Business Initiatives Operations Manager

WORK OPTION: 4 days a week in the NewYork, 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. 
 

Group Summary:

The DTC Products, Technology & Operations team, within the Global Partnerships & Media (GPM) team, leads the strategy and development of the NBA’s global, over-the-top product offerings and services. The League's products and services reach fans in 215 markets around the world today. Innovative live game and surrounding content is offered in multiple languages through a collection of subscription packages as well as micro-transactions, giving fans the ability to purchase portions of a live game for their favorite teams.

The DTC Products, Technology & Operations team is responsible for the NBA’s suite of digital product offerings and programs aimed at advancing our current free and premium digital offerings, showcasing product innovation while connecting NBA fans directly to each other and global communities of interest. We launched a new digital platform in September 2022 to grow users, subscribers, engagement and retention through new ways of experiencing our live games, advances in AI/machine learning-enabled personalization, community features, membership, emerging technologies, and new revenue opportunities for the global NBA fan. Our goal is to help fans discover new content while engaging with all aspects of NBA fandom including merchandise, ticketing, fantasy and gaming. Our team also supports the NBA’s broadcast operations, engineering and media technology functions which are responsible for delivering the live game and other content to broadcast partners around the world.

Job Summary:

The Business Initiatives Operations Manager will work to ensure that the growing DTC Products, Technology & Operations team has transparent and efficient processes in place. This role will oversee the process management of the entire department including resource and vendor management, collaboration with significant business partners, successful onboarding of new contributors and defining key objectives. This role will partner with team leads across DTC Business, Product & Design, Engineering, Media Operations & Technology, Finance, Facilities, HR, IT and Legal to remove roadblocks and help drive organizational efficiency.

The ideal candidate will need to have proven communication skills with a special focus on interdepartmental collaboration. The candidate will be responsible for cultivating a positive culture and work environment for the project team and must have the highest standards of business integrity.

Major Responsibilities:

• Define, document and develop best practice frameworks and processes to facilitate alignment across the department to enhance efficiency and productivity
• Spearhead the organization and leadership of critical executive and cross-functional department meetings, ensuring timely and effective communication of status updates and issues to all stakeholders
• Coordinate and provide mentorship across DTC Products, Technololgy & Operations executive assistants, providing strategic guidance and proactively identifying development opportunities for individual and team growth
• Oversee management of more than over 400 department vendors through owning of tracking software focused on ensuring key deals, legal agreements, and financial information are documented increasing business efficiency and reducing risk
• Oversee allocation of department resources including headcount tracking and proper operational/onboarding processes for development resources working closely with HR, Legal, IT and Finance
• Provide support to aid Head of Business Initiatives in decision-making through data gathering, information analysis and presenting considerations to relevant stakeholders
• Lead the department’s annual intern program / HBCU fellowship program including working with day-to-day hiring managers on department programming, engagement events and mentorship opportunities
• Lead department hospitality and high-profile partner management working closely with Global Partnerships & Media Partner Services team leading up to and while on-site at key NBA tentpole events (e.g., NBA All-Star, Finals, NBA Cup)
• Handle department staff and vendor T&E budget for NBA tentpole events (e.g., NBA All-Star, Finals, NBA Cup) which includes working with leadership team on approvals, registration, credential applications and travel logistics
• Manage process on department ticket operations and distribution to significant business partners, staff and vendors ensuring equitable distribution across stakeholders and managing to department budget
• Lead department program for industry conferences and learning & development programming, which is a key objective & metric of cultivating culture across the team
• Lead team engagement calendar and initiatives including team on-site coordination and programming for our department which spans on-site, hybrid and remote employees during critical business moments (e.g., start of season)
• Management of distributed workforce including technical remote staff and in-office staff across NJ and NY. Includes working with HR and Facilities on optimal workplace design and designations and overseeing processes to centrally manage QA/testing devices and equipment for employees tied to critical partnership deals
• Help ensure successful onboarding of new team members and retention of the business team through ownership of onboarding plan, hiring manager tips and tricks and overall emphasis on positive team environment and culture

Required Education/Professional Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 3+ years of experience in consulting, business management or corporate strategy; media experience is a plus

Required Skills/Knowledge Attributes:

• Skilled in written and verbal communication
• High emotional intelligence and business integrity
• Excellent project management and overall organizational skills!
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word applications
• Analytical and process-oriented with exceptional attention to detail!
• Ability to build effective relationships and work well with a wide variety of people across functions and levels
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, both independently as well as within a team environment
• Flexible and adaptable working style; can easily accommodate changes in priorities while managing toward broader goals
• Desire to inspire positivity and cultivate positive department culture

Salary Range: $105,000 - $125,000 

Job Posting Title: Manager 

The NBA does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or any other third parties. Any unsolicited resume sent to the NBA will be considered NBA property, and the NBA will not pay a fee should it hire the subject of any unsolicited resume. 

The NBA considers applicants for all positions on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs, and without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, 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.

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.