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.

Our Vision is to collectively create what’s next by harnessing sport, community and the power of our differences. Our Mission is to create an unparalleled Paralympic and Olympic Games for athletes, fans, partners, our community and our people.

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

LA28 Olympian/Paralympian Athlete Fellowship Program - Winter 2025

Program

The LA28 Olympian/Paralympian Fellowship Program is a year-long program with two six-month rotations through LA28’s operational teams. Successful candidates will perform two rotations on separate teams. The first will be January through June 2025 and the second will be July through December 2025. Assignments will be based on interviews and the applicant pool. Fellows will have opportunities to gain work and networking experiences and will be expected to provide feedback.

Salary and Benefits

Fellows will receive a salary and benefits for their one-year commitment: $67,000.00

Candidate Profile

Must have competed in Olympic or Paralympic Games (summer/winter/any year/USA or any country)
Must hold current US work permit/employment authorization, no sponsorship will be provided.
Must be retired from elite international competition and able to work full time.
Excellent written, verbal skills and analytical ability
Must live or be willing to relocate to LA area (relocation assistance not provided)

Timeline

September 15 - Applications open
October 31 - Applications close
September - November - Application review and interviews
November/December – Offers extended
January 13, 2025 - Program Starts – Fellows begin first rotation

Information Sessions

If you would like more information or have questions, please register for one of the Virtual sessions below.

Tuesday October 8 @ 12:00 PM PT: Click to Register
Wednesday October 16 @ 5:00 PM PT: Click to Register

Submission

To apply submit:

Resume / CV
Cover letter detailing why you want to work for LA28 and what you would bring to the organization
From the list below, rank your top five Departments (1-5) in your resume/CV. You may update and resubmit your choices after the interview if needed.

MARKETING

Digital Engagement

LA28's marketing and brand engagement team leads the digital and event experiences of the brand. The marketing department collaborates internally across departments and externally with our audiences (athletes, fans, community, and partners) by providing engaging content through storytelling across channels and fan-centric events. Key channels that LA28 focuses on include Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LA28.org, email, and paid media.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Conduct industry research on new and emerging trends, Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, and marketing initiatives as well as project specific needs that may arise
Source, contact, and build relationships with athletes or collaborators to work with as influencers.
Support the digital team in planning, capturing, and delivering digital assets and content for specific campaigns, at LA28 events in the community and in support of Summer of ’25 initiatives.
Be a key contributor to brainstorming and planning meetings and share concepts and ideas that support the LA28 brand narrative and social/digital presence.

Brand Design & Look of the Games

The Brand Design and Look of the Games team is responsible for design and delivery of creative assets from a range of work streams including day-to-day creative services, core brand elements, and key milestone projects such as the core graphic, Olympic and Paralympic torches, and victory medals. BDL builds and protects the integrity of the LA28 brand design, supplying creative support to over 40 functional areas within the organization, developing style guides and guidelines, and providing approvals and feedback for brand adherence to external partners.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Note: this role is in support of operations for the team and is NOT a design opportunity.
Support research efforts to compile information regarding past OCOGs approaches to high profile projects, opportunities for improvement, and key watchouts.
Contribute to budget reconciliation by tracking approved funds against actuals and reporting on issues that contribute to overspend using Smartsheet tracker.
Assist team productivity and efficiency using creative services project request board – review project briefs for completeness, escalate requests for additional consideration and schedule stakeholder meetings as needed.

Events & Engagements

The LA28 Events Team manages and executes meetings and events in support of all LA28 departments and Team USA Partner-related meetings and events for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Properties (USOPP). This includes event site selection, budgeting, timelines, food & beverage, audio-visual, décor/signage, look and feel, hotel room blocks, transport, and all key logistics and operational elements from concept to execution. Events include meetings, receptions, partner workshops, and protocol visits from the IOC/IPC and other key stakeholders. The work, while exciting, often dictates long hours which may occur outside normal business hours including weekends.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Organization/tracking of event details, paperwork, RSVPs & other planning
Onsite load-in, setup, event execution, teardown/load-out.
This fun and fast-paced environment involves physical stamina like loading vans with equipment and supplies and details like testing microphones and checking catering orders for dietary restrictions.

