Senior Product Manager, Ads and Monetization - WNBA

WORK OPTION: Remote

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.

Job Summary:
The WNBA's digital products are generating global fan interest. Continuously pushing boundaries and setting new records, the league is building a best-in-class digital product suite that millions of fans and partners are actively engaging with.
The WNBA’s digital product team is looking for a talented product owner to lead key monetization efforts across platforms with a focus on ads and our WNBA League Pass product. This individual will play a key role in product development initiatives that shape the future of the WNBA’s ongoing digital transformation and revenue growth. The WNBA is creating a multi-platform experience that connects WNBA fans to free and premium content while innovating in the delivery of live games, personalized experiences, emerging technologies, and monetization opportunities. 

Major Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy and execution of ad products, from conception through launch and iteration, to drive monetization and user engagement across the platform.
• Own the roadmap for the ads and monetization business, working closely with engineering, design, data, and marketing teams to deliver impactful solutions that align with overall business goals.
• Develop a deep understanding of the ad-tech ecosystem, including programmatic advertising, demand-side platforms (DSPs), ad networks, and user targeting, to drive innovation in ad products.
• Work with cross-functional teams (engineering, design, data science, marketing) to create seamless ad experiences that enhance user engagement while balancing monetization goals.
• Analyze key performance metrics (e.g., ad revenue, CPM, CPC, CTR) to optimize ad products and improve business outcomes, while ensuring the ads experience is non-intrusive and valuable to users.
• Define and prioritize product features and enhancements based on user feedback, market trends, and business objectives, ensuring alignment with overall product strategy.
• Collaborate with data teams to define and track success metrics for ad products and optimize based on data insights, testing, and feedback loops.
• Work closely with sales and marketing teams to understand customer needs and translate them into actionable product features that improve ad sales, targeting, and effectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) and industry standards for advertising, balancing revenue generation with user trust and data security.
• Maintain a deep knowledge of market trends and competitor products, identifying opportunities for differentiation and innovation within the ad space.
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors and advertising platforms, such as ad exchanges, SSPs, and DSPs, to improve ad delivery and monetization.
• Facilitate ad product experimentation and A/B testing, iterating on ad formats, placement, and targeting to maximize performance and user satisfaction.
• Work closely with senior leadership to communicate product vision, progress, and key learnings related to the ads business, driving alignment on business goals and strategies.
• Drive the evolution of the ad tech stack, collaborating with engineering and technical teams to ensure scalability, reliability, and efficiency in ad product delivery.

Required Education/Professional Experience:

• 5-7 years of experience in product management, with a strong focus on advertising products or monetization, ideally in the tech, media, or digital advertising space.
  • Experience managing ad products such as display ads, video ads, native ads, programmatic advertising, or mobile ads.
• Demonstrated success in building and scaling ad products, from initial concept through to successful execution and optimization, with a focus on monetization and user experience.
• Experience with ad tech ecosystems, including knowledge of DSPs, SSPs, ad exchanges, programmatic advertising, and targeting technologies. Familiarity with Google Ads, Facebook Ads, ad networks, and measurement platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Amplitude) is often highly desirable.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams, including working with engineering, design, marketing, sales, and data team to bring ad products to market.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with experience collaborating with senior leadership and presenting business cases, updates, and results to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to articulate the vision, strategy, and status of ad products to internal teams and external partners.

Required Skills/Knowledge Attributes:

• Familiarity with mobile advertising (e.g., in-app ads, mobile web ads, SDK integrations).
• Experience working with machine learning models or AI-driven advertising platforms.
• Familiarity with cloud-based infrastructure (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud) as it relates to ad tech platforms.
• Excellent communicator to senior level executives (written and in-person); able to adapt communication style across audiences and stakeholder groups. 
• Self-starter who is energetic & enthusiastic, confident, adaptable & customer-oriented 
• Ability to multitask and manage deadlines in a cross-functional team while remaining detail-oriented 
• Technical competence and ability to adapt to new technologies and lead teams through technology changes 

Salary Range: [[$145,000 - $160,000]] 

Job Posting Title: [[Senior 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 WNBA
The WNBA is a bold, progressive basketball league that stands for the power of women.  Featuring 12 teams, the W is a unique sports property that combines competition and entertainment with a commitment to diversity and inclusion and social responsibility.  Through its world-class athletes, the in-game fan experience, TV and digital broadcasts, digital and social content and community outreach programs, the league celebrates and elevates the game of basketball and the culture around it.