This job has closed.

National Basketball Association (NBA) · 1 week ago

Referee Live Communications and Operations Manager

New York, NY

Full-time

Hybrid

Mid, Senior Level

$110K/yr - $140K/yr

6+ years exp

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. The Referee Live Communications & Operations Manager will be responsible for overseeing the launch and operations of the NBA’s live communications initiative, ensuring effective coordination among various stakeholders and managing operational risks.

BasketballCasual GamesSportsSports Leagues and Teams

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Lead the day-to-day administration of the Referee Live Communications Initiative, ensuring the availability and functionality of all hardware (earpieces, cables, connectors, belt packs, clips, etc.), outfitting, and all other equipment essential to game day operations

Ensure smooth coordination and information sharing between internal stakeholders across different shifts (Ref Ops, Replay, BB Ops, BSG, Engineering, Broadcast, Legal, IT, game participants) by managing stakeholder relationships and facilitating clear communication on day-to-day business operations

Partner with the Replay Center, as well as engineers and vendors to ensure appropriate scheduling and availability of in-arena coverage, Replay Center support, training, and other essential onboarding and operational processes

Partner with the Replay Center, Head of Referee Development & Training, the NBRA and other experts in League Operations to facilitate the development and regular updating of communication protocols for when and how to utilize the live communications technology

Prevent and mitigate game day interruptions by identifying operational risks and implementing robust inventory, tracking, and contingency protocols for the Referee Live Communications Initiative

In close coordination with the Replay Center’s Referee Live Communications, serve as a primary point of contact during standard business hours for League Operations Staff, NBA officials, engineers, vendors, in-arena staff, and other external partners for any operational issues or questions related to the Live Communications Project

Partner with colleagues in League Operations and Referee Operations to track, report, and make recommendations on critical elements of the Live Communications Project, including in-game usage metrics and trends, implications for playing rules, user feedback, performance issues, and other matters

Coordinate with Basketball Strategy & Growth, other NBA stakeholders, vendors and external partners to operationalize future innovation and technology initiatives on the Automated Officiating roadmap

Complete other administrative and operational tasks as assigned

Qualification

Project managementCommunication skillsProblem-solvingMicrosoft OfficeStakeholder managementSelf-managementListening skillsDetail-orientedInterpersonal skillsPresentation skills

Required

Strong project management skills and a demonstrated record of managing multiple on-going initiatives

Strong communication, multitasking, and listening skills, with an ability to discover and combine multiple sources of information to subsequently execute

Must exercise good judgement and be able to maintain confidentiality with sensitive events and projects

Proven self-management, problem identification, and solution development skills

Excellent verbal, written, presentation, organization, and interpersonal skills

Detail-oriented, organized, able to work autonomously

Ability to interact with and influence personnel across all levels of internal and external organizations

Proficient with Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and Project Management Tools (Trello, Slack)

Willingness to travel, both domestically and internationally

Ability to work nights and weekends as required

Bachelor's Degree required

Minimum of 6 years' experience managing mission critical projects that are sensitive, complex, high profile, and cross-functional in nature

Extensive experience standing up new initiatives and delivering results on time and on budget with extraordinary attention to detail

Preferred

Prior experience working with NBA teams, players, officials or rules

Company

National Basketball Association (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.

Founded in 1946

Brooklyn, New York, USA

1001-5000 employees

http://www.nba.com

H1B Sponsorship

National Basketball Association (NBA) has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

Represents job field similar to this job

Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (2)