Communications

The communications team leads the internal and external storytelling for the organization, telling LA28's remarkable story and protecting the reputation of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The communications team supports the organization working cross-functionally with each functional area including marketing, impact/community relations, sustainability, government relations, athletes, partner management and Games planning & delivery. Communications is responsible for developing messaging and tools, managing Partner announcements including LA28/Team USA Partner activations, supporting external speaking opportunities, and working closely with media and other key stakeholders to tell the LA28 story on the road to delivering the 2028 Games.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Monitoring and sharing highlights from the daily news cycle
Developing messaging and communications for both internal and external use
Drafting press releases and web stories
Creating tools and processes for the communications and marketing team
Assist in media relations for commercial Partner activations during the countdown to and duration of the Paris 2024 Games
Work closely with internal teams to bring the Games to life through campaigns, content, events and more

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Impact/Community Relations

Impact/Community Relations is responsible for developing and delivering strategic plans and programs tied to the organization's social impact commitments in youth sports and economic empowerment in the greater Los Angeles region. Within economic empowerment, the athlete fellow will support programming around workforce development. Additionally, the impact/community relations team is tasked with developing community outreach engagements with key stakeholders in support of Games planning and operations, marketing, transportation, ticketing and security.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Data collection and written reports tied to LA28’s commitment to youth sports including tracking and identifying key data from PlayLA, Day of Sport, coach development programs and other community engagement opportunities focused on youth sports
Support development and programming of the LA28 Career Pathways program which is designed to leverage workshops, career fairs, and campus visits to shine a light on career pathways in the sports and live events industry, especially among underrepresented groups
Support research and mapping of community organizations in the host city and venue cities that will be integral in supporting the delivery of the Games.

Sustainability

The Sustainability team is responsible for leading a collaborative effort to develop LA28’s sustainability strategy, helping reduce the Games’ footprint across areas including carbon, energy, water, and waste with the support of our Games delivery, commercial, and community partners.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Develop and implement a roll out plan for LA28’s internal sustainability management system, aligned to the ISO 20121 standard
Research current and prospective commercial partners to identify potential opportunities to collaborate on sustainability
Support roll out of LA28’s impact and sustainability plan, including project management, internal communications, social media content, etc.

Government Relations

The Government Relations team advocates for policies to enable a successful 2028 Games through Federal, State, and Local Governments. Stakeholders range from the City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department to U.S. Embassies around the world and consulates for numerous international governments. The team serves the entire LA28 organization by working to secure Federal, State, and local resources and builds partnerships to ensure we leave a positive legacy for Los Angeles, the region, and beyond.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Develop strategies to integrate Olympic and Paralympic Athletes in outreach strategy throughout the region, identifying athlete touchpoints for key elected officials and stakeholders
Manage tracking of strategic initiatives using Smartsheets and other databases

US OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC PROPERTIES

Partnership Sales

The Partnership Sales team is responsible for selling high-value, unique sponsorship rights and benefits to best-in-class companies to support the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement from now through the LA28 Games. In a joint effort between USOPC and LA28 (US Olympic and Paralympic Properties), NBCUniversal, and our sales agent Legends, we sell one of the most powerful opportunities in sports. Through our first-of-its-kind offering, our partners can participate in all aspects of the Movement with access to Team USA and LA28 intellectual property rights, product marketing, local activation, and NBCUniversal’s comprehensive, multi-screen coverage of the Games for the next six years.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities: (Day-To-Day tasks):

Managing the team’s relationship with LA28 Athlete Services and other Athlete Fellows.
Provide an athlete’s perspective in Sales pitches.
Support Sales material creation (e.g., decks, prospect-related deliverables, etc.); creating company and industry analyses; writing pre-meeting summaries and contact bios; and tracking company news and new sponsorship announcements across sports.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities: (Long-Term tasks):

Devising opportunities to positively impact athletes and address key pain-points through commercial partnerships.
Analyze industries and other sport property sponsorships; recommendations for new categories and prospects to pursue.

