Youth Fan Development Lead

WORK OPTION: The NBA currently provides eligible employees the option of working remotely one day per week.

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Group Summary

The Team Marketing & Business Operations (TMBO) Department is a unique in-house consulting group within the NBA league office that drives best practices and innovation across all NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, and NBA2K teams. TMBO is a fast-paced, collaborative department focused on all aspects of team business operations, and seeks dynamic, intellectually curious, and organized team members who believe and live TMBO’s core values: Add Value, Build Trusted Relationships, and Root for Each Other.

Essential Functions and Job Summary

The Youth Fan Development Lead will serve as TMBO’s primary day-to-day subject matter expert and strategic advisor on youth fan development, helping NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League teams use youth participation and engagement to grow their businesses and develop the next generation of fans. Working closely with the senior leader responsible for TMBO’s Marketing & Digital Strategy function, the Lead will advise teams using research, benchmarking, best-practice development, and innovation; translate league priorities into practical team strategies and business opportunities; and lead league-managed resources and forums that enable teams to execute effectively. The Lead will advise teams on engagements across youth touchpoints spanning grassroots basketball participation; content, social media, gaming, and digital experiences; live and in-arena experiences; school and community programs; and other channels, helping teams connect these efforts to measurable outcomes across fan acquisition, first-party data acquisition, CRM growth, ticket sales, partnership value, and long-term customer development. The Lead will accomplish this by building trusted relationships across the youth basketball and broader youth sports ecosystem; identifying emerging trends, technologies, and external partners; and advising on the creation of a broader content and digital ecosystem across league and team platforms. While Youth Fan Development will represent the primary focus of the role, the Lead will also advise teams on broader Marketing & Digital Strategy initiatives and contribute to TMBO advisory efforts as department priorities evolve. In addition, the Lead will collaborate across Marketing & Digital, Ticketing & Game Experience, Partnerships, Basketball Operations, Social Responsibility, Data Strategy & Analytics, Digital Consumer Products (DTC), WNBA, NBA G League, and other league departments on cross-functional projects. The role requires strong strategic consulting, project management, communication, analytical, and relationship-building skills.

Major Responsibilities

• Serve as TMBO’s primary day-to-day subject matter expert and strategic consultant on Youth Fan Development, advising NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League teams on how youth participation and engagement can drive team business growth and develop the next generation of NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League fans
• Lead TMBO’s Youth Fan Development research, benchmarking, best-practice development, and innovation agenda, identifying emerging trends, technologies, external partners, and market opportunities relevant to teams
• Build and maintain trusted relationships across the youth basketball and youth sports ecosystem
• Develop and share practical playbooks, toolkits, benchmarks, case studies, and executive-ready recommendations that help team and league leadership implement integrated strategies across participation, marketing, content, digital, CRM, ticketing, partnerships, and broader fan development
• Advise teams on acquiring, engaging, and retaining youth and family audiences, and on connecting youth strategies to measurable business outcomes, including fan acquisition, first-party data acquisition, CRM growth, group ticket sales, partnership value, attendance, and long-term customer development
• Identify and share best practices related to public-private partnerships, grants, municipalities, school systems, and other external resources that can expand accessible participation and support sustainable Youth Fan Development strategies
• Serve as TMBO’s primary day-to-day liaison with league colleagues across Basketball Operations, Social Responsibility, Marketing, Partnerships, Communications, Data Strategy & Analytics, Digital Consumer Products (DTC), WNBA, NBA G League, and other departments on youth-focused initiatives, aligning cross-functional expertise and priorities with team consulting needs
• Working closely with the NBA’s DTC team, advise teams on leveraging league- and team-owned digital platforms – including the NBA App and team digital properties – as well as on audience segmentation, lifecycle marketing, and emerging technologies to deepen youth engagement and strengthen fan acquisition
• Lead partnerships with league and team content, marketing, and social teams to identify, develop, and amplify compelling youth-focused content that strengthens Jr. NBA, Jr. WNBA, and team Youth Fan Development initiatives while creating scalable content opportunities across league and team platforms
• Lead workshops, webinars, working groups, peer forums, market visits, and other team-facing engagements that surface benchmarks, share best practices, and encourage collaboration and innovation across teams
• Support additional TMBO Marketing & Digital consulting projects as department priorities require

Required Education/Professional Experience

• Bachelor's degree required
• 6+ years of experience in strategy or management consulting; business strategy, analytics, or research; sports business; marketing, content, or digital media; youth sports or youth engagement; ticketing, partnerships, or fan development; or a related field
• Experience working directly with team or league personnel preferred

Required Skills/Knowledge Attributes

• Strong understanding of youth basketball, youth sports, the broader participation ecosystem, and family audiences, including how youth engagement can drive fan development and team business outcomes
• Strong strategic thinking and consultative problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify opportunities and translate insights into actionable recommendations
• Excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to establish credibility with team executives, league stakeholders, and external partners
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple team engagements, priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously
• Strong knowledge of team business operations, marketing, content, digital platforms, CRM, ticketing, partnerships, and fan development
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize data, qualitative insights, team practices, and external research into clear strategies, benchmarks, and business cases
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to create clear and compelling materials for senior audiences
• Professional presence and confidence leading team consulting conversations, workshops, executive presentations, and discussions with external partners
• Ability to work effectively across a fast-paced, collaborative, and matrixed organization
• Self-starter mentality and comfort building new capabilities, processes, and resources in an evolving environment
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed

Salary Range:

$155,000-$180,000

Job Posting Title:

Director

Employees currently are eligible to receive an annual discretionary performance bonus, awarded at the sole discretion of the Company and subject to any terms and conditions set by the Company. Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company-sponsored employee benefit programs: medical; dental; vision; life/AD&D insurance; short- and long-term disability; fertility and family-forming assistance; wellbeing allowance; educational assistance; mental health coaching/therapy; tax advantaged accounts such as HSA and healthcare/dependent care FSAs; a 401(k) retirement plan; and time off benefits that include vacation, sick time, and personal days.

We Consider Applicants For All Positions On The Basis Of Merit, Qualifications And Business Needs, And Without Regard To Race, Color, National Origin, Religion, Sex, Gender Identity, Age, Disability, Alienage Or Citizenship Status, Ancestry, Marital Status, Creed, Genetic Predisposition Or Carrier Status, Sexual Orientation, 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.