Talent Lead – Europe & Middle East

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

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Position Summary

The NBA's Consumer Group is responsible for driving fan growth, engagement and brand affinity across Europe and the Middle East through integrated marketing, content, communications and fan engagement initiatives. Based in London, the Senior Manager, Talent Lead will contribute to the planning and delivery of the NBA’s talent activity across Europe and the Middle East, leveraging players, legends, creators and cultural figures to support fan growth, content creation, commercial partnerships and broader consumer objectives. Success in this role requires sound judgement, a strong understanding of basketball culture, the creator economy and the evolving sports and entertainment landscape, alongside the ability to build effective relationships across sport, entertainment, media and culture. As a representative of the NBA, the Senior Manager will support activity at major events, maintain strong stakeholder relationships and identify opportunities that enhance the NBA’s cultural relevance and audience engagement across the region.

Major Responsibilities

Player Engagement

• Contribute to the Player Marketing approach across Europe & Middle East, supporting the development and execution of a proactive player engagement plan that identifies opportunities to leverage current players, legends and coaches in support of commercial, marketing, media and fan development objectives.

• Manage day-to-day operations of player marketing and team talent initiatives, serving as a key EME contact and supporting clear prioritisation and alignment with regional and global stakeholders.

• Coordinate planning and logistics when NBA talent travel to the region for promotional events, activations and content opportunities, ensuring execution is aligned with agreed business priorities and talent requirements.

Creator Strategy & Execution

• Support the development and execution of the NBA’s creator and influencer activity across Europe and the Middle East, identifying and activating talent that contributes to audience growth, engagement and cultural relevance.

• Build and manage relationships with creators, influencers, celebrities, talent representatives and agencies across sport, entertainment and culture.

• Partner with Marketing, Content and Communications teams to deliver creator and influencer programmes across priority campaigns, events and content initiatives, ensuring consistency with regional objectives and brand standards.

Commercial Partnerships

• Partner closely with Global Partnerships (GP), Marketing Partnerships (MP) and Merchandising & Licensing (M&L) teams to support integrated player, creator and influencer activity that aligns with partner objectives and regional priorities.

• Identify and develop player, creator and celebrity-led opportunities that enhance partner programmes and support commercial objectives across Europe and the Middle East.

• Manage measurement and reporting across talent initiatives, tracking audience impact, partner value and campaign performance to inform recommendations and improve future execution.

Industry Engagement & Relationship Management

• Represent the NBA at selected sporting, cultural and entertainment events, building relationships and identifying opportunities that support the league’s cultural relevance and fan engagement priorities.

• Cultivate and maintain a strong network of players, creators, celebrities, agents, agencies and industry stakeholders to support NBA activity across the region.

• Monitor trends across sport, entertainment and the creator economy and share actionable recommendations that support planning and execution.

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Strong understanding of the NBA ecosystem, including players, teams, basketball culture and the role of sport, entertainment and creators in supporting fan engagement, commercial objectives and brand relevance.

• Fluency in English language. Additional language skills, a plus (particularly French or Spanish)

• Ability to operate independently within agreed priorities and make sound recommendations in a fast-moving regional environment.

• Ability to influence and develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to execute successful initiatives based on clearly defined objectives.

• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines and stakeholders across markets.

• Collaborative, proactive and commercially aware, with the confidence to lead workstreams and support cross-functional delivery.

• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and credibly with partners and internal and external stakeholders.

• Broad knowledge of event marketing, experiential marketing, media, brand management and promotions, from concept through to execution and measurement.

• Willingness to travel significantly internationally

Experience Needed

• Minimum of 6–8 years of international talent, celebrity, creator, sports marketing or event experience, including experience managing projects, stakeholders and activations across multiple markets.

• Demonstrated track record of supporting or managing regional or multi-market initiatives, preferably across Europe and the Middle East.

• Prior experience working for a sports, entertainment, media or lifestyle organisation and supporting celebrity, athlete or creator-led initiatives, preferred.

Educational Background Required

• Bachelor’s degree

Salary Range:

N/A

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.

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 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 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 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.