New York Islanders

Background:

The New York Islanders of the National Hockey League were founded in 1972. In their first eleven years the Club won four Stanley Cup Championships, creating a legacy and following most clubs dream of. This past off-season, the Club made significant strides with the hiring of new General Manager Mathieu Darche and adding three first round draft picks, including Matthew Schaefer, the #1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Since its opening in 2021, UBS Arena has ranked as one of the top arenas in North America. UBS Arena is a joint venture between the Club’s ownership and Oak View Group. UBS Arena also serves as the anchor for Belmont Park, synergizing sports, music, entertainment, hospitality, destination retail and more. Belmont Park Village is part of a global platform of twelve (12) unique, destination retail developments in North America, Europe and Asia which leverage the convergence of luxury shopping, hotels, exclusive hospitality, live music, entertainment, sports and premium experiences. They are the creation of Value Retail, which was founded, built and is operated by the Club’s Co-Owner and Governor, Scott Malkin.

Any interested candidates should contact ZRG directly.
Contacting the New York Islanders will only delay consideration of your qualifications.

Position Summary:

The Chief Digital Marketing & Strategy Officer (CDMSO) serves as a key member of the organization’s executive leadership team, responsible for driving enterprise-wide strategy, digital transformation, and data-informed decision-making across the business operations, arena, and the greater entertainment complex. This leader will guide how the organization engages fans, drives revenue, and measures performance through technology, data, and creativity.

The CDMSO will oversee business strategy and analytics, marketing technology, performance marketing, and creative marketing—integrating these functions into a cohesive, data-driven ecosystem that powers both the team and its live entertainment venue. This role requires exceptional collaboration and alignment across organizational boundaries to ensure data is collected, produced, and utilized across multiple areas of business.  This role demands a leader who is equally comfortable in the boardroom and in the data warehouse—someone who can deliver, design systems and architecture, direct engineers and analysts, and translate complex insights into strategic recommendations that drive business growth.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Core Responsibilities

• Manage all technology systems, CRM, data engineering, and marketing automation.
• Ensure full integration of martech, CRM, and CDP systems across the organization.
• Oversee analytics, business intelligence, and fan insight reporting
• Collaborate closely with Ticketing and Operations to activate personalized fan journeys and digital engagement programs.
• Partner with the UBS Arena GM and Booking Team on digital promotion and audience growth for concerts and live events.
• Oversee all marketing and creative direction for the Islanders and UBS Arena.
• Lead performance marketing, paid media, and fan acquisition campaigns.
• Partner with the COO to execute ownership's vision for the brand and ensure alignment with retail and event presentation teams.

Strategic Leadership

• Serve as a member of the executive leadership team, shaping enterprise strategy and ensuring alignment across departments.
• Lead the development and execution of a unified business strategy that connects ticketing, fan engagement, sponsorship, and marketing to broader organizational goals.
• Collaborate closely with the arena’s operating partner to align digital strategy, data sharing, and fan engagement initiatives.
• Establish a culture of experimentation, measurement, and accountability across all marketing and digital initiatives.

Data, Analytics & Strategy

• Architect and lead the buildout of a modern, scalable data warehouse and analytics infrastructure from the ground up.
• Develop a comprehensive business intelligence and reporting framework to inform decisions across revenue, marketing, and operations.
• Direct analysts and data engineers to ensure high data quality, consistency, and accessibility.
• Translate complex data into actionable business insights and strategic recommendations for leadership.

Performance Marketing

• Oversee performance marketing, digital campaigns, and audience segmentation to drive ticket sales, retention, and brand growth across hockey and non-hockey events.
• Lead creative strategy and execution across digital, social, and experiential channels, ensuring brand cohesion and innovation.
• Implement advanced attribution modeling and marketing automation systems to optimize spend and improve ROI.
• Partner with ticketing, partnerships, and communications teams to ensure campaigns are integrated and data-informed.
• Ensure all campaigns are cohesive, data-driven, and aligned across creative, media, and fan engagement channels.
• Design and optimize full-funnel acquisition and retention campaigns across paid, owned, and earned channels with a focus on driving measurable conversion, yield, and lifetime value.

Technology & Digital Experience

• Oversee marketing technology and digital product development, including CRM, marketing automation, and website platforms.
• Review existing technology stack and ensure technology investments align with strategic priorities and deliver measurable impact, ensure buy-in, accountability, and integration with arena and retail/hospitality partners.
• Collaborate with IT and arena partners to enhance the digital fan experience (mobile, app, Wi-Fi, loyalty programs, etc.).
• Stay ahead of emerging technologies in sports and entertainment (AI personalization, data privacy, real-time analytics, etc.).

Organizational Design & Leadership

• Assess and restructure current teams in analytics, marketing, and technology to ensure the right skill sets and resources are in place.
• Develop and mentor a multidisciplinary team of strategists, engineers, analysts, and creatives.
• Build cross-functional bridges between marketing, sales, operations, and arena management.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performing culture rooted in innovation, transparency, and measurable outcomes.
• Manage relationship with third party data partner in the creation of new data warehouse and architecture.

Salary Range:

$450,000-$500,000

Qualifications, Skills and Education Requirements:

• 12+ years of progressive experience in digital strategy, marketing, or analytics leadership roles, ideally within sports, entertainment, or consumer-facing industries.
• Proven experience building and leading data infrastructure or warehouse environments (SQL, Python, cloud-based tools such as Snowflake, Redshift, or BigQuery).
• Deep understanding of digital marketing channels, martech ecosystems, CRM, and customer data platforms.
• Strong command of analytics tools and data visualization platforms (Tableau, Power BI, Looker, etc.).
• Strategic thinker with demonstrated success driving organizational transformation through data and digital innovation.
• Exceptional communicator who can translate between technical and executive audiences.
• Collaborative leader with experience managing cross-functional teams and external partners.

Personal Attributes:

• Highly analytical, with a builder’s mindset and the ability to execute hands-on when necessary.
• Strong commercial instincts—understands how data and marketing connect to business growth.
• Excellent collaborator who builds trust with peers, partners, and subordinates.
• Balances creativity with precision; vision with practicality.
• Operates with humility, curiosity, and a deep respect for the fan experience.

Success in the first 12 Months:

• Stand up an enterprise data warehouse and reporting suite that integrates ticketing, CRM, and marketing data.
• Redefine the digital marketing strategy to improve efficiency and ROI across campaigns.
• Deliver a restructured team model with clear roles, KPIs, and career paths.
• Strengthen collaboration between the team, arena operator, and partners through shared digital and data goals.
• Establish a unified analytics and strategy roadmap that connects data to business results.

ZRG’S Commitment:

At ZRG, we do not just accept differences—we celebrate and support it. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital or partnership status, military or veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. ZRG is an equal opportunity employer and workplace, and we encourage applicants of all backgrounds & communities to apply.