Project Employee, Talent & Learning

WORK OPTION: Hybrid

Group and Position Summary

The Talent Management group within the Human Resources team is responsible for leading the NBA’s enterprise talent management strategies and programs to drive employee engagement and retention, increase productivity and performance, and build a strong pipeline of talent for key roles and future business needs. The group is responsible for performance management, talent development, employee engagement, leadership development, coaching, as well as leading the organization’s competency development initiatives as it relates to key professional skills that help to build teams and advance the mission of the NBA on a global scale.

The Talent & Learning Specialist will help execute a range of individual, team and organization-wide initiatives designed to enhance employee engagement, development, and performance. The role is responsible for monitoring and tracking talent development programs, employee engagement strategies, performance life-cycle training and analytics driving ROI.

The ideal candidate is a self-sufficient professional with a consistent track record of working autonomously on deliverables while building in a fast-paced environment. You have a strong grasp of best practices and innovative approaches across talent management and learning and are grounded in core principles of adult learning. You have experience assisting in programs that develop soft skills, management and leadership capability. You’re willing to extend yourself to support your team and the department. Ultimately, you're passionate about helping organizations develop their talent and are ready to roll-up your sleeves to be involved in all aspects of the talent and learning ecosystem. 

This is a 10-month project employee position. You will be expected to work from our New York (645 5th Ave.) or New Jersey (Secaucus) offices 4 days/week with the option to work remotely 1 day/week

Major Responsibilities

Talent Development

• Assist in execution and tracking of numerous development opportunities targeted at early/mid-career talent and people managers globally. These programs will leverage multiple modalities (e.g. e-learning, in-person, social, job-aids) and draw on external vendors and partnerships to support.
• Craft learning collections with pathways that point toward experiences/exposure opportunities beyond our established platforms (e.g. Linkedin Learning, Coursera, and Bravely).
• Manage experiential and relationship-based learning programs including stretch assignment opportunities, mentorships and sponsorships.  
• Assist in internal career pathing exercise through interviews and research that complement our learning offerings and support fostering career growth.

Performance & Engagement

• Provide support for our annual Performance processes, helping employees and managers develop clear goals, measure and monitor performance, collect and provide feedback, and fairly assess performance as part of the year-end review.
• Support the organization-wide Engagement initiatives from scheduling events to coordinating lunch and learns to managing action plan tracking.

Communication and Measurement

• Support marketing plans and materials that enhance employee awareness of, and participation in, talent and learning programs. 
• Analyze and synthesize data across the performance, development, and internal mobility lifecycle to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities that inform process improvements, equitable distributions, and targeted growth strategies.
• Translate insights into actionable recommendations by partnering with cross-functional teams to refine talent processes, enhance employee development pathways, and support data-informed decision-making across the organization.

Required Education/Professional Experience

• 3-5 years of progressive HR, HR consulting, training and/or talent development experience.
• Bachelors degree or additional 2+ years of relevant professional experience.
• Advanced education in I/O Psychology, Adult Learning, Organization Development, Talent Development or a related field preferred.  
• Experience facilitating learning and development programs at scale to a global audience.
• Experience executing employee listening strategies including full-scale employee surveys.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholder groups within an organization.
• Experience working with excel and translating data into actionable insights.
• Certification in individual and team development tools and assessments (e.g. DISC, Hogan, Insights Discovery, MBTI) preferred.

Required Skills/Knowledge Attributes

• Excellent facilitation skills. Ability to build content from scratch and adjust for different audience types.
• Excellent analytical, written, interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience managing multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously and autonomously in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Strong technology skills, including Microsoft Office (required), learning management systems, audiovisual and online meeting tools. Interested in the application of AI in HR and Talent Development.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly master new concepts and improve upon them with experience.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• High Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Competence and commitment to building inclusive experiences.   
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships across all levels of an organization.

Salary Range: $6,000 bi-weekly (10 month assignment) 

Job Posting Title: Project 

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.
 
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.