Director, Community Relations

LA28 does not provide relocation assistance.

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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 2028 Olympics and Paralympics 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. 

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

Director, Community Relations:

 

Community Relations is a sub-function of External Affairs which is responsible for developing and maintaining LA28’s reputation and fostering deep relationships with key external stakeholders, while leveraging the convening power of the Games to leave a positive impact on people and communities in the Los Angeles region. The External Affairs team is comprised of interconnected functional areas, including Government Relations, Impact, Community Relations, Human Rights and Sustainability.  

 

Living LA28’s value of co-creation, the Community Relations team engages regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, including elected and appointed officials and their staff; community-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, labor and non-governmental leaders and organizations; advocacy groups and associations; private sector partners; venue city residents and many others. In addition, the Community Relations team works across various functions at LA28 and with stakeholders representing the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, International Olympic Committee and Paralympic Olympic Committee.  

Under the direction of the Vice President of Impact,  the Community Relations Director will be integral in helping to plan and deliver the Games for Los Angeles and the nation while creating a legacy that will last well beyond the mega event.  

 

Key Responsibilities:

• Support strategy development, execution and oversight of public facing engagements, programs, initiatives and activities connected to planning and delivering the Games in venue cities.  

• Communicate and drive LA28’s Impact commitments – youth sports, economic empowerment and healthy environment during community engagements. 

• Lead in directing and supporting other functional areas working on planning and delivering the Games and implementing community engagement best practices. 

• Supporting the development of LA28’s legacy through establishing partnerships and collaborations that will exist well past Games times.  

• Ensuring that community engagement programs and initiatives are centered in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), and disability inclusion. 

• Prepare reports and gather data to inform organization and leadership on the effectiveness of programs and initiatives.  

• Continually seek and research pertinent information, news, data, public policies, etc. relative to LA28 stakeholders; analyze stakeholder interests, concerns, and expectations to inform strategic decision-making. 

 

Background & Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in community relations and public affairs and related disciplines.  

• 8+ years of senior-level management experience focused on the development, implementation, and delivery of community engagement strategies and initiatives.  

• Extensive, proven and well-documented community focused track record related to delivering strategies and objectives on complex, large scale and external facing projects such as large-scale live events, and construction projects 

• Prior experience with public relations, corporate social responsibility, community affairs, nonprofit sector, community organizing and government relations.  

• Strong understanding of social impact topics including community business, procurement, workforce development, environmental justice, human rights and other social impact related topics.  

• Experience and proven ability to deliver a variety of presentations to external stakeholders in public settings. 

• Demonstrated ability as an effective communicator with very strong written and verbal communication skills  

• Demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). 

• Well-developed understanding of the Los Angeles region - City of Los Angeles,   County of Los Angeles, and Southern California 

 

Position Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in public affairs, political science, communications, urban planning and development or a related field; a master’s degree is preferred. 

• Extremely detail oriented with command of productivity and collaboration tools (Office360, SharePoint, Smartsheet, etc.)

 

Expectations:

• This is a full-time, in-person position located at the LA28 office in Los Angeles, California. 

• Travel, as needed, to external stakeholder offices, government agencies, venue cities, venues and facilities. 

• Present information concisely to a wide audience of executive level leaders, functional area leaders, staff members, contractors and advisors, governmental agencies and a broad array of community stakeholders 

• Well-developed problem-solving skills and ability to work independently to re-solve issues. 

• The incumbent must be very organized and adept at multitasking; able to handle diverse projects at once and meet tight deadlines.  

 

Submission Requirements:

• Resume

 

The annual base salary range for this position is $150,000.00 - $170,000.00. 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.