Sport Manager, Football

LA28 does not provide relocation assistance.

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LA28 is the independent, non-profit, privately funded organizing committee for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We are on a singular mission to create an Olympic and Paralympic Games that celebrate all that this city and country have to offer, delivering an unparalleled experience for athletes, fans, partners and our 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 presents the unique and exciting opportunity to celebrate our legacy with the Games and push the Olympic and Paralympic Movements forward, writing a new chapter of Games history in Los Angeles.   

Putting on an Olympic and Paralympic Games is a team sport. To build a Games unlike any the world has seen before, we need the best team in place–a team full of diverse perspectives, experiences and expertise. We are guided by the following set of values and behaviors–optimism, integrity, excellence, inclusion, co-creation and boldness–and look forward to hearing about how your past experiences align with them. 

Values and Behaviors: 

• Optimism – Embody a positive, enthusiastic, and solution-oriented attitude in everything we do; challenge the status quo, inspire and support one another to achieve our best; have our eyes on the future and believe we can make a meaningful impact 

• Integrity – We communicate openly and honestly, listen, and respectfully value multiple perspectives; we do what we say and are accountable for everything we do; we do the right thing, always. Even when it isn’t easy 

• Excellence – We hold ourselves to the highest standard and expectations; we live our values and truths and persevere through challenges; we are continuous learners and adapt and pivot with speed to meet changing needs 

• Inclusion – We seek to represent, include, empower and level the playing field; our work reflects the communities we serve and the world in which we live; we leverage our platforms to bring awareness to issues relevant to who we are 

• Co-Creation – We are authors of a shared story. Everyone contributes their unique voice to our shared mission; we share pride in our accomplishments and ownership of our shortcomings 

• Boldness – We embrace creativity, courage and outside-the-box thinking; we are unafraid to take risks, explore unconventional solutions, and learn from the process; we are innovators, disruptors, and challengers of the status quo 

Sport Manager, Football

LA28 is looking to identify a Football Sport Manager for the Olympic Football Tournament 2028. In coordination with FIFA, the International Federation for football, LA28 will identify and onboard a Football Sport Manager in 2025. Please make sure to highlight your football-specific experience, including the level of events you have managed and delivered (e.g., club, collegiate, national, international), in your resume.  Please note that due to the expected high volume of applicants the hiring of this position may take longer than others within LA28. 

The Football Sport Manager will play a critical role within the LA28 Sport team, reporting to a Sport Group Senior Manager while leading all aspects of operational planning for the Olympic Football tournament. This role will liaise directly with FIFA and US Soccer. The position will also be expected to collaborate with the centralized Sport Planning team as well as other LA28 functions (i.e. Venues and Infrastructure, Venue Management, Ticketing and Hospitality, Games services, Transport, Accommodations, Food and Beverage, Accreditation, etc), as well as across the organization (including but not limited to Athlete Relations, Strategy, Marketing, Commercial, Technology, HR, and Finance). 

Key Responsibilities:

Competition and Training Venue(s) Design 

• Liaise with FIFA for the development and design of competition and training venues across all football Co-Host cities

• Coordinate with LA28 Venues and Infrastructure and Event Management and other FAs internal to LA28 to provide football specific input into the development and design of competition and training venues  
• Assist with the planning, management and selection of co-host city stadiums and training sites.

Competition Management & Planning 

• Act as the subject matter expert for the sport of football within the organization and especially in the development and refinement of Event Operating Plans (EOPs)

• Collaborate with FIFA on the development of the competition schedule and training schedules for Football

• Validate sport equipment requirements for assigned football ensuring that all Olympic and Paralympic IF requirements have been scoped 

• Provide sport specific feedback as required for all pre-Games, testing and Games-time planning across the organization via centralized planning activities lead by Sport Planning including relevant Sport Delivery Plans as well as venue specific planning activities with other functions 

• Provide input to Sport Planning on the development of the test event calendar 

• Coordinate with Timing, Scoring & Results to ensure all FIFA requirements are integrated into planning for both systems and infrastructure related to managing the competition 

Competition Management Workforce 

• Assist in the development of an Olympic Football Tournament structure including headcount, job description development, management structure and hiring.
• Collaborate on the Sport Workforce strategy and planning for football, liaising with the NGB and local sport community where relevant to identify paid staff, National Technical Officials and Sport Skilled Volunteers currently engaged in local and regional events 

• Lead the recruitment process for roles within Competition Management for football 

• On-boarding and day-to-day leadership of all Competition Management workforce within football 

• Support the development of football specific testing and Games-time training workforce. 

