Khai Harley is entering his 18th with the Saints, having been promoted to senior vice president of football operations/assistant general manager in 2024. A 23-year National Football League front office veteran, who first joined the Saints in 2008 as director of football administration, served as a vice president since 2013, and adding assistant general manager to his title in 2023. Harley works directly with EVP/General Manager Mickey Loomis on all aspects of football operations and specifically oversees the day-to-day administration of football operations for the organization.
Harley provides senior leadership and support to the entire organization with a focus on contract negotiation and strategic planning/management of the Saints salary cap and roster. He works in conjunction with the Player Personnel Department, ensuring compliance with the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement. Harley works closely with the College and Pro Personnel departments on strategy and preparation for NFL Draft, free agency, and overall roster management.
Harley is a key liaison with the NFL Management Council and NFLPA on labor relations and league matters and has extensive knowledge in NFL salary cap administration, the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement and the research of player contracts. He arrived in New Orleans in 2008 after serving for five years as the Manager of Labor Operations with the NFL Management Council.
On a daily basis, Harley researches contracts and cap statistics internally and league-wide, similar to the daily and yearly reconciliation he did for all 32 clubs in his former position, where he calculated cap figures for each team, made adjustments for the following year and analyzed statistical trends related to signings.
Harley has also been a member of the NFL's Diversity Council, which promotes diversity throughout the league, recommends diversity initiatives and implements/oversees approved programs. After completing internships with both the Indianapolis Colts (scouting) and Philadelphia Eagles (administration) he joined the NFL League Office in 2002 as a player personnel analyst.
Prior to entering the NFL, Harley was a financial analyst with Bloomberg, L.P. from 1995-2000, analyzing domestic and international bond markets, studying trends in European markets, training employees and international staff and ensuring debt issuance within the Emerging, Latin American and U.S. Private Placement Markets were in compliance with corporate and SEC guidelines.
Harley graduated with a degree in accounting from Rutgers University in 1998, twice receiving the National Association of Black Accountants Scholarship Award. He earned a master's degree in sports management from Springfield College in 2001. Harley was recognized by the Rutgers African-American Alumni Alliance in 2012 as a Hall of Fame inductee for his continuing contributions in supporting the educational programming, cultural awareness and development in continuing education at the undergraduate, graduate and post graduate levels. In 2019, he received the Salute to Excellence Award from the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation. He has been a frequent presenter in the NFL/Black College Football Hall of Fame QB Summit/Ozzie Newsome General Manager Forum and has participated in the NFL Front Office Accelerator program.
