Head of Accreditation

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

Head of Accreditation

The Senior Director of Accreditation (ACR) will be the head of the Accreditation Functional Area (FA) and responsible for designing and delivering a robust, efficient, secure, and comprehensive accreditation program. The accreditation program will service all Olympic and Paralympic accredited populations including National Olympic and Paralympic Committee delegations (athletes and team officials), media, workforce, dignitaries, volunteers, security, and more.   

Reporting to the Chief of Logistics and services, the Senior Director of ACR will build and oversee a team to ensure a seamless and secure approach to the identification of people and distribution of accreditations across the Games ecosystem. The team will follow the Olympic Charter and data protection regulations and work in close partnership with key internal FAs and governmental authorities. By Games-time, the ACR FA will deliver the operational strategy, including operational/space planning, on-venue operations, service provider oversight, workforce planning, and budget.  

Key Responsibilities:

Program Planning 

• Establish accreditation policies and procedures for all Olympic & Paralympic stakeholders 
  • Collaborate with security partners to determine accreditation policies (e.g., risk assessments, background checks, etc.)
  • Support the creation of venue-level accreditation strategies including zoning policies, access entitlements, and operational planning
• Provide central management and oversight of accreditation strategy (e.g., service provision, consumables, distribution, allotments, processing, etc.)
  • Drive strategy to deliver accreditation centers across Games venues
  • Support the procurement and integration of accreditation suppliers  
  • Finalize all legal texts, layouts, and the design of accreditation cards
  • Oversee the robust accreditation integration and reporting program  
• Drive program deliverables in partnership with the International Olympic Committee & International Paralympic Committee 

Stakeholder Relations 

• Define service levels, timelines, and accreditation programs in collaboration with LA28 stakeholder owners
• Manage the delivery of the accreditation program for all Games stakeholders including registration, background check processes, accreditation validation, and distribution strategies
• Support the definition and implementation of the Delegation Registration Process (DRP) in partnership with the National Olympic and Paralympic (NCS) team
• Develop communication and engagement strategy for all accreditation policies and procedures in partnership with LA28 FAs
• Oversee milestone deadlines, material distribution, information gathering for all stakeholder groups  

Accreditation System Management 

• Articulate the LA28 accreditation system requirements and policies, in partnership with LA28 Technology team and accreditation system providers
• Support the implementation of the LA28 accreditation business process within the LA28 accreditation system ensuring close collaboration of the configuration, testing, and system launch activities
• Oversee the launch of the LA28 accreditation system including communications, resource generation, training, onboarding and ongoing support for all end users
• Oversee the Accreditation System implementation, outputs & reporting during Games-time 

Venue and Operations Management 

• Ensure the successful delivery of the accreditation validation process for all Games stakeholders across all impacted Games venues and locations (i.e., port of entries)
• Support the definition of the operational strategy and footprint for the Games Uniform and Accreditation Center (UAC), Team Processing Center (TPC), and other key accreditation distribution centers
• Develop operating principles and procedures for in-venue accreditation centers
• Participate in operational planning, ensuring accreditation strategy, policies, and procedures are enforceable during Games time
• Support venue integration efforts to execute accreditation plans and staffing strategy
• Administer the accreditation zoning process
• Implement accreditation issue resolution policies and procedures for Games-time
• Supervise Games-time operations, including accreditation workforce management, training on accreditation policies, accreditation system training, accreditation procedures, and policy enforcement during pre-Games and Games-time preparations 

Functional Area Leadership 

• Build and oversee the LA28 accreditation team for planning and servicing all internal and external stakeholders
• Create and deliver Games-time workforce and operational plans for the accreditation team
• Manage the LA28 accreditation budget
• Liaise with International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) executive teams on management on all accreditation issues 

Background & Qualifications:

Position Requirements:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in major event accreditations planning and delivery.
• Experience Olympic and Paralympic Games, or equivalent large-scale sporting or similar global events  
• Experience working with government authorities in defining entry requirements and protocols
• Fluent working with accreditation systems, Office suite products including Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel  

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions 

• Expectation to be in LA28 offices in Los Angeles minimum 4x/week

Education:

• Master’s degree or relevant work experience required
• Experience delivering accreditation programs for Olympic and/or Paralympic Games preferred 

Expectations:

Accreditation Operations Expertise 

• Deep understanding of major event planning for accreditations in collaboration with multiple stakeholders
• Deep understanding of the Olympic and Paralympic accreditation programs and principles  
• Demonstrated success adopting and implementation accreditation systems and technology to internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success driving a accreditations program at a major event, coordinating service providers, venue teams, cross-functional resources, timelines and processes  
• Demonstrated success in leading large cross-functional and operational teams 

Leadership and Stakeholder Management Expertise 

• Experience in a leadership role, building teams, and working across various functions
• Excellent communication and human relations skills, including experience communicating with international communities
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively work with a diverse population, including, but not limed to, athletes, coaches, public agencies, volunteers, workforce, and international communities
• A collaborative mindset; someone who prioritizes the team and fosters a culture of high performance without ego
• Executive presence and communication skills, including ability to package and present insights in a relevant, cohesive, and succinct storylines
• Experience leading and managing multi-million-dollar budgets
• Solid communication, team building, and interpersonal skills
• Proven ability to innovate and achieve results through strategic, forward-thinking planning 

Organizational Skills 

• Highly detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills
• Ability to implement and manage change effectively
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently to resolve issues, and experience in defining tasks, seeking feedback, and evolving work 

Submission Requirements:

• Resume

The annual base salary range for this position is $175,000.00 - $200,000.00. 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.