Sr. Manager, Permitting & Planning Services

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

Sr. Manager, Permitting & Planning Services

LA28 aims to deliver the most seamless, innovative, and engaging Games experience ever for all athletes, fans, partners, and the community.  The LA28 team is currently organized by functional areas across numerous key departments including – Games Operations, Security, Venue Infrastructure, Venue Management & Event Delivery, Revenue & Commercial, Transportation and Technology, and will expand to over 30 functional areas by Games Time. LA28 is responsible for delivering competition and non-competition venues fit-for-purpose for the preparation and staging of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.   

Reporting to the Director, City Operations, the Senior Manager, Permitting & Planning Services will be responsible for supporting the strategy, management, and execution of the permitting process both inside and outside the venues, including overseeing internal functional areas, external stakeholders and third-party consultants.

This role will lead the cross functional work required to prepare the permitting strategy across multiple city, county, coastal, state and federal jurisdictions and encompassing varying scopes. These efforts will require close integration with the Government Relations (GOV) and Legal (LGL) teams to lay out regulatory engagements as well as partnering with our internal and external infrastructure development and designers to align with permitting timelines and requirements to set up for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Key Responsibilities:

Cross-Functional Strategy

• Develop the strategy, preparation, and acquisition of city, county, state and federal regulatory permits and approvals including but not limited to planning approvals, zoning regulations and conditions in support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
• Solicit and catalog the universe of required permits from internal functional area experts as well as identifying and advancing key permit program risk issues (e.g. cost and timing)
• Coordinate with various local governmental agencies including but not limited to Building & Safety, LA County Fire, Bureau of Engineering, and Planning as well as state and federal agencies responsible for NEPA, CEQA, historic preservation and other relevant regulatory requirements.
• Build strong partnerships with relevant authorities to facilitate streamlined entitlements and approvals
• Prepare and manage the master regulatory and permitting calendar in support of Games Time infrastructure work, with emphasis on critical milestones and areas of schedule risk. Incorporate permitting timelines into the integrated operational planning and delivery process
• Coordinate with LGL and GOV teams to strategize engagement plans with local permitting bodies and the broader state and federal regulatory agencies
• Help LA28 identify and develop key relationships for this highly visible and public work, including support for federal, state and local legislative activities
• Partner with LA28 Venue Development as well as third-party engineering teams to provide guidance, expertise, and recommendations around permit acquisition and compliance
• Partner with Risk Management and schedulers to prepare risk analysis and mitigation plans and incorporate impacts to the integrated master schedule
• Support permitting responses and amendments as required

Background & Requirements:

• Minimum 8 years of experience in permitting planning and operational roles within municipal City-related organizations and/or 6+ years in management consulting
• Proven experience of working with permitting agencies at the federal, state and local level, either through issuing/securing permits, expediting permits, or preparing permitting requests for temporary and permanent structures
• Deep understanding of major event planning in collaboration with multiple stakeholders
• Experience translating strategic plans into long-range operational plans
• Demonstrated success coordinating cross-functional resources, completing timelines and processes
• In-depth knowledge of conditional use permits, special use permits, and temporary infrastructure permits

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Role required to work from the LA28 offices located in Downtown Los Angeles for a minimum of 4 days per week (subject to LA28’s policy that may be adjusted moving forward)
• Some travel as needed to local building safety offices, local, state, and federal agencies, and on-site venues

Education:

• Desired – Project Management Expertise
• Desired – Advanced degree in Engineering, Business, Environment, and/or Law
• Preferred - bachelor’s degree in environmental planning, environmental science, urban and regional planning, or closely related fields

Expectations:

• Highly detail-oriented with negotiating experience and diplomacy skills tactfully balancing competing interests
• Fluent working with Office suite products including Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel – experience with Slack, Sharepoint, Smartsheets a plus
• Ensure that all project activities reflect the uniqueness of the community and contribute to an inclusive Games experience for participants as well as both ticketed and non-ticketed spectators
• Demonstrated success coordinating cross-functional resources, competing timelines and processes
• Capacity to present information concisely to a wide audience of executive leadership, external contractors and advisors, as well as governmental agencies and staff

Submission Requirements:

• Resume

The annual base salary range for this position is $115,000.00 - $130,000.00. 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.