Team Enterprise Strategy Director - WNBA

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

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.

Position Summary:

At the WNBA, we're passionate about growing the business of basketball. Through the intensity of the game and the amazing athletic skill of our players, we deliver excitement to hundreds of millions of fans around the world.As a global sports and media business, the WNBA is so much more. While Basketball Operations runs the league's on-court activities, other departments are also critical to managing relationships with television and digital media partners, developing marketing partnerships with some of the world's most recognizable companies, and running the business operations and transformation for the League's leadership.

The Team Enterprise Strategy Director, reporting directly to the VP, Finance and Business Operations, will support the business efforts of a portfolio of WNBA Teams, in close collaboration with WNBA League departments, to drive Team business performance. The position will serve as the liaison between the WNBA League and its Teams (Team Presidents, COOs, and Revenue Leaders), provide strategic consultation, and ensure overall compliance with policies and standards. The Director will help grow Team businesses by using data-driven insights, sharing standard processes, and effective planning. The focus will be on team profitability, growth, and fan engagement.

Major Responsibilities:

Strategy and Operations:

• Help to implement standard processes in new arenas or new markets

• Lead discussion and strategy on arena selection, as it relates to overall attendance growth and management of ticket holder base

• Analyze WNBA Arena leases and identify areas of opportunity across the ecosystem

• Collect and analyze staffing information and team business organization charts

• Make recommendations to Team leadership

• Determine team KPIs annually; track progress and share out with league leadership

• Help to onboard and educate expansion franchises

Ticketing:

• League-wide analysis and insights driven from existing reporting of Advance Ticket Sales, Net Gate, and Announced Attendance

• Coordinate with League and Team PR, Growth, and Data and Insights departments to communicate strategic external ticketing messages

• Share best practices gleaned from prior experience and those across the NBA family of leagues, related to opportunities from premium ticket packages and hospitality initiatives

• Synthesize and communicate different structures of a ticket sales organization and share best practices on staff incentives and rewards

• Assist with League tentpole events for ticketing/pricing/scaling, as needed

• Source, analyze, and recommend ticketing technologies to further Team efficiencies and maximization of profit

Policies

• In close coordination with designated members of the Sponsorship and Marketing departments, serve as the main point of contact and expert on Team and League policies, including interpretation and real-life examples.

• Source answers to questions / requests for exceptions or changes to rules, as needed.

• Review and recommend updates to applicable sections of the WNBA Operations Manual, as needed.

• Integrate with WNBA staff to share best practices and find solutions for Team challenges.

Coordination / Communication:

• Serve as key liaison to Team Presidents.

• Make periodic on-site visits to Team markets.

• Continuously update League senior management team on Team-related items.

• Work alongside the Business Intelligence team to translate data from quarterly reports into actionable insights across Team markets.

• Act as liaison across different functions at League who work closely with Teams (such as Broadcast, Production, Partnerships, Marketing, Social Responsibility, etc)

Required Skills/Knowledge:

• 10+ years of relevant operations experience, of which 5+ years of experience at a sports franchise.

• Deep ticket sales and service expertise

• Exceptional organizational skills and responsiveness

• Resilience, and strong interpersonal skills (i.e. balancing assertiveness with active listening)

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess complex information, identify trends and make data-driven decisions.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

• Proactive with the ability to work independently

• Sports industry experience

• Experience and strength in working in highly matrixed environments

• Annual travel to each of the WNBA markets will be required

Salary Range: $140,000 - $175,000

Job Posting Title: Senior Director

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.