Basketball Strategy & Operations Manager

NBA NBA•New York, NY

7d•$110,000 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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

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.