Partnership Marketing

On behalf of LA28, USOPC, and USOPP, the Partnership Management and Activation (PMA) team acts as the steward of all contractual rights and benefits afforded to our Commercial Partners. PMA is a collective of internationally experienced, deeply passionate marketers dedicated to maintaining a keen focus across all sponsorship elements of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements in the U.S. Designed from a management consulting model, PMA strives to unlock exceptional value across our internal enterprise, as well as for each sponsor they serve.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Assist with research, briefs, and tracking documents for the annual Partner Summit.
Support on Partnership initiative for Milano Cortina 2026 One Year Out.
News updates for Partner Dashboards.
Assist in the onboarding of new Partners as they join the Movement.
Research Projects and Overview Decks on Movement-related initiatives and Potential Partner Integration.

GAMES PLANNING AND DELIVERY

The mission of the Games Planning & Delivery team is to develop and refine the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Plan, put business agreements in place for the most optimal and deliverable approach, and enhance the fan and athlete experience. The team is focused on outlining where, what, when, and how we will make it happen, and entering into commercial and operational partnerships to enable success.

Venue Infrastructure

The Venue Infrastructure team is responsible for ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery of all venue infrastructure and overlay for the staging of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games – creating the optimal environment for athlete performance, fan engagement, and operational efficiency.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Support Venue Design Development for Venue Design Book 2.0, including cross-functional reviews and feedback, design team workshops, and integration in new design platform (tool for sharing drawings externally)
Support with the development of strategic plans and venue design book overviews, including all presentations for onboarding LA28 and external stakeholders to the venue design book review process
Help lead the accessibility function within VNI, including support for all accessibility strategy development, venue audits and drawing reviews and presentation support for our main accessibility consultants

Venue Management & Villages

The Venue Management team's mission is to engage, integrate, and collaborate with delivery partners, internal LA28 functions, vendors, and other key external stakeholders to plan and operate the Olympic and Paralympic Games across all competition venues and non-competition venues (including the Olympic and Paralympic Village) by optimizing resources and delivering an unparalleled experience for athletes, fans, partners, and the community.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Work with Villages Management to continue designing the venue and concept plan for the Olympic and Paralympic Villages with an Athletes’ first approach. Specific areas of focus include Transportation, Accessibility, and overall flow throughout the Villages.
Assist with Village workstreams to continue the operational planning, including defining service levels, displacement planning with UCLA, and cross-functional planning.
Supporting the preliminary Venue Operational Planning (such as developing Venue Fact Sheets and Venue planning kick-off templates and materials) across all venues.

Games Operations – Sport

LA28’s Sport team is responsible for insuring all Olympic and Paralympic sports are delivered within the IF requirements while providing world-class services that enable athletes to perform at their best. Sport sits within Game Operations and collaborates internally across departments (ex: Venue Management, Venue Infrastructure, Government Relations, Ticketing) and externally with key stakeholders (ex: IOC/IPC, IFs, OBS, NGBs) to advance planning on deliverables such as the competition schedule, testing and readiness, and workforce planning.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Work closely with Sport team on key milestones such as event program confirmation, testing and readiness, and sport equipment guidelines.
Manage IF Site Visits by tracking visit requests by IF, logistics in the lead-up and during each site visit, and ensuring internal communication across multiple departments.
Support Group Sport Managers by tracking International Federation communications and helping prepare for Event Operating Planning sessions across competition venues

Games Operations - Transportation

The LA28 Transportation department oversees all the planning and delivery of transportation elements of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We aim to deliver a seamless system that serves all athletes, stakeholders, spectators, and workforce, while keeping the LA region moving.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Planning and preparation for Integrated Event Operations planning, focused on Games Stakeholder Fleet estimation and operations at venues.
Support on Federal Funding pursuit, focused on technical analysis and refinement of key Games-related transportation initiatives.

