Venue Group Manager

The Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will be hosted in Los Angeles, California in 2028, returning to the United States for the first time in over 30 years. 2028 will be the first time LA hosts the Paralympic Games, creating an opportunity to expand awareness, understanding and inclusion of people with disabilities.

LA28, the organizers for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, is on a mission to create an unparalleled Games experience for athletes, fans, partners, our community and our people. Our vision is to collectively create what’s next through sport, community and the power of our differences.

The LA28 Games will represent LA and leverage the strength of our community’s diversity and creativity as we collectively work to design a Games that we all want to be a part of. We do this by focusing on people and by inviting everyone into the story of the LA28 Games.

The LA28 organizing committee is an independent, non-profit organization that is privately funded and governed by a board of directors. 

Our Vision is to collectively create what’s next by harnessing sport, community and the power of our differences. Our Mission is to create an unparalleled Olympic and Paralympic experience for athletes, fans, partners, our community and our people.

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

Venue Project Manager 

Working in close collaboration with all venue-related functional areas, the Venue Management team is responsible for managing and integrating the operational planning and event delivery for all Games competition and non-competition venues (including the Olympic & Paralympic Village).  As part of that process, the team is also responsible for managing all venue partner relationships and for leading the negotiation process for all venue use agreements.  In addition, the team is responsible for the planning and delivery of both venue event services and cleaning & waste.  The Venue Management team is one of several key operating areas (including Venue Infrastructure, Games Operations, and Games Delivery Revenue) that make up the Games Planning & Delivery group. 

The Venue Group Manager will act as a day-to-day point of contact and project manager for an identified group of LA28 competition venues. This role will be responsible for leading project management efforts across their specific group of venues, conducting venue related analysis, supporting senior management and their ongoing discussions with such venues, and leading internal & external back-end management across those venue engagements. 

 The ideal candidate will have strong project management skills and will be detail oriented, with a primary focus on keeping tasks and projects organized and delivered efficiently. Analytical skills and familiarity with dashboards and other reporting mediums will be paramount to success. Adept at managing multiple concurrent projects and coordinating across complex organizations, they will ensure venue partner milestones are met, venue and legal issues are effectively and efficiently resolved, and communication with venues is consistent and direct. Relevant experience working within the sports and entertainment industry is desirable but not a requirement. 

 This position will report to one of the team’s Venue Group Directors. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead project management efforts across multiple venue partners, ensuring seamless coordination and communication  
• Establish and nurture relationships with venue owners, operators, and event stakeholders, fostering effective collaboration and partnership 
• Support venue agreement negotiation process with venue partners through agreement reviews, risk and issue identification and management, and solution implementation 
• Create, manage, and maintain venue agreement status trackers, follow up on open matters, collate comments, and route agreements internally for resolution 
• Plan site visits for internal and external stakeholders, coordinate venue-related meetings, prepare materials, collate meeting notes, and identify action items for follow-up 
• Coordinate engagement of internal functional areas within venue partner discussions, scheduling meetings, and routing materials to relevant stakeholders 
• Support coordination, scheduling and materials preparation for cross-functional venue operational planning 
• Manage the receipt, aggregation, and internal distribution of venue-related information from venue partners to support functional area workstreams as needed  
• Monitor key dates, milestones, and deliverables across the venue partner group, ensuring timely progress and adherence to timelines 
• Assist with venue management budget development, tracking and analysis in line with financial objectives 
• Support the preparation and delivery or internal reporting and status tracking across various venue-related workstreams 
• Develop a strong understanding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) operational requirements for venue use agreements and venue delivery 
• Support initiatives and efforts that integrate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) principles into venue and event planning and execution, including fostering an inclusive environment for both internal teams and external partners.  

Position Requirements:

• Minimum 5 years of experience working in related roles in the sports, venue and/or event management industry working on major events, venue operations and/or event production 
• Demonstrated track record of successfully managing and executing events of varying sizes and complexities 
• Experience with Olympic or Paralympic events a plus 
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think critically to resolve issues efficiently 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and concisely 
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to motivate and guide team members to achieve common goals and foster people development 
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple large-scale tasks and priorities simultaneously 
• Experience working within a complex, cross-functional organization 
• Fluent working with Microsoft Office suite of products, particularly PowerPoint and Excel 
• Working knowledge of Smartsheet preferred 
• An innovative viewpoint, challenging the status quo and thinking ahead to future years of the Movement 
• Extremely detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills 
• Strong team building and interpersonal skills 
• Ability to implement and manage change effectively 
• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

Expectations

• Collaborative and flexible approach – Ability to roll with the transitional nature of the organization as it grows, adapting quickly to changing priorities and requirements 
• A committed team player with problem-solving skills, comfortable working cross-functionally with diverse stakeholder groups both internally and externally 
• Confident self-starter – Takes initiative to identify challenges, gathering inputs from key stakeholders, takes action, and resolves challenges proactively  
• Ability to work effectively and independently with experience in defining tasks, seeking feedback, and advancing the work forward with pace 
• Influencing skills – ability to distill information and drive understanding and buy-in across multiple stakeholders and executives 
• Resourceful problem solver 
• Monitor industry trends and stay current with the latest developments to ensure a current and informed understanding of the sports and entertainment landscapes 
• Excitement for the role and opportunity to help shape the future of Los Angeles and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement 

Submission Requirements:

• Resume  

The annual base salary range for this position is $80,000 - $105,000. 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 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.