Director, Head of EVS

LA28 does not provide relocation assistance.

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 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 Event Visitor Services:

The Head of Event Visitor Services (EVS) will lead the Event Visitor Services Functional Area (FA) within the organizing committee and will be responsible for planning and delivering a comprehensive program of in-venue services for ticketed spectators and other visitors.  The EVS Functional Area is often considered the “Face of the Games” delivering ‘front of house’ guest services that include spectator marshalling, crowd management, pedestrian flow, queue management, ushering, access control, as well as spectator information, lost & found, and mobility support.   

Reporting to the Vice President, Event Delivery & Venue Management, this role will build and oversee a team that develops the operational plans, procedures and service delivery solutions for Event Visitor Services at all competition and some non-competition venues and will be responsible for delivering a safe and welcoming environment for all spectators and visiting stakeholder groups at Games-time.  Relying on one of the largest workforce groups of the Games, with a majority of the positions filled by volunteers, the EVS team will play a vital role in maximizing visitors’ enjoyment at venues and creating memorable Olympic & Paralympic Games experiences. 

Key Responsibilities:

Functional Area Leadership

• Develop and refine functional area business plans including ensuring that responsibilities are appropriately scoped, milestones determined, resources identified and budgeted, and delivery models developed. 
• Develop a staffing plan and operational structure that effectively and efficiently delivers the functional area mission ensuring objectives, service levels and other deliverables are met utilizing a blended team of paid staff and volunteers. 
• Oversee the identification and procurement of service providers, equipment, technology, materials and other resources required to support the delivery of the Event Visitor Services function. 
• Oversee the recruitment of a high-performing team that is trained and motivated to lead a large, predominantly volunteer, workforce. 
• Build strong collaborative relationships, internally with other functional area leaders and teams and externally with venue partners and other delivery entities.   
• As part of the Event & Venue Management senior leadership team, develop status reports and present to LA28 leadership and Executives as required. 

Operational Planning

• Develop functional area policies and procedures, determine service levels, and create operating handbooks, informational guides and other support materials. 
• Develop detailed operational plans and solutions for creating safe environments that effectively manage crowd flow and spectator circulation, facilitate efficient visitor ingress and egress, provide queue management, ushering, seating bowl management, and access control to restricted areas at Games venues. 
• Develop detailed service plans that provide clear and accessible visitor information, support visitors with issue resolution services, lost & found facilities, and mobility assistance at Games venues. 
• Ensure accessibility considerations and provisions for persons with disabilities are thoroughly embedded in planning for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.   
• Develop public safety plans for all venues in conjunction with the Event & Venue Management and Security functional areas.   
• Conduct crowd flow modeling analysis, determine wayfinding signage needs, create venue dot plans, and develop detailed staffing plans to support venue operations.  
• Integrate and collaborate closely with other key venue-based functional areas, including Event & Venue Management, On-Site Fan Experience, Security, Sport, Ticketing, and Transportation, to integrate operational planning and service delivery.

Venue Readiness & Operations

• Collaborate with the People Team to develop and deliver a training program for both paid staff and volunteers that creates a customer-focused workforce that is helpful, knowledgeable, welcoming and friendly in their approach and engagement with visitors. 
• Conduct testing and readiness exercises with venue teams, develop communication protocols, incident and response procedures, establish issue resolution processes, and issue escalation mechanisms.  
• Develop plans for venue teams to ‘deploy’ to venues, prepare spaces and informational resources, validate wayfinding signage, and ready and manage on-site equipment.  
• Develop Games time staffing and workforce scheduling plans for all venues. 
• Operate a central Functional Coordination Center for Event Services and serve as the senior Games-time lead for Event Services ensuring real-time issue resolution and seamless operations at venues. 

Background & Qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience leading event services and/or front of house venue operations for major sports/entertainment facilities or at major events.  
• Past major Games experience is a plus 
• Proven track record in a senior role managing a large blended workforce comprising full-time, part-time and volunteer staff 
• Excellent knowledge of all front of house operations at major venues 
• Experience building operational plans and developing standard operating procedures 
• Experience managing budgets 
• Fluent working with Office Suite products including Microsoft Powerpoint and Excel. 

Position Requirements:

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Expectation to work out of the LA28 offices in Los Angeles.

Expectations 

• Strategic thinker and tactical operator – Ability to translate strategic plans into effective and efficient operational delivery 
• Leadership – Ability to build, lead and motivate a diverse, high-performing team 
• Customer-focused – Exhibits strong customer service emphasis 
• Innovative Approach – Ability to identify opportunities, develop new ideas, and execute on creative concepts while managing to a budget and fixed timelines 
• Self-starter – Takes initiative to identify challenges, gathering inputs from key stakeholders, makes quick decisions, and resolves challenges proactively  
• Collaborative and flexible approach – Demonstrate a collaborative and flexible approach, adept at navigating the transitional nature of the organization's growth, and swiftly adapting to changing priorities and requirements with a can-do attitude. 
• Autonomous agility – Work effectively and independently in a fast-paced, dynamic environment 
• Problem solver – ability to identify issues and develop effective solutions that meet stakeholder needs  
• Equitable Operations – Ensure operational plans and delivery are equitable and accessible, proactively addressing potential barriers that could impact individuals from varying background and experience, and implementing solutions that promote inclusivity. 

Education:

• Bachelor's degree or relevant work experience

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.

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.