Lead, Strategy Manager, Basketball/Kobe

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a Lead, Strategy Manager who will work with the Director of Basketball Strategy and executive Basketball/Kobe leadership to develop and implement Nike Basketball’s global long-term strategy, identify and evaluate critical strategic priorities, and catalyze action against these priorities through business planning processes. Nike Basketball is the team that sets the pace for WNBA/NBA partnerships, Kobe brand, signature Basketball athletes, and global Basketball holistically.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional strategic thinker, problem solver, and collaborator who thrives in ambiguity and is energized by helping leaders make critical decisions. This person will bring a balance of analytical rigor, business acumen, and communication excellence to influence the future direction of one of Nike's most important and visible dimensions. This role will:

Direct & execute analysis and due diligence for new growth opportunities, leading to actionable recommendations

Lead strategic project workstreams leveraging sound hypotheses and rigorous frameworks, pushing beyond analytics & research to insight

Catalyze the execution of actionable plans with senior leaders and their functional teams

Align and lead senior teams through ambiguity in a complex organizational matrix, providing project management support to cross-functional teams, including coordinating process milestones and deliverables

Collaborate with various cross-functional teams throughout the business to prepare business reviews, scorecards, and materials for strategic workshops

What You Will Work On

As a Lead, Basketball/Kobe Strategy, you will support Nike's Senior Leadership Team, partnering heavily with Finance, Insights & Analytics, Corporate Development & other cross-functional Strategy teams, help lead the strategic planning process, develop strategic recommendations, and serve as a trusted thought partner to senior leaders on the most important opportunities and challenges facing the business. You will independently lead cross-functional teams and strategic initiatives through three primary bodies of work:

Building Integrated Growth Plans : Drive integrated actions that help Nike Inc. win with athletes* and consumers while delivering sustainable growth. Partner with leaders to answer complex strategic questions, align and mobilize cross-functional teams around shared priorities, and translate long-term strategies into actionable plans that accelerate business and organizational impact.

Developing Future Strategies : Identify and shape Nike Inc.’s next growth opportunities beyond the core business. Through long-range planning and strategic exploration, develop frameworks, insights, and recommendations that help leaders evaluate emerging trends, unlock new growth vectors, and make informed choices about where Nike should invest for the future.

Assessing Impact : Measure progress against strategic priorities and help leaders focus resources on the highest-impact opportunities. Diagnose performance, identify key learnings, develop KPIs, and communicate clear recommendations that strengthen decision-making, improve execution, and drive continuous improvement over time.

What You Bring to Nike

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Applied Science or related field. Will accept any suitable combination of education, experience and training

Masters degree preferred

5+ years of experience in corporate strategy, management consulting, investment banking, corporate finance, business operations, business development, corporate development, or a related field

Experience in leading sophisticated strategic projects and proven success in leading a methodical process of analyzing problems, gathering information, generating options, then proposing and acting on a course of action

Proven success influencing cross-functional teams and stakeholders without direct authority

Consistent track record of pulling together diverse individuals with different goals and facilitating productive discussions

Strong understanding of growth strategy, business performance, and value creation within consumer-facing industries

Experience in apparel, footwear, retail, consumer products, sports, or adjacent industries preferred

Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to create structure from ambiguity and synthesize large amounts of information into actionable insights

Outstanding communication and written / verbal storytelling capabilities, with the ability to simplify complexity and influence executive audiences

Bias towards action and comfortable working in ambiguity, and ability to work through complexity and adversity

Advanced presentation and business communication skills, including proficiency with Keynote and other presentation tools

Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational pragmatism and execution focus

Strong interpersonal skills with a track record of building trust and credibility across diverse teams and leadership levels

Curiosity, demonstrated learning agility, and a growth mindset

Passion for sport, athletes, consumers, and products a plus

Business development, quantitative & qualitative acumen

Strategic planning

Project management in a cross-functional, global matrix environment

We offer a number of accommodations to complete our interview process including screen readers, sign language interpreters, accessible and single location for in-person interviews, closed captioning, and other reasonable modifications as needed. If you discover, as you navigate our application process, that you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please complete the Candidate Accommodation Request Form .