NBA Job Opportunity: Basketball Data Science & Scheduling Lead

Work Option: 4 days a week in the New York, NY office

About the NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization dedicated to inspiring and connecting people through the power of basketball. The NBA comprises five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League, and Basketball Africa League. The NBA has a massive international footprint, with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories across 60 languages, and merchandise sold in more than 200 countries on all seven continents. As of the 2023-24 season, NBA rosters include a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories. NBA Digital's assets feature NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App, and NBA League Pass. The NBA boasts one of the world's largest social media communities, with over 2.3 billion likes and followers across all leagues, team, and player platforms. The league also addresses significant social issues through NBA Cares, partnering with globally recognized community organizations in education, inclusion, youth and family development, and health and wellness.

Major Responsibilities

• Lead mathematical optimization methods and processes for creating the NBA game schedule, including year-round execution and team engagement.
• Oversee complex data science projects, including data source identification, project planning, milestones, and management of data scientists.
• Manage long-term planning and partnerships within the NBA scheduling software ecosystem.
• Innovate and generate ideas to grow fan interest in basketball and the NBA.
• Prepare insights and reports for senior leadership in League Operations and the NBA Senior Leadership Team, along with follow-up analysis.
• Analyze new data sources to identify patterns, trends, and assess data quality for League Operations decisions.

Required Education/Professional Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Math, Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering, or a related discipline. Master’s Degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in strategy, project management, and/or data analytics, ideally in the basketball or sports industry.
• Proficiency in modeling (e.g., Excel), scripting languages (e.g., R or Python), and data visualization tools (e.g., Shiny or Tableau).
• Experience in project management, as well as people management and development.

Required Skills/Knowledge Attributes

• Self-starter with exceptional problem-solving skills and an ability to communicate with a non-technical audience.
• A passion for sports and a strong interest in the NBA and its affiliated leagues.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external clients.
• Confidence working in a fast-paced environment and managing both short-term and long-term projects.
• Excellent self-management, problem identification, and solution-finding capabilities.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and maintain confidentiality with sensitive projects.
• Strong ability to work both independently and within a team environment.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.

Salary Range: $180,000 - $240,000

The NBA does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or third parties. Unsolicited resumes sent to the NBA will be considered NBA property, and no fee will be paid if the candidate is hired.

The NBA evaluates applicants based on merit, qualifications, and business needs, irrespective of 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 legally protected status.