IF, NGB & Sport Community Relations 

• Act as the point of entry to LA28 and the stakeholder manager for FIFA 

• Liaise with FIFA and US Soccer, local sport communities, for football, and coordinate with other Sport Managers to ensure clear and coordinated communication when managing a multi-discipline sport 

• Manage and track all Olympic and Paralympic IF and NGB communication and brief Sport Group Manager and Senior Sport Director on the status of relations and Games-time planning 

• Manage Pre-Games IF Site visits for football including in Los Angeles and Co-Host Cities, developing an effective agenda, liaising with FAs and Stakeholders on their participation and producing site visit reports and presentations 

• Manage the completion and tracking of all inputs to each Sport Delivery Plan (SDP) for assigned sports/disciplines  

Administration & Program Management 

• Provide reports and updates on the status of deliverables and tasks to communicate overall progress in the planning for football

• Support the development of budgets and projects plans with well researched and validated sport and discipline specific information and planning assumptions 

Competition Management – Testing & Games-Time 

• Lead all competition management workforce for football to ensure a seamless and world class delivery of operations to support the competition, athlete and IF spaces within the competition and training venues 

• Act as the integration point within the organization for all FIFA related requirements for delivery of the competition and training for football 

Background & Qualifications:

• Minimum 5+ years’ experience delivering national and international level sporting events in a leadership role 
• Extensive knowledge of football and event operations experience and exposure at multiple levels, including professional leagues or teams, federations, universities, and grassroots  
• Direct Olympic and Paralympic sport experience at a previous OCOG, multi-sport Games or experience delivering IF level events is a significant asset 
• Understanding and expertise within football at the international and national level as well as coordination with international and US Sport governing bodies  
• A clear understanding of IF rules and regulations for football
• Experience collaborating with colleagues on venue design, event planning, management and delivery across multiple functional areas  
• Extensive experience recruiting, training and leading a large and diverse workforce for the delivery of sporting events  
• Extremely detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills
• Well-developed problem-solving skills and ability to work independently to resolve issues
• Fluent working with Office suite products including Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
• Self-starter with experience in defining tasks, seeking feedback, and evolving work
• Required proven ability of building good interpersonal relationships with people across the organization and with external stakeholders, while balancing assertiveness with diplomacy
• Ability to implement and manage change effectively
• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
• Experience considering diverse groups of athletes in Sport planning and delivery, with special attention to how ability, gender, and other identities impact different athletes’ experiences.

Position Requirements:

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Ability to work in an office environment, based in Los Angeles, CA 
• The majority of work may be conducted in an office setting, requiring extended periods of time using computers, phones, and other office equipment 
• This position will require international, domestic, and local trips for IF and NGB events/congresses, as well as venue tours in the Los Angeles area during official IF site visits
• International travel may involve travelling to different countries to observe global sporting events and will require a valid Passport. We anticipate International travel to be 1 - 2 times per year for 1 - 2 week intervals. Approximately 20% or less of working hours. 
• Domestic travel may involve traveling within the United States to observe global sporting events.  Anticipated travel can be 0-3 times per year. 
• Local travel will consist of visiting local venues that LA28 is considering using as a competition and training venue as well as competition and training venues in Co-host Cities. Attendance and meetings with local sport clubs, colleges and related organizations may also require local travel as well as observing at local sport events. Anticipated travel can be 0-2 times per month and can increase as 2028 approaches.   
• All of the travel will require the candidate to bring their own luggage.   
• When not travelling, this role is based at the LA28 office.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or relevant work experience required

Expectations:

• Ideal candidate will have extensive knowledge of International Federations and their role within the Olympic and Paralympic Movements
• Strong communication, team building, and interpersonal skills
• A collaborative mindset; someone who prioritizes the team and fosters a culture of high performance without ego
• An innovative viewpoint, willing to challenge the status quo and thinking ahead to the future possibilities within the Movement
• Ability to work effectively in a close team environment

Submission Requirements:

• Resume

The annual base salary range for this position is $85,000.00 - $105,000.00. The pay scale provided is the range that LA28 reasonably expects to pay as starting base compensation for this role. All LA28 compensation remains subject to final determination based on individual candidate qualifications, experience, or other reasonable criteria consistent with LA28’s operational business needs and applicable law.

LA28 does not provide relocation assistance.

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LA28 is committed to operating fair and unbiased recruitment procedures allowing all applicants an equal opportunity for employment, free from discrimination on the basis of religion, race, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, color, ethnic or national origin, or any other classification as may be protected by applicable law. We strive to build a team that is diverse, inclusive and encourages qualified candidates of all backgrounds, perspectives, and identities to apply. We will consider all qualified candidates with criminal histories in a manner consistent with local law. We assess applications based on relevant skills, education, and experience a candidate can add to our team.