Sr. Manager, NCS Relations & Planning

LA28 does not provide relocation assistance.

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.

SR. Manager, NCS Relations & Planning:

The Team: The National Olympic and Paralympic Committee Service (NCS) Team’s aims is to engage, empower, and support 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and 183 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) in the preparation and planning of the most seamless, innovative, and engaging Games experience ever for their athletes, team officials, and delegation members.  

NCS is organized into two key workstreams: Relations & Planning and Services. These two workstreams create a trusted and impactful client-centered cross-functional team which delivers the opportunities, channels, and support required for NOCs and NPCs to successfully engage with LA28, and to prepare to bring their athletes and delegations to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

The NCS team also is charged with the creation and management of a range of critical programs and services in accordance with LA28, IOC, and IPC guidelines in the lead-up to and throughout the Games-time period including workshops, seminars, reporting, and operation centers. 

The Sr. Manager, NCS Relations & Planning will play a critical role within the LA28 NCS team, reporting directly to the Director of NCS while leading all aspects of service level planning, client services, communications, and support for a continent of National Olympic Committees or National Paralympic Committees.  

This role ensures the implementation of a robust engagement and client support strategy that provides timely, transparent, and effective channels of communication and issue resolution between NOCs, NPCs, and LA28.  They will work to build a strong understanding of the requirements and needs of their client group and represent those needs across the organization in service level planning and Games operation decision-making.  They will regularly collaborate with many LA28 functional areas (FAs) within Games planning, operations, and Games services to drive the successful and on time provision of Games-time services for NOCs and NPCs. 

The Sr. Manager, NCS Relations & Planning will also be designated as the lead for the Delegation Registration Process (DRP).  This role will be tasked with working directly with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and program-critical Functional Areas (i.e., Sport Entries, Accreditation, Technology, Finance, and Village Allotment) to execute this highly integrated and mission critical program. 

As the team scales, it will be organized by geographical region (approximately 60 organizations). The Sr. Manager will oversee a team of 5-6 people responsible for interfacing with and supporting the assigned regional NOCs and/or NPCs within the continental portfolio as well as the matrix of functional areas (FAs) assigned to all.  

Key Responsibilities:

NOC & NPC Relations: 

• Cultivate and maintain trusted, transparent, and authentic client relationships.  
• Support each client in designing strategies and efficient resource planning for successful participation in the Games.
• Manage and track day-to-day client correspondence across assigned continental portfolio ensuring timely, transparent and clear communications
• Support the production of key documents, policies, and client informational resources, and leading the distribution of those resources to clients in a timely, consistent and coordinated manner
• Serve as the client escalation pathway throughout the Games lifecycle, leading and coordinating the consolidation of client issues/feedback and subsequent issue resolution.
• Represent LA28 at Games preparation forums, continental meetings and seminars, coordinating required meetings and presenting updates to regional stakeholders

NOC & NPC Planning:  

• Cultivate and grow trusted, transparent, and authentic relationships across assigned LA28 FA portfolio teams.
• Support each FA in designing strategies and efficient resource planning for successful delivery of services that meet or exceed the expectations of NOCs/NPCs at Games-time. 
• Lead client and LA28 discovery meetings, presentations, and planning sessions to capture key information and trends in NOC/NPC planning 
• Oversee and maintain the client journey from touch-down to take-off, validating service levels and venue plans impacting the NOC/NPC delegation journey  
• Integrate with LA28 FAs as a trusted and valuable central resource of NOC/NPC specific information to support their planning. 
• Collaborate closely with the Athlete Relations FA to ensure athlete experience remains central to all planning activities. 
• Create strategies and action plans to mitigate identified gaps and meet the demands of respective NOC/NPC delegations.
• Design highly impactful client visits, webinars, and seminars, developing an effective agenda, liaising with NOC/NPC Services, and internal FAs on their participation and generation of post-visit follow-ups and reports  

 Delegation Registration Process (DRP) Lead:  

