Director, Football City - San Diego, CA

LA28 (Web)•Los Angeles, CA

6h•$126,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

LA28 is the independent, non-profit, privately funded organizing committee for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The organization is on a mission to create an unparalleled experience for athletes, fans, partners, and the community. The 2028 Games mark the return of the Summer Games to the U.S. for the first time in 32 years and Los Angeles’ third time hosting an Olympic Games and first time welcoming the Paralympic Games. This role is part of the Event and Venue Management (EVM) team, which is responsible for leading the integrated operational planning and operations at the venue level for all competition and some non-competition venues. At Games Time, the EVM team leads and manages event teams at venues, event delivery, venue communication, and venue issue resolution. The Football City Director (FCD) will be responsible for leading the operational planning and delivery of an Olympic Games venue and corresponding non-competition venues in their assigned city. They will also drive cross-functional operational integration and lead a venue team at Games-time. The role requires significant stakeholder management and major large-scale venue planning and operational delivery experience.

Requirements

Minimum 8+ years of experience working in relevant roles in the sports and/or event management industry, working on major Games delivery, or major event properties, or event production companies.
Proven track record of leading the planning and delivery of large-scale, complex event operations across multiple project phases including planning, readiness, and operation.
Skill working with executives and building cross-functional partnerships and influencing stakeholders across multiple functional areas.
Experience building and leading diverse, high-performing teams.
Negotiation skills and diplomacy in balancing competing interests.
Experience working within a complex, cross-functional organization.
Strong communication skills both written and oral.
Ability to identify issues, analyze problems, and think creatively and innovatively to develop solutions-based approaches.
Experience creating, developing, and refining business process and structure.
Extremely detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills.
High EQ and strong interpersonal skills with a proven track record as a relationship builder.
A high energy level, entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to manage through a period of growth and change.
Demonstrated commitment to co-creation and collaborative decision making.
Familiarity with and/or experience working in assigned city/marketplace.
Strategic thinker and tactical operator – Ability to translate strategic plans into effective and efficient operational delivery as well as ability to prioritize.
Leadership – Ability to build, lead and motivate a diverse team.
Innovative Approach – Ability to identify opportunities, develop new ideas, and execute on creative concepts while managing to a budget and fixed timelines.
Self-starter – Takes initiative to identify challenges, gathering inputs from key stakeholders, makes quick decisions, and resolves challenges proactively.
Demonstrate a collaborative and flexible approach, adept at navigating the transitional nature of the organization's growth, and swiftly adapting to changing priorities and requirements with a can-do attitude.
Autonomous agility – Work effectively and independently in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Influencing skills – Ability to communicate information, drive understanding, alignment and buy-in across stakeholders and the organization.
Team player – Contribute to a collaborative diverse team environment and work closely with cross-functional teams to achieve objectives.
Problem solver – ability to identify issues and develop effective solutions that meet stakeholder needs.
Fluent working with Office suite products including Microsoft Excel and Power-Point.
Excitement for the role and opportunity to help shape the future of Los Angeles and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.
Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent work experience.

Nice To Haves

Past Games or international football (soccer) experience is a plus

Responsibilities

Collaborate cross-functionally, lead the development, optimization, and delivery of venue-based Event Operations plans for the venue.
Lead the venue team to achieve objectives, venue readiness, and deliverables to stakeholders, and venue owner / operator.
Build strong, productive, and respectful relationships with the venue partner, related stakeholders and local government agencies and serve as the day-to-day venue leadership contact.
Work cross-functionally to ensure an efficient and effective engagement process with venue partners including managing meeting cadence, stakeholder site visits, venue planning, and operational readiness.
Work closely with the venue infrastructure and other technical teams to track deliverables.
Manage venue service levels, identify risks, developing risk mitigation strategies, and leveraging opportunities for creating efficiencies and savings.
Hire, train, motivate, and lead a diverse, high-performing venue team capable of developing and executing venue operations plans efficiently and effectively.
Coordinate with venue owners and local authorities to manage the Venue Use Agreement (VUA), ensuring compliance with contractual terms and operational requirements.
Prepare and deliver written and oral reports on venue agreement and operating planning status to senior leaders and other stakeholders as required including tracking, reporting and solving issues at all phases of the project (planning and operational).
Manage venue operations collaborating with all stakeholders including athletes, workforce, spectators, partners, and media focusing on a comprehensive, inclusive, fully accessible venue.
Establish working relationships and coordinate activities with local authorities and security representatives specific to the venue and the venue approach.
Lead Functional Areas to create the Event Operations Plan and other tools for planning and delivery for not just the competition venue but also training sites, stakeholder hotels and airport.
Champion and embed the LA28 values and behaviors into all facets of engagement, planning and delivery.