Talent Lead, Local Media

Position Summary

At the NBA, we’re passionate about growing and celebrating the game 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 NBA is so much more. The Talent Lead will oversee the talent vertical within the Local Media organization, responsible for developing and executing the strategy for on-air talent across local game broadcasts, studio programming, and emerging digital formats. This role will lead the identification, development, management, and integration of announcers, analysts, and creator-driven talent to deliver a differentiated and locally relevant fan experience. The Talent Lead will partner closely with Production, Content, Broadcast Integration, and Marketing teams to ensure talent is effectively deployed, strategically aligned, and integrated into evolving production formats across all platforms.

Major Responsibilities

• Lead the overall talent strategy for Local Media, including announcers, analysts, and creator/influencer talent across all network programming
• Oversee talent identification, evaluation, and selection to ensure alignment with local market needs and broader NBA brand objectives
• Lead and manage a team responsible for talent strategy, talent operations, and day-to-day coordination, including setting priorities, providing guidance, and supporting performance and development
• Manage talent relationships, including onboarding, development, performance feedback, and ongoing engagement
• Partner with Talent Production Lead and Game Production Leads to integrate talent seamlessly into live game, studio, and digital productions
• Collaborate with Content Planning Lead to expand and operationalize non-traditional and creator-led talent formats
• Develop scalable talent models that support centralized and local production across multiple markets
• Ensure consistency in talent quality, preparation, and presentation across all productions
• Create a culture of consistent coaching and feedback across talent and the full content team
• Persistently work with Programming, Marketing, Partnerships, and Social/Digital Content teams to align talent deployment with content strategy and audience engagement goals
• Provide strategic input into new formats, including alternate broadcasts, digital-first productions, and multilingual programming
• Monitor industry trends in sports media, talent, and creator ecosystems and recommend innovations to enhance fan experience
• Oversee talent-related budgets, contracts coordination (in partnership with Legal/Business Affairs), and resource allocation
• Serve as a senior leader within the Local Media organization, contributing to overall production and content strategy

Required Education/Professional Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Media, Communications, Business, or a related field preferred
• 10+ years of experience in sports media, broadcast production, talent management, or related fields
• Demonstrated experience managing or leading talent strategies at a network, league, or large-scale media organization
• Experience working with both traditional broadcast talent and emerging creator/influencer talent preferred
• Significant experience negotiating talent agreements and pricing
• Prior experience leading teams and managing complex, multi-market operations

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Deep expertise in sports broadcasting, talent management, and live production environments
• Strong understanding of evolving media landscape, including digital, streaming, and creator-driven content
• Proven ability to lead talent strategy and manage high-profile on-air personalities
• Editorial judgment and understanding of storytelling and audience engagement
• Experience working cross-functionally across production, content, marketing, and partnerships teams
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume, and matrixed organization
• Established history of creating a culture of consistent feedback and coaching across all levels
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills

Pay

Salary Range: $185,000 - $200,000

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.