• Ensure all DRP milestones and deliverables are successfully delivered on-time and within budget in partnership with the IOC SEQ and LA28 ACR team.
• Manage the implementation and launch of the LA28 Estimated Team Size Calculator (ETS) tool in close collaboration with the IOC SEQ and LA28 ACR team.
• Lead DRP program strategy, design, and solution implementation from start (qualification period start) to finish (final Games reports).
• Lead the design and delivery of the NCS Operational Survey program integrating it seamlessly with FA planning and forecasting activities.
• Maintain, track, and monitor all data collected throughout the DRP program in consumable reports, modeling, and forecasting tools (I.e., Master Estimated Team Size Calculator) consumable by NCS and all relevant FAs.
• Support the integration of the DRP seamlessly the with LA28 central planning tools, Games Management System Applications (i.e., ACR), and the IOC/IPC qualification and tracking tools.
• Elevate the DRP through innovative technology solutions and data modeling techniques in partnership with the LA28 TEC team to leave a new legacy for future Games. 

NCS Team and Administration:  

• Cultivate an inclusive, transparent, honest, and welcoming working environment 
• Manage status tracking and reporting tools reflecting progress on NOC/NPC, and LA28 FA milestones and deliverable status
• Manage the on-time delivery of program or NOC/NPC regional specific deliverables
• Support the development of budgets and projects plans with well researched and validated client/project requirements and planning assumptions
• Contribute to the design and implementation of core team processes and procedures
• Set clear and measurable objectives to track team progress, performance, and trends to support a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making
• Lead the recruitment process for NCS Relations and Planning roles within assigned region
• Support the NCS growth strategy, onboarding process, and day-to-day leadership of future regional team members    

Background & Qualifications:

Required experience: 

• Minimum 7+ years of relevant experience
• Direct National Olympic and/or Paralympic Committee experience at multi-sport events including regional games, continental games, youth games – direct Olympic and Paralympic Games experience within the NOC and NPC ecosystem is required
• Existing relations with NOCs/NPCS and a keen understanding of their needs and requirements at Games time is preferred.
• Direct experience leading or managing core deliverables of the Delegation Registration Process (DRP);  
• Experience working in a similar role in international sport organizations, local organizing committees, or equivalent
• Experience of working in an environment that deals with multiple stakeholders, both internal and external at the executive level.
• Experience in managing projects at a high level with a strong attention to detail, sense of accountability, and complex data-reporting skills.

Required Expertise: 

• Exceptional excel, Smartsheet, and data management skills; data modeling skills a plus.
• Mastery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games accreditation and sport entry policies, procedures, and program.  
• In-depth knowledge of Olympic and Paralympic Family network and Olympic and Paralympic Games operations.
• Eagerness to think out of the box and challenge the status-quo
• Required proven ability of building good interpersonal relationships with people across the organization, while balancing assertiveness with diplomacy  
• Strong communication, team building, and commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.  
• Strong work ethic with high standards for delivery of work outputs/products
• A track record of leading and managing a multi-cultural team effectively
• A track record of strong business skills including budget management
• Extremely detail-oriented with excellent project management and organizational skills  
• Well-developed problem-solving skills and ability to work independently to resolve issues  

Position Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required
• English as primary working language: fluent written and spoken French or Spanish required; other languages highly preferred.  
• Fluent working with Office suite products including Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint  
• Fluency with data analytics and reporting tools such as Power BI and Tableau 
• Project Management certifications are a plus 

Expectations:

The successful candidate: 

• Team player who values the success of the team over self
• Creative problem-solver and critical thinker
• Service-oriented and reliable
• Genuinely curious and ready to think outside of the box
• Great communicator and unifier
• Assertive and confident
• Displays the highest levels of integrity and commitment 
• Enjoys challenges and fast-paced work environments
• Finds ways to move forward without all the answers
• Values inclusiveness in all its forms.
• Enthusiastic about sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Understands how to deliver against an immovable timeline 

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: 

• The position is in Los Angeles with in-person attendance required. 
• The majority of work will be conducted in an office setting, requiring extended periods of time using computers, phones, and other office equipment. 
• The LA28 office is an open floorplan working environment; employees must be able to work efficiently in an open cubicle environment. 
• Occasional travel may be required, both domestically and internationally
• Flexibility in schedule to accommodate different time zones in specific regions.

Submission Requirements:

• Resume

The annual base salary range for this position is $105,000.00-125,000.00. 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.

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.