basketball Strategy & Operations Manager

WORK OPTION: 4 days a week in the New York, NY office.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2023-24 season featured a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.3 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms.  NBA Cares, the NBA’s global social responsibility platform, partners with renowned community-based organizations around the world to address important social issues in the areas of education, inclusion, youth and family development, and health and wellness.

This position will join a team whose impact spans multiple departments, working on strategic initiatives related to the game. A primary focus of this role will be driving automated officiating initiatives – serving as the project manager from concept to implementation, overseeing analytics and reporting, and ensuring the seamless integration of new technologies. Additionally, this individual will manage key fan research capabilities around the on-court product and provide operational support for efforts in the broader sports technology ecosystem. They will also support other projects related to officiating and gameplay, player health and performance, youth basketball, and fan engagement.

Major Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project execution for automated officiating initiatives, collaborating closely with internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Develop and maintain robust analytics and reporting frameworks to continuously evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of automated officiating systems.
• Present status updates, performance assessments, and strategic recommendations regarding automated officiating solutions to senior leadership.
• Implement process optimization strategies for automated officiating workflows, identifying and resolving testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance bottlenecks.
• Coordinate with Basketball R&D engineering, data science, and operations teams to ensure system scalability and reliability for officiating technologies.
• Oversee the design, execution, and analysis of fan research initiatives specifically focused on the on-court product, ensuring insights drive improvements and innovation.
• Manage and refine quantitative and qualitative research methods to better understand fan preferences, engagement drivers, and potential growth areas.
• Manage vendor relationships and contracting related to fan insights and other basketball research areas.
• Synthesize fan research findings into actionable recommendations that help shape the league’s game-related strategies and drive fan interest.
• Provide operational support for cross-functional initiatives with sports tech companies, supporting the evaluation and integration of emerging technologies across League Operations.
• Provide strategic guidance and operational support for large-scale, cross-functional projects within Basketball Strategy & Analytics, including creating project schedules, milestone documentation, resource planning, and stakeholder communication.
• Proactively seek opportunities for increased efficiency and transparency in processes and highlight potential inhibitors to growth across League Operations.
  
  

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Analytical Approach – Strong quantitative skills; ability to think creatively and solve complex problems.
• Process Optimization – Demonstrated experience assessing and optimizing workflows, utilizing data-driven approaches to improve efficiency.
• Communication – Excellent ability to clearly and succinctly synthesize and communicate ideas orally and through visual/written presentations.
• Detail-Oriented Execution – Demonstrated track record of translating strategic priorities into operational reality, ensuring measurable and sustainable results.
• Dedication – A consistent drive to meet or exceed ambitious goals, seeking continuous improvement in all tasks.
• Sports Industry Knowledge/Experience – Familiarity with the sports industry, specifically basketball, and an interest in emerging sports tech trends. High-level basketball experience is highly valued.
• Collaboration – Commitment to working effectively within a team and supporting cross-functional goals, especially in a multifaceted, fast-paced environment.
• Confidentiality – Ability to handle sensitive officiating and player health information with discretion.
• Adaptability – Efficiency in changing work responsibilities, shifting priorities, or evolving operational structures.
• Character – Commitment to organizational ethics, integrity, and compliance.
• Technical Skills – Proficiency with Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel) and familiarity with data analysis tools.
• 2-4 years of work experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, business operations, or a related field preferred.
  
  

Education

• Bachelor's degree (Master's preferred) in Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related quantitative field
• Additional coursework or a secondary degree in Business Administration, Finance, or Data Analytics is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience or strong interest in sports, technology, and innovation.
  
  

Salary Range: [[$120,000 - $135,000]]

Job Posting Title: [[Manager]]

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About The NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.