Basketball Strategy & Operations Manager

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At the NBA, we’re passionate about growing and celebrating the game of basketball. Through the intensity of the game and the amazing athletic skill of our players, we deliver excitement to hundreds of millions of fans around the world. As a global sports and media business, the NBA is so much more. While Basketball Operations runs the league’s on-court activities, other departments manage relationships with television and digital media partners, develop marketing partnerships with some of the world’s most recognizable companies, oversee the licensing of NBA merchandise, and handle a wide range of responsibilities that drive the NBA’s success.

This position will join a team whose impact spans multiple departments, working on strategic initiatives related to the game.  This individual will be responsible for providing strategic and operational support for projects related to officiating and gameplay, human performance, basketball analytics, youth basketball, and fan engagement, including a significant role in the league’s basketball technology initiatives.

Major Responsibilities

• Lead strategic and operational support for cross-functional initiatives, including workplans, milestones, resource planning, decision tracking, and executive updates, with an immediate focus on automated officiating and other on-court technology priorities.
• Manage vendor relationships and contracting for data labeling, basketball research, and other technology-enabled initiatives.
• Support basketball data capture events that advance the automated officiating product and inform benchmarking of leading industry technologies.
• Drive execution of early-stage basketball technology initiatives, including NBA Launchpad portfolio support, marquee event planning, and pilot project management across priority use cases.
• Develop clear, executive-ready communications and presentations for senior leadership across the League and its teams.
• Coordinate external research collaborations and academic partnerships, including scope, timelines, deliverables, meetings, and follow-up.
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify emerging sports technology solutions aligned with the NBA’s innovation priorities.
• Contribute ideas and analysis to initiatives that enhance the game and deepen fan engagement.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, transparency, and cross-functional coordination across League Operations and Basketball Strategy & Growth.

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Analytical approach - Strong quantitative skills; the ability to be creative and possess effective problem-solving abilities.
• Project Management - Ability to translate ambiguous priorities into clear workplans, timelines, owners, milestones, and operating rhythms.
• Communication - Excellent ability to clearly and succinctly synthesize and communicate ideas orally, in writing, and through visual presentations.
• Technology and AI Fluency - Comfort learning technical concepts and using modern AI, productivity, and collaboration tools to improve speed, quality, and leverage.
• Detail-Oriented Execution - Aligning communication, accountabilities, resource capabilities, internal processes, and ongoing measurement systems to ensure strategic priorities yield measurable and sustainable results.
• Dedication - Driving high standards for individual, team, and organizational accomplishment; tenaciously working to meet or exceed ambitious goals.
• Sports Industry Knowledge/Experience - Demonstrating strong interest in and knowledge of the sports industry and the game of basketball.
• Collaboration - Working flexibly with product, software, data, operations, officiating, research, and external partner teams to advance shared goals.
• Confidentiality - Recognizing the necessity of appropriate confidentiality regarding officiating, player health, vendor, and league information.
• Adaptability - Maintaining efficiency when experiencing changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusting effectively to new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
• Character - Maintaining a strong commitment to organizational ethics, integrity, and compliance.
• Technical Skills - Strong proficiency in drafting documents and using Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel); experience with project management, data analysis, and collaboration tools is a plus.
• 2+ years of work experience, ideally with a background in management consulting, corporate strategy, private equity, startup business operations, or a related field.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Economics, Finance, Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, or a closely related field is required.

Salary Range:

$110,000-$125,00

Job Posting Title:

Employees currently are eligible to receive an annual discretionary performance bonus, awarded at the sole discretion of the Company and subject to any terms and conditions set by the Company. Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company-sponsored employee benefit programs: medical; dental; vision; life/AD&D insurance; short- and long-term disability; fertility and family-forming assistance; wellbeing allowance; educational assistance; mental health coaching/therapy; tax advantaged accounts such as HSA and healthcare/dependent care FSAs; a 401(k) retirement plan; and time off benefits that include vacation, sick time, and personal days.

We Consider Applicants For All Positions On The Basis Of Merit, Qualifications And Business Needs, And Without Regard To Race, Color, National Origin, Religion, Sex, Gender Identity, Age, Disability, Alienage Or Citizenship Status, Ancestry, Marital Status, Creed, Genetic Predisposition Or Carrier Status, Sexual Orientation, Veteran Status, Familial Status, Status As A Victim Of Domestic Violence Or Any Other Status Or Characteristic Protected By Applicable Federal, State, Or Local Law.

The NBA is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace. To safeguard our employees and their families, our visitors, and the broader community from COVID-19, and in consideration of recommendations from health authorities and the NBA’s own advisors, any individual working onsite in our New York and New Jersey offices must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The NBA will discuss accommodations for individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.

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 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 2024-25 season featured a record-tying 125 international players from a record-tying 43 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 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.