YouTube Channel and Programming Lead

WORK OPTION:
The NBA currently provides eligible employees the option of working remotely one day per week._________________

Position Summary:

This role is for a true You Tube native — someone who lives and breathes the platform, understands its culture, and knows intuitively how to create NBA content that engages  You Tube Channel Strategy & Programming Lead will own our content strategy across every format in the You Tube ecosystem: longform, Shorts, live, podcasts, and more.

The right candidate knows what makes a video perform, how to build franchises that grow audiences over time, and how to adapt a global brand like the NBA for the way viewers watch on You Tube. This is a deeply creative and analytical role: this person will be the NBA’s leading voice on You Tube trends, mining platform signals and performance data to drive programming decisions, inspire new content ideas, and identify the next generation of creators to bring into NBA programs.

This leader will be supported by Content Publishing and Production teams and work cross-functionally with Content, Media Partnerships, Finance, Legal, and You Tube directly.

Major Responsibilities:

Content Strategy & Development Own and execute a platform-native content strategy across every format in the You Tube ecosystem — longform, Shorts, live, podcasts, and emerging formats — with expert-level command of how format, length, packaging, and upload cadence interact to drive algorithmic performance and retention across all viewer device types and segments

Lead new content franchise development: identify emerging formats, pilot new franchises, and scale what works to grow watch time, revenue, and sustained audience engagement across the NBA’s channel portfolio

Serve as the NBA’s internal expert on You Tube content — including thumbnail strategy, title and metadata optimization, hook construction, and retention engineering — and drive a disciplined A/B testing culture to continuously optimize click-through rates

Develop and own the NBA’s You Tube SEO strategy, optimizing content for search intent across titles, descriptions, tags, and metadata

Own a Shorts-to-longform content strategy that uses short-form content to acquire new audiences and funnel them into deeper, longform programming

Optimize end screens and in-video cards to maximize session time across the NBA’s portfolio

Optimize and own the NBA’s You Tube programming for Connected TV consumption, demonstrating a deep understanding of how the platform and viewer behaviors are evolving across devices

Stay ahead of You Tube’s evolving content landscape — algorithm updates, new formats, creator trends, cultural moments — and translate those signals into programming decisions

Translate broader NBA content priorities, programming and initiatives into You Tube-native content executions that serve promotional goals while maximizing on-platform engagement

Content Optimization & Performance Continuously analyze performance across NBA-owned channels, UGC, and the broader creator ecosystem to surface audience insights and identify what’s resonating and whyMake rapid, data-informed editorial decisions: doubling down on what works, cutting underperformers, and constantly refining the content mix Build reporting frameworks that give leadership, publishers and editors a clear view of channel health, audience growth, content insights, A/B testing results, and more, translating complex platform data into clear narratives

Creator & UGC Ecosystem Development Build, manage, and evolve NBA Play makers and related creator programs on You Tube — optimizing frameworks, content licensing terms, and partnership models that scale without compromising NBA brand standards

Track UGC and creator-generated NBA content at scale:…