Senior Manager, Innovation - Technology Partnerships

ABOUT THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Founded in 1917, the National Hockey League (NHL®) is the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

With more than 1500 employees across the US and Canada, the NHL is a global sports and entertainment organization committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.

At the NHL, we are looking for dynamic, energetic and impactful individuals who are committed to doing the same by sharing in our philosophy that Hockey is for Everyone – and inclusion belongs on the ice, in the locker rooms, boardrooms and stands.

WHAT WE EXPECT OF YOU

SUMMARY
We are seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking individual to join our NHL Innovation team as a Sr. Manager, Innovation Technology Partnerships. This individual will play a key role in facilitating collaboration between interdisciplinary teams, managing projects, and driving innovative initiatives which improve tools used by hockey operations, venue management, and/or empowers fans with the ability to get “closer” to the game. The ideal candidate will have a curious mindset, good understanding of technology and software principles, strong project management skills, team mindset and desire to drive change while generating incremental revenue. Join our team as a Sr. Manager, Innovation Technology Partnerships and help evolve the game of hockey across all aspects of our operations and fan experience.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supporting NHL’s current League technology partners, i.e. Apple, AWS, Extreme Networks, Presidio, Rogers, SAP, ServiceNow, and Verizon
• Manage innovation initiatives from inception to completion, including defining objectives, developing project plans, assigning tasks, and tracking progress to ensure timely delivery and alignment with strategic goals
• Facilitate collaboration between internal teams, external partners, and stakeholders to identify opportunities for innovation and develop solutions that enhance performance, engagement, and fan experience
• Establish opportunities to generate incremental revenue for the League, our Clubs, our technology partners, and our media partners
• Support and conduct market research, trend analysis, and competitor benchmarking to identify emerging technologies, best practices, and opportunities for innovation in sports performance, fan engagement, and business operations
• Work closely with IT, design, engineering, and development teams to prototype and test innovative solutions, leveraging rapid prototyping techniques and agile methodologies to iterate and refine concepts
• Identify and evaluate potential technology partners, vendors, and startups with innovative solutions that align with NHL’s goals, and facilitate partnerships and collaborations to accelerate innovation initiatives
• Manage knowledge sharing sessions, workshops, and training programs to disseminate best practices, insights, and learnings from innovation projects across the organization, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement
• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the impact and success of NHL initiatives, and prepare regular reports and presentations for technology partners, NHL management and stakeholders

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge Areas/Experience

Required

• Strong interest and understanding of technology as it pertains to a) fan/consumer experiences in sports and/or entertainment industries and b) live event and sports operation requirements and needs
• 5+ years of professional experience, preferably at a technology or software company, media company, or live event productions
• Experience working as part of a team focused on delivering tier 1 products and firm understanding of cross-functional development projects
• Experience in testing and trialing new and emerging technologies
• Interest in tech systems and their intersection with the sports and entertainment experience
• Understanding of and experience developing revenue opportunities across multiple revenue streams including advertising and sponsorship, direct to consumer, ticketing, and media rights

Education/Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or related field from accredited 4-year college or university

Required Skills

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills; Success in building strong working relationships with senior executives both inside and outside the organization
• Comfort juggling multiple projects, prioritizing stakeholder needs, and working under tight deadlines
• Curiosity towards emerging technologies such as AI and Generative AI, cloud broadcasting, ML, extended reality (VR, AR, metaverse, digital twins, etc.) analytics, wearable devices, 5G and their applications in the sports industry
• Ability to travel to testing sites, vendor locations and NHL events

CORE COMPETENCIES
These core competencies reflect the underlying values that are necessary to represent the National Hockey League:

• Accountability
• Adaptability
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Inclusion
• Professionalism
• Teamwork & Collaboration

The NHL offers U.S. regular, full-time employees:

Time to Recharge: Utilize our generous Paid Time Off (PTO) to focus on your well-being and ensure a healthy work/life balance. PTO includes paid holidays, vacation, personal and sick days, plus an extra day off for your birthday.

Ability to Focus on your Health: Along with competitive salaries, the NHL offers comprehensive health benefits to employees and their eligible dependents effective on their first day with us – there is no waiting period. The NHL subsidizes a large portion of the health benefits costs, therefore your cost for medical, dental and vision coverage is minimal.

We also offer our employees and members of their household access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support mental, physical, and financial health. In addition, employees have access to a digital wellness resource designed to improve health and happiness through courses in sleep, movement, and focus. These services are confidential and at no-cost to our employees.

Childcare Leave: Because your family is the NHL family, employees are offered comprehensive Childcare Leave to welcome your new addition. The primary caregiver to the child is entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay, following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

Employees that are not the primary caregiver to the child are entitled to up to 6 weeks of paid Childcare Leave, at full pay, which must be taken within the first 6 months following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

Confidence in your Retirement Goals: Participate in the NHL’s Savings Plan which includes a 401K(pre-tax and Roth options) plus non-elective (employer) contributions to keep your retirement goals on track.

A Hybrid Work Schedule: The NHL recognizes the value of flexibility in work locations/schedules to help our employees balance work/life priorities. Hybrid work schedules are available for a majority of our roles.

Our New Headquarters: Our new, state of the art, offices are located at One Manhattan West in Hudson Yards. When you’re in the office, you can conduct meetings in one of our high-tech conference rooms, have lunch with a view or play in the game room. Employees can also enjoy New York’s newest neighborhood that is home to more than 100 shops, culinary experiences, and public artwork.

A Savings for Commuting: Participate in the NHL’s pre-tax commuter benefit plan whichhelps offset the financial cost of traveling to and from our office.

NHL Partner Rates: Unlock exclusive pricing from our Partners that include savings on travel, consumer goods and services, plus the NHL Store.

Life at the NHL: In your first few days, you meet with your new teammates and the HR Team. You have the opportunity to learn more about the NHL and our workplace culture. Employees are invited to play hockey during our Tuesday Night Skate at Chelsea Piers, join our Employee Resource Groups and more. You are a part of our team and we encourage you to be your authentic self, adding to our dynamic workplace culture.

SALARY RANGE:

$95-115K

Actual base pay for a successful candidate will be determined based on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to: experience/training, market demands, and geographic location.

When applying, please be sure to include a cover letter with your salary expectations for this role. We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity, however only qualified candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. NO EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.