Director, Research - Innovation & Growth Strategy

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

As a valuable member of the team, the Director, Research - Innovation & Growth Strategy will identify relevant secondary research / data resources and recommend and oversee custom research initiatives to inform the development, introduction, and / or refinement of strategic League initiatives.

The successful candidate will be adept at working across NHL Research & Insights to contribute to other departmental efforts focused on driving deeper fandom, greater viewership, and increased monetization worldwide.

They must have boundless intellectual curiosity and a passion and aptitude for synthesizing and distilling disparate quantitative and qualitative findings into coherent, easily digested, and actionable insights.

The Director must be a self-starter with previous project management experience and keen analytical and communication skills, comfortable participating in - even leading discussions with - senior executives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with stakeholders in Innovation and Growth Strategy to understand priorities and define research questions to enable buildout of roadmap that addresses key knowledge gaps
• Leverage 1P / 2P / 3P consumer and market data, measurement and analytic techniques, and business acumen to lead the generation and delivery of insights to inform innovation and strategic growth initiatives
• Oversee custom research projects from initial concept and hypothesis development, through designing the approach, synthesizing and analyzing data, and collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure effective operationalization
• Effectively communicate research findings to ensure their incorporation into overall business strategy
• Stand up monthly report detailing and contextualizing NHL performance on multitude of cross-organizational KPIs (e.g., viewership, digital analytics, gate, brand) to facilitate holistic view on League health
• Collaborate with colleagues in Consumer Research, Broadcast Research, and across the Fan Engagement & Analytics department to deepen our collective understanding of fan interests and preferences
• Partner in the creation of a thought leadership research agenda to empirically corroborate the singular power of the NHL

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge Areas / Experience

Required

Significant involvement in translating data from primary research and secondary sources into insights and recommendations for marketing and business-to-business sales applications

Preferred

• 10+ years of prior market research including extensive primary research - and / or data analysis experience
• Sports and entertainment, media, or strategy background

Education / Certifications

Bachelor’s degree or 12 years of relevant work experience

Required Skills

• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience with syndicated research platforms (e.g., YouGov, MRI, comScore, Nielsen).
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence at leadership levels
• Demonstrable proficiency in data analysis and assessment abilities
• Highly organized, attention to details and strong follow-through
• A positive energetic attitude
• Entrepreneurial spirit, self-motivated, self-starter, with comfort working in small teams

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 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 : $125-150K

$125-150K

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.