Phoenix Suns Jobs & Careers: How to Get Hired in 2026
The Phoenix Suns are one of the NBA's most active employers right now — with 43 open roles at the time of writing, they represent a genuine and wide-ranging opportunity for candidates across basketball operations, analytics, technology, and business functions.
The organisation entered a new era under owner Mat Ishbia, who took over in 2023, bringing a stated commitment to building a world-class basketball operation and modernising the business. That investment has translated into real hiring across the franchise — and into a dual-franchise structure that also encompasses the Phoenix Mercury WNBA team, creating additional career pathways under the same organisational umbrella.
Browse current Phoenix Suns job openings to see what is live right now.
What the Suns hire for
The Suns and Mercury operate out of Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix. Their hiring spans:
Basketball operations
- Analytics and data science
- Scouting and player personnel
- Video and coaching support
- Performance science and sports medicine
- Strength and conditioning
Technology and data
- Software and data engineering
- Business intelligence
- IT infrastructure and arena technology
Business and commercial
- Corporate partnerships and sponsorship
- Ticketing and premium sales
- Marketing and brand
- Digital and social media
- Communications and PR
- Community relations
Corporate functions
- Finance and accounting
- Human resources
- Legal
The Suns hire year-round, with basketball operations activity concentrated in the offseason and business roles turning over throughout the year. Under new ownership, the pace of hiring has accelerated meaningfully compared to previous years.
Analytics and data science at the Suns
The Suns have invested significantly in their analytical capabilities under the Ishbia ownership group. The front office's approach to roster construction and player evaluation has become increasingly data-driven, and the technology and business analytics functions have grown in parallel.
Basketball analytics roles at the Suns have included:
- Basketball data analyst — supporting coaches and the front office with game-week analysis, player evaluation, and draft preparation
- Performance data analyst — working with the performance science team on player monitoring, load management, and return-to-play
- Business intelligence analyst — commercial reporting, fan engagement data, ticketing yield analysis
- Data engineer — building and maintaining the data infrastructure across basketball and business functions
The technical requirements follow the NBA standard: Python and SQL fluency, comfort with tracking data, statistical modelling, and the ability to communicate clearly to non-technical stakeholders including coaches and executives.
The dual-franchise structure also creates analytics opportunities on the Mercury side — particularly as WNBA analytics infrastructure has developed significantly in recent years. For candidates interested in women's basketball, the Suns/Mercury organisation is one of the better-resourced entry points in the league.
If you're building toward an NBA analytics role, the sports analytics interview prep guide covers what the process typically looks like at franchises like the Suns.
Phoenix Suns internships
The Suns run internship programmes across basketball operations, marketing, community relations, and business development for both the Suns and Mercury. Key points:
Timing: Summer internship applications typically open between October and January. Start watching the Suns careers portal in autumn — the best roles are filled before most candidates start looking.
Basketball operations internships: Highly competitive, limited in number, and focused on video, analytics support, and data management. Independent work with NBA data and published analysis is the clearest differentiator for these roles.
Business internships: More available and spanning a wider range of functions. The Suns' commercial operation has grown substantially, and these placements involve real project work.
Mercury pathway: Internships on the Mercury side are less competitive than Suns equivalents and offer genuine exposure to professional basketball operations. For candidates who want to build toward a full-time NBA/WNBA role, a Mercury internship is a credible stepping stone.
The Phoenix sports market
Working for the Suns places you in one of the US's most active multi-sport markets:
- Phoenix Suns and Mercury (NBA/WNBA)
- Arizona Cardinals (NFL) — you already have a blog post for them at Arizona Cardinals jobs
- Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB)
- Arizona Coyotes (NHL — relocating)
The Phoenix market is growing, the cost of living remains competitive relative to coastal cities, and the concentration of professional sports organisations creates genuine network density for candidates building sports careers.
How to stand out when applying
The new ownership era changes the calculus. Under new ownership, the Suns are building out infrastructure and hiring for roles that did not previously exist. This is a genuine opportunity — organisations in transformation hire more broadly and create positions for candidates who might not crack a more established roster.
Research the specific analytical challenges. The Suns' roster construction under the Ishbia ownership group has been active and occasionally controversial. Being able to discuss the analytical dimensions of their roster decisions — thoughtfully, not as a critic — signals genuine preparation.
For analytics roles: demonstrate NBA-specific fluency. Generic data science credentials are table stakes. Published work on NBA data, familiarity with Second Spectrum tracking outputs, and the ability to discuss player evaluation quantitatively will separate your application.
Apply to both Suns and Mercury roles. The Mercury is part of the same organisation. A role on the Mercury side that builds the right relationships can lead to opportunities on the Suns side as they develop.
The hiring process
The Suns' process typically runs:
- Application via the Suns careers portal
- Initial HR screening call
- Department interview — analytics and technology roles typically include a technical screen
- Panel interview
- Offer
Two to three weeks without a response is normal in professional sport. Follow up professionally after two weeks if you have not heard back.
Final thoughts
The Phoenix Suns are an organisation in growth mode — new ownership, increased investment in analytics and technology, and a dual-franchise structure that creates more pathways than a single-team operation. With 43 active roles, they are one of the most actively hiring franchises in the NBA right now.
Browse all current Phoenix Suns openings and filter by what matches your background. For a broader view of NBA and sports analytics hiring, browse all sports analytics jobs.
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