Senior Manager, Innovation & Growth Strategy

National Hockey League (NHL); New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid Work Schedule

401K Plan

Paid Time Off

Job summary

The National Hockey League (NHL) is seeking a Senior Manager, Innovation & Growth Strategies to shape initiatives expanding the youth audience and deepening engagement with younger fans. You will work on new products, programs, content, experiences, and strategic initiatives—from research and business cases to pilots and optimization.

The ideal candidate blends youth/audience insights with strong strategy, project management, and communication capabilities, coordinating stakeholders and driving

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of professional experience after graduation.
• Experience in strategy, consulting, brand management, audience development, innovation, consumer insights, marketing, or related fields.
• Strong understanding of youth and family audiences and engagement factors.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation abilities.
• Ability to synthesize research and data into actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop audience strategy and insights for youth and family segments.
• Identify opportunities for audience growth and engagement using research and data.
• Lead cross-functional projects across departments and partners.
• Collaborate with marketing, content, events, licensing, gaming, sponsorship, research, and consumer products.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Data synthesis

Initiative

Youth/audience understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Media, Entrepreneurship or related field

Job description

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. 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.

Summary

WHAT WE EXPECT OF YOU

The National Hockey League is seeking a Senior Manager, Innovation & Growth Strategies to help shape and execute initiatives that grow the NHL’s youth audience and deepen engagement with the segment.

This role will support the development of new products, programs, content, experiences, and strategic initiatives designed to increase the relevance of hockey with the next generation of fans. Working across internal departments and external partners, the Senior Manager will identify opportunities, develop recommendations, and help bring new concepts to life—from initial research and business case development through pilot execution and ongoing optimization.

The ideal candidate combines deep understanding of youth and family audiences with strong strategic thinking, project management, and communication skills. They are equally comfortable analyzing consumer insights, navigating complex institutional realities, brainstorming new concepts, coordinating stakeholders, and managing the day-to-day execution of innovative projects.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Audience Strategy & Insights

• Develop a deep understanding of youth and family audiences, including consumer behaviors, media habits, entertainment preferences, and emerging trends.
• Apply research, consumer insights, and data to identify opportunities for audience growth and engagement.
• Conduct competitive analysis and benchmarking across sports, entertainment, gaming, media, and youth-focused brands.
• Translate audience insights into actionable recommendations and strategic opportunities.
• Monitor evolving youth culture and identify new ways for the NHL to remain relevant and engaging.

New Initiative Development

• Explore, design, and launch innovative initiatives that attract and engage youth and family audiences.
• Support concept development, business case creation, pilot planning, and implementation.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the connection between young fans and the NHL through new experiences, products, and platforms.
• Contribute to initiatives that may include:
  • Youth-focused content and media platforms.
  • New YouTube and creator-driven content strategies.
  • League-wide Kids Club programs.
  • Mobile, console, and emerging gaming experiences.
  • Family-focused events and live experiences.
  • Consumer products and licensing opportunities.

Cross-Functional Project Leadership

• Serve as a project lead for strategic growth initiatives, coordinating efforts across internal departments, NHL Clubs and external partners.
• Develop project plans, timelines, stakeholder communications, and execution frameworks.
• Manage multiple initiatives simultaneously while maintaining exceptional organization and attention to detail.
• Track project milestones, identify risks, and ensure initiatives remain on schedule and aligned with strategic objectives.
• Support measurement and evaluation efforts to assess initiative performance and inform future decisions.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Build strong working relationships across departments including marketing, content, events, licensing, gaming, sponsorship, research, and consumer products.
• Collaborate with external agencies, consultants, creators, technology partners, and vendors.
• Prepare presentations, reports, and recommendations for senior leadership.
• Facilitate meetings and workshops that drive alignment and action.

Qualifications

Knowledge Areas/Experience

Required

• Minimum 3 years of professional experience following graduation.
• Experience in strategy, consulting, brand management, audience development, innovation, consumer insights, marketing, or related fields.
• Strong understanding of youth and family audiences and the factors influencing their engagement and behavior.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication abilities.
• Ability to synthesize research and data into actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-starter with strong initiative and ownership mentality.

Preferred

• Experience working with youth and family audiences at a leading consumer brand, sports property, media company, entertainment company, gaming company, or consulting firm.
• Experience developing new products, programs, content initiatives, or audience growth strategies.
• Familiarity with youth media consumption trends, digital platforms, creator ecosystems, gaming, and emerging technologies.
• Passion for sports, entertainment, and youth culture.
• Knowledge of hockey and the broader sports landscape.

Education/Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Media, Entrepreneurship or a related field.

Required Skills

• Excellent project management and organizational skills.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication abilities.
• Ability to synthesize research and data into actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-starter with strong initiative and ownership mentality.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• 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 which helps 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:

$105-125k

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.

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.