Senior Manager, Innovation & Growth Strategy

NHL•New York, NY

16h•Hybrid

About The Position

The National Hockey League (NHL) is seeking a Senior Manager, Innovation & Growth Strategies to help shape and execute initiatives that grow the NHL’s youth audience and deepen engagement with the segment. This role will support the development of new products, programs, content, experiences, and strategic initiatives designed to increase the relevance of hockey with the next generation of fans. Working across internal departments and external partners, the Senior Manager will identify opportunities, develop recommendations, and help bring new concepts to life—from initial research and business case development through pilot execution and ongoing optimization. The ideal candidate combines deep understanding of youth and family audiences with strong strategic thinking, project management, and communication skills. They are equally comfortable analyzing consumer insights, navigating complex institutional realities, brainstorming new concepts, coordinating stakeholders, and managing the day-to-day execution of innovative projects.

Requirements

Minimum 3 years of professional experience following graduation.
Experience in strategy, consulting, brand management, audience development, innovation, consumer insights, marketing, or related fields.
Strong understanding of youth and family audiences and the factors influencing their engagement and behavior.
Excellent project management and organizational skills.
Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication abilities.
Ability to synthesize research and data into actionable recommendations.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Self-starter with strong initiative and ownership mentality.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Media, Entrepreneurship or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with youth and family audiences at a leading consumer brand, sports property, media company, entertainment company, gaming company, or consulting firm.
Experience developing new products, programs, content initiatives, or audience growth strategies.
Familiarity with youth media consumption trends, digital platforms, creator ecosystems, gaming, and emerging technologies.
Passion for sports, entertainment, and youth culture.
Knowledge of hockey and the broader sports landscape.

Responsibilities

Develop a deep understanding of youth and family audiences, including consumer behaviors, media habits, entertainment preferences, and emerging trends.
Apply research, consumer insights, and data to identify opportunities for audience growth and engagement.
Conduct competitive analysis and benchmarking across sports, entertainment, gaming, media, and youth-focused brands.
Translate audience insights into actionable recommendations and strategic opportunities.
Monitor evolving youth culture and identify new ways for the NHL to remain relevant and engaging.
Explore, design, and launch innovative initiatives that attract and engage youth and family audiences.
Support concept development, business case creation, pilot planning, and implementation.
Identify opportunities to strengthen the connection between young fans and the NHL through new experiences, products, and platforms.
Contribute to initiatives that may include: Youth-focused content and media platforms, New YouTube and creator-driven content strategies, League-wide Kids Club programs, Mobile, console, and emerging gaming experiences, Family-focused events and live experiences, Consumer products and licensing opportunities.
Serve as a project lead for strategic growth initiatives, coordinating efforts across internal departments, NHL Clubs and external partners.
Develop project plans, timelines, stakeholder communications, and execution frameworks.
Manage multiple initiatives simultaneously while maintaining exceptional organization and attention to detail.
Track project milestones, identify risks, and ensure initiatives remain on schedule and aligned with strategic objectives.
Support measurement and evaluation efforts to assess initiative performance and inform future decisions.
Build strong working relationships across departments including marketing, content, events, licensing, gaming, sponsorship, research, and consumer products.
Collaborate with external agencies, consultants, creators, technology partners, and vendors.
Prepare presentations, reports, and recommendations for senior leadership.
Facilitate meetings and workshops that drive alignment and action.

Benefits

Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) which includes paid holidays, vacation, personal and sick days, plus an extra day off for your birthday.
Comprehensive health benefits to employees and their eligible dependents effective on their first day with no waiting period.
The NHL subsidizes a large portion of the health benefits costs, therefore your cost for medical, dental and vision coverage is minimal.
Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support mental, physical, and financial health.
Access to a digital wellness resource designed to improve health and happiness through courses in sleep, movement, and focus.
Comprehensive Childcare Leave: Primary caregiver is entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay. Non-primary caregivers are entitled to up to 6 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay.
Participation in the NHL’s Savings Plan which includes a 401K (pre-tax and Roth options) plus non-elective (employer) contributions.
Hybrid work schedules are available for a majority of our roles.
Pre-tax commuter benefit plan.
Exclusive pricing from NHL Partners that include savings on travel, consumer goods and services, plus the NHL Store.