Fresh Jobs at The National Basketball Association (NBA)

• 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.
• This position is critical in driving the growth of NBA Africa by driving key brand initiatives and the broader fan engagement efforts of the NBA in Africa.
• The Marketing lead will work across multiple departments serving as the voice of the fan and the custodian of the NBA brand on the continent.
• In the fan engagement role, the individual will work with the PR, Social Media, Events and Content teams to drive local, fan-centric activities for all key markets.

Major Responsibilities:

Marketing

• Be a champion of the African basketball fan across all departments of NBA Nigeria.
• Make decisions regarding localization of global NBA campaigns and initiatives and manage execution thereof.
• Drive strategic decisions around fan engagement and the NBA brand to reach broader business objectives and targets.
• Lead all fan insights work, with the support of the insight’s teams based in New York and the marketing team in South Africa including management of global fan trackers, bespoke research for the region, and fan panels.
• Drive key performance indicators across marketing disciplines and update key stakeholders on campaign performance regularly.
• Ensure brand standards are upheld across all creative and messaging.
• Support marketing partnerships team with marketing campaigns or across all partner activities.
• Provide insights, ideas, campaigns, and budget for the Business Development team.
• Support licensee manager with marketing campaigns around licensee product
• Have a deep understanding of data analytics for decision-making and fan acquisition.
• Support all departments on all marketing needs and amplification of all initiatives

Communications

• Supports the development of all NBA Nigeria communications efforts providing support to all needs across both business and basketball development
• Supporting a communications strategy for NBA Nigeria working with relevant NBA departments (Communications, International Marketing, Social
• Responsibility, CDS, Social & Digital Media, Global Partnerships and Media Distribution)
• Lead the development of the multi-channel marketing strategy, with a particular focus on social media, PR, and digital.
• Deliver the marketing communications strategy, ensuring brand messaging and creatives are consistent across all communication platforms.
• Ensure consumer and cultural insights are integrated into all marketing strategies and communication platforms

Required Skills/Knowledge:

• Minimum of 7 years of marketing experience
• Strategic Marketing
• Strong presentation and communication skills
• Leading marketing campaigns
• Brand activation skills
• Storytelling
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
• Experience bringing consumer insights into marketing campaigns.
• Strategic thinker, able to shape, develop and execute the strategy of NBA Africa
• Advanced knowledge of advertising and media effectiveness measurement approaches
• Experience building relationships with personalities and influencers.
• Good knowledge of basketball, NBA and the BAL. Sports landscape knowledge is a plus.
• Proactive, thorough, intellectually curious, detail-oriented, and highly organized
• Strong verbal and written communications skills
• An interest in music, fashion, art is a plus.
• Strong MS Office skills including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills
• Conversational or Business French is a plus.

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business Management, Sports Management and/or relevant field of study.

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Position Summary:

• NBA Nigeria is seeking an experienced sales/marketing professional for the New Business Development team.
• This position plays a key role in generating new sponsorship revenue for NBA Nigeria.
• The ideal candidate must be a dynamic team player, with excellent storytelling, communication, and negotiation skills.
• The successful candidate will be implementing the new business development strategy with a focus on new partnership development - prospecting, pitching, negotiating and securing new marketing partners.
• The role will require frequent travel throughout the region and will work closely with the Marketing, Media, Events, and other groups to create and drive new revenue streams.

Major Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the business development strategy for NBA Nigeria
• Build relationships with senior-level decision makers at prospective sponsors, relevant marketing agencies, event management companies, and promoters to generate new partners and other new business opportunities.
• Manage the sales process from proposal to deal memo submission and contract execution by liaising with other departments (Legal, Finance, etc.)
• Adapt current NBA marketing programs and create new initiatives tailored to NBA Nigeria
• Maintain a database of highly valuable targets and opportunities
• Monitor the activity of other sports and entertainment properties in the region.
• Prospect, target, pitch and secure NBA Nigeria sponsorship, event and media partnerships.
• Develop and maximize networking opportunities with potential and existing sponsors and relevant marketing agencies
• Understand the prospect's brand DNA and design sales presentations to reflect brand synergies and positioning.
• Deliver impactful on-brand and on-target partnership programs for new business prospects.
• Use storytelling to effectively sell-in partnership ideas to new business prospects.
• Develop, visualize and present customized partnership solutions for prospective sponsors.
• Facilitate ideation by leading cross-functional brainstorms to inform creative solutions
• Liaise with colleagues globally across the NBA to uncover business development opportunities.
• Maintain a strong understanding of industry marketing channels and technologies that clients may utilize in activating an NBA Nigeria sponsorship.

Internal Partnerships:

• Establish and develop close relationships with all the NBA NY global account teams, ensuring that they are proactively informed about all the NBA NIGERIA plans, initiatives, and projects.
• Develop and execute a detailed and coherent plan focused on engaging the NBA NY global account teams with exciting and consistent presentations, aiming to get them on board with all the NBA NIGERIA plans, initiatives and projects so those can be considered as key components for all global or regional new partnership opportunities and upsells.
• Represent the NBA NIGERIA in global pitches and status meetings, providing relevant information and insights about the NBA NIGERIA's plans, initiatives and projects, while also outlining clearly how current and potential global partners would receive value through those.

Required Skills/Knowledge:

• Successful track record building business in Nigeria; must have a strong understanding of the market and a network of relationships across all sectors of Nigeria's marketing and media landscape.
• Creative storyteller with the ability to sell conceptually.
• High-level connectivity - client-side and sponsorship/marketing community in general.
• Ability to attain and exceed targets.
• This should involve delivering integrated programs that include media, print, interactive and event-based assets.
• Entrepreneurial approach with a strong understanding of business fundamentals.
• A track record of securing sponsorship contracts for rights holders in sports.
• Knowledge of TV and digital sales, merchandising and communications.
• Ability to develop creative solutions which will meet the objectives of prospective partners.
• Experience working within a structured corporate environment.
• Business knowledge - being up to date with business/market/industry trends.
• A thorough understanding of the sports landscape (basketball and NBA knowledge preferable).
• Experience working for a high-profile global organization.

Experience Needed:

• Minimum of 8 years of sales and/or business development experience.
• Strategic thinker - able to shape, develop and execute the strategy for the NBA Strong persuading and negotiation skills.
• A credible communicator, adept at operating at the board level.
• Commercially minded and results-driven.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Ability to work well within a matrixed organization.
• Corporate Banking experience is an advantage.
• A passion for sports is preferred.

Educational Background:

• Required Bachelor's degree required