WORK OPTION: In Office   The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2023-24 season featured a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.3 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms.  NBA Cares, the NBA’s global social responsibility platform, partners with renowned community-based organizations around the world to address important social issues in the areas of education, inclusion, youth and family development, and health and wellness.  Position Summary 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. As a global sports and media business, the NBA is so much more. While Basketball Operations runs the league's on-court activities, other departments manage relationships with television and digital media partners, develop marketing partnerships with some of the world's most recognizable companies, oversee the licensing of NBA merchandise, and handle a wide range of responsibilities that drive the NBA's success.   The NBA Referee Operations department oversees all aspects of officiating across the NBA, WNBA, G League, and Basketball Africa League. This includes recruiting, training, evaluating, and scheduling referees, as well as overseeing the Replay Center, which improves officiating performance and facilitates in-game reviews. Additionally, the department manages a referee development program, an extensive training initiative for aspiring officials. It conducts evaluation camps to assess candidates for potential positions in the NBA, WNBA, and G League. Other responsibilities include promoting referee health and wellness, creating educational content, implementing automated officiating systems, and supporting officiating initiatives for the Jr. NBA.   The Referee Development Program provides an immersive, hands-on experience designed to prepare aspiring officials for careers in the NBA, WNBA, or G League. Trainees will spend 60% of their time receiving comprehensive on-court training and officiating youth, high school, college, and pro-am games through partnerships with elite basketball leagues and local referee associations. Off the court, 40% of their time will be dedicated to supporting the Referee Operations department by contributing to priority projects, assisting with events, shadowing current officials, and participating in specialized training sessions, speaker series, and development initiatives. Major Responsibilities Curriculum Participants will actively engage with and complete a comprehensive training curriculum designed to develop officiating skills, deepen rules knowledge, enhance game management techniques, and prepare candidates for potential advancement within the NBA officiating pipeline. Officiating & Professional Development Officiating games organized by Referee Operations across the NBA and its affiliate League, including NBA Academy, Basketball Without Borders, and Jr. NBA/Youth Basketball, as well as AAU, high school, college, and pro-am competitions Actively participate in a robust curriculum of professional development activities created specifically for the Referee Development Program Complete several self-assessments (e.g., DiSC, Emotional Intelligence) and receive strategic coaching that identifies strengths and areas of development Attend referee speaker series and panel discussions geared toward technical and educational development Participate in NBA University courses designed to teach NBA Officiating Performance Standards Referee Operations Travel: Camps, events, and meetings Assist with preparation and logistics Support on-site event operations Shadow referees during camps Internal Assignments and Tasks: Participate in Referee Operations conference calls and departmental meetings Provide overall assistance to the Senior Specialist, Referee and Replay Operations, and other members of the Referee Operations Department Game Reviewer Initiative: Conduct video review of games, with a focus on officiating Evaluate certain call and non-call situations Data entry of play-calling evaluations Monitor officiating “Points of Emphasis” and critical plays of interest Required Skills/Knowledge: Superior level of basketball knowledge Basic knowledge of NBA officiating terminology Unrivaled passion for basketball Strong computer and technical skills Ability to be organized and have strong attention to detail Excellent communication skills and active listening skills Proven ability to prioritize multiple tasks/projects and meet deadlines Ability to work independently and follow processes with great detail and accuracy Required Experience: Experience playing basketball at the collegiate and professional levels, preferred Officiating experience preferred but not required Experience with basketball video breakdown and review preferred but not required Experience and/or interest in Sports Business required   Salary Range: $75,000  Job Posting Title: Referee trainee     The NBA does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or any other third parties. Any unsolicited resume sent to the NBA will be considered NBA property, and the NBA will not pay a fee should it hire the subject of any unsolicited resume.    The NBA considers applicants for all positions on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs, and without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, marital status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, veteran status, familial status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.   The NBA is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace.  To safeguard our employees and their families, our visitors, and the broader community from COVID-19, and in consideration of recommendations from health authorities and the NBA’s own advisors, any individual working onsite in our New York and New Jersey offices must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The NBA will discuss accommodations for individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.   About the NBAThe National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.