Games Operations - Safety & Security

The Safety and Security department at LA28 is dedicated to ensuring the protection of all individuals and assets involved in the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With over 15,000 athletes, 5,000 employees, 100,000+ contractors and volunteers, 75+ venues, and millions of spectators expected, the department plays a critical role in orchestrating a seamless and secure event. This function collaborates with various departments and external stakeholders to develop and implement comprehensive security plans, ensuring public safety and upholding civil rights.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Support the department by coordinating with local, state, and federal security personnel and private security firms to ensure effective communication and execution of security protocols.
Participate in the preparation of security reports and analyses, aiding in decision-making and ensuring alignment with strategic security objectives for the Games.
Work closely with teams from External Affairs, Transportation, and Cybersecurity to help develop and implement security policies and procedures, emphasizing inclusivity and the protection of civil and human rights.

OTHER LA28 DEPARTMENTS

Athlete Department

LA28’s Athlete Department Team is responsible for ensuring athlete perspectives and viewpoints are integrated into the planning and execution of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Athlete Department provides support to the LA28 Athlete Commission, Athlete Fellowship Program, manages LA28 Hype Team and Athlete Database to support Athlete engagement by all departments across LA28, Career Transition & Education Programs, Friends and Family Programs, Paralympic integration and facilitates global athlete input to LA28.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Assist in the building of Athlete Fellowship programming
Create reference materials for the Project Management Upskilling Program
Work closely with management to launch digital media projects
Organize and manage athlete databases

People Team (HR)

LA28’s People Team department provides day-to-day support for employees across all departments. Some of the functions of the department include talent acquisitions, organizational development, benefits administration, culture development, employee engagement, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB)

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Assist with facilities preparation and office set up as location expands.
Design and execute programming to help create a fun and engaging employee experience.
Assist in organization recruitment, source passive candidates, and support campus recruitment

Legal

LA28’s Legal Department provides advice on all matters affecting LA28’s legal rights and obligations. This work includes support for commercial sponsorship and licensing agreements, Games venue and hotel agreements, and legal support for all LA28’s functional areas. The Athlete Fellow would be an important part of the legal team in our support of every functional unit at LA28, including matters ranging from Games venues and training sites to community/government relations and commercial relationships. Because of the nature of the work involved, the Athlete Fellow should have a law degree. Sample responsibilities may include:

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Review and summarize foundational agreements and other important contracts
Collaborate with the team on contract tracking, management, and drafting
Participate in working groups and discussions

Technology

Technology enables the delivery and operations of virtually all aspects of successful Olympic and Paralympic Games. LA28’s Technology department works to support and implement a broad range of technologies across the organization. The Technology team delivers services, systems and operations in support of the OCOG business needs and delivers specific Games planning services to various stakeholders.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Responsibilities will include documentation of user guides, process flows, and test scripts, facilitating working groups, training and/or testing activities with business users, troubleshooting and customer service skills to document issues. Daily tasks will include a high level of interaction with business users from Functional Areas across the organization. Fellow would be mentored in methodologies, applications and technologies, and given access to training that could support a future career in Tech.
Games System Implementations: Supporting LA28 team members to interface with vendors and business team members to manage requirements, writing and executing testing documentation to ensure delivered system complies with requirements.
Business process discovery: Analyze business processes to gather requirements across functional areas, understanding functional needs. Develop training documentation and facilitate training sessions to ensure business adoption of new technology, across various tech initiatives (Salesforce, Microsoft applications, Data Warehouse, etc.).
Cyber Security: Supporting Chief Information Security Officer in documenting policies and procedures, cyber security strategy.

Strategic Project Management Office

The SPMO manages the LA28 consolidated schedule, which is the single source of truth for what work needs to be done to deliver the games. The team provides program management support to LA28 executives, departments, teams, functional areas and individuals to help them structure their work to drive efficient outcomes. The SPMO delivers unambiguous reporting on the organization’s progress against their plans and owns systems to track risks, issues, and cross functional scheduling impacts. They maintain an open line of communications with the IOC and IPC to synchronize change controls and schedule updates. The SPMO is service oriented and people facing as they work with every team across the organization. They also dive deep into data, systems, and processes.

Sample Projects/Responsibilities:

Support a cross-functional team in developing a custom report for a project.
Act as a project coordinator for an FA that needs to deliver an initiative or project.
Maintain Helios system operations by partnering with schedule managers to update data and elevate risks or issues.

The annual base salary range for this position is $67,000.00.

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.

LA28 Olympian/Paralympian Fellowship Program WINTER 2025