Sport Manager, Canoe

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.

Sport Manager – Canoe 

The Sport Manager – Canoe Sprint/Slalom will play a critical role within the LA28 Sport team, reporting directly to general Canoe Sport Manager, while leading all aspects of operational planning for specific Canoe disciplines. This role will ultimately be the discipline manager for either Canoe Sprint OR Canoe Slalom. This role will liaise directly with International Canoe Federation. As well, the position will also be expected to collaborate with the centralized Sport Planning team as well as other LA28 functions (i.e. Venues and Infrastructure, Venue Management, Ticketing and Hospitality, Games services, Transport, Accommodation, Food and Beverage, Accreditation, etc.), and across the organization (including but not limited to Athlete Relations, Strategy, Marketing, Commercial, Technology, HR, and Finance).  

Key Responsibilities

Competition and Training Venue(s) Design  

• Liaise with International Canoe Federation for the development and design of competition and training venues  

• Coordinate with LA28 Venues and Infrastructure and Event Management and other sport/discipline specific input into the development and design of competition and training venues   

Competition Management & Planning  

• Act as the subject matter expert for Canoe Sprint/Slalom within the organization and especially in the development and refinement of Event Operating Plans   

• Collaborate with International Canoe Federation on the development of the competition schedule and training schedules for Canoe Sprint/Slalom  

• Validate sport equipment requirements for Canoe Sprint/Slalom ensuring that all International Canoe Federation requirements have been scoped   

• Provide sport specific feedback as required for all pre-Games, testing and Games-time planning across the organization via centralized planning activities lead by Sport Planning including relevant Sport Delivery Plans as well as venue specific planning activities with other functions   

• Provide input to Sport Planning on the development of sport testing and readiness events  

• Coordinate with Timing, Scoring & Results to ensure all International Canoe Federation requirements are integrated into planning for both systems and infrastructure related to managing the competition  

Competition Management Workforce  

• Collaborate on the Sport Workforce strategy and planning for Canoe Sprint/Slalom, liaising American Canoe Association and the local sport community where relevant to identify paid staff, National Technical Officials and Sport Skilled Volunteers currently engaged in local and regional events  

• Lead the recruitment process for roles within Competition Management for Canoe Sprint/Slalom   

• On-boarding and day-to-day leadership of all Competition Management workforce within Canoe Sprint/Slalom  

• Support the development of Canoe Sprint/Slalom specific testing and Games-time training workforce  

IF, NGB & Sport Community Relations  

• Act as the point of entry to LA28 and the stakeholder manager for International Canoe Federations for specific Canoe Discipline. 

• Liaise with International Canoe Federations and coordinate with other Sport Managers to ensure clear and coordinated communication when managing a multi-discipline sport  

• Manage and track all International Canoe Federations Sprint/Slalom discipline specific communication and brief Head of Competition Management and VP of Sport on the status of relations and Games-time planning   

• Manage Pre-Games IF Site visits for Canoe Sprint/Slalom, developing an effective agenda, liaising with FAs and Stakeholders on their participation and producing site visit reports and presentations   

• Manage the completion and tracking of all inputs to each Sport Delivery Plan (SDP) for Canoe Sprint/Slalom  

Administration & Program Management  

• Provide reports and updates on the status of deliverables and tasks to communicate overall progress in the planning for Canoe Sprint/Slalom  

• Support the development of budgets and projects plans with well researched and validated sport and discipline specific information and planning assumptions  

Competition Management – Testing & Games-Time  

• Lead all competition management workforce for Canoe Sprint/Slalom to ensure a seamless and world class delivery of operations to support the competition, athlete and IF spaces within the competition and training venues  

• Act as the integration point within the organization for all IF related requirements for delivery of the competition and training for Canoe Sprint/Slalom 

Position Requirements

Background and Requirements 

• Minimum 5+ years’ experience delivering national and international level Canoe Sprint/Slalom events in a leadership role  

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience  

• Extremely detail-oriented with excellent organizational skills  

• Strong communication, team building, and interpersonal skill  

• Well-developed problem-solving skills and ability to work independently to resolve issues  

• Fluent working with Office suite products including Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint  

• Self-starter with experience in defining tasks, seeking feedback, and evolving work  

• Required proven ability of building good interpersonal relationships with people across the organization and with external stakeholders, while balancing assertiveness with diplomacy  

• A collaborative mindset; someone who prioritizes the team and fosters a culture of high performance without ego  

• An innovative viewpoint, willing to challenge the status quo and thinking ahead to the future possibilities within the Movement  

• Ability to implement and manage change effectively  

• Extensive knowledge of Canoe Sprint/Slalom and event operations experience and exposure at multiple levels, including professional leagues or teams, federations, universities, and grassroots  

• Direct Olympic and Paralympic sport experience at a previous OCOG, multi-sport Games or experience delivering IF level events is a significant asset  

• Understanding and expertise within Canoe Sprint/Slalom at the international and national level as well as coordination with international and US Sport governing bodies  

• Experience collaborating with colleagues on venue design, event planning, management and delivery across multiple functional areas  

 Physical Requirements and Working Conditions 

• Ability to work in an office environment, based in Los Angeles, CA.    

• The majority of work may be conducted in an office setting, requiring extended periods of time using computers, phones, and other office equipment.    

• This position will require international, domestic, and local trips for IF and NGB events/congresses, as well as venue tours in the Los Angeles area during official IF site visits.  

• International travel may involve travelling to different countries to observe global sporting events and will require a valid Passport. International travel may be up to 1 - 2 times per year for 1 - 2 week intervals. Approximately 20% or less of working hours.    

• Domestic travel may involve traveling within the United States to observe global sporting events. Anticipated travel can be 0-3 times per year.    

• Local travel will consist of visiting local venues that LA28 is considering using as a competition and training venue as well as competition and training venues in Co-host Cities. Attendance and meetings with local sport clubs, colleges and related organizations may also require local travel as well as observing local sport events. Anticipated travel can be 0-2 times per month and can increase as 2028 approaches.    

The annual base salary range for this position is $88,000.00 - $108,000.00. 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 assess applications based on relevant skills, education, and experience a candidate can add to our team.