DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL SPORTS DIPLOMACY

Mayor

Exempt | Location: Civic Center

Annual Salary

$109,500 - $160,200

contact information

Mayor's HR Team
213-978-0600
mayor.jobs@lacity.org

job description

The Mayor's Office of International Affairs (MOIA) leverages Los Angeles’ global position and partnerships to bring tangible benefits to Angelenos, in the form of opportunities, investment, ideas, and solutions. Our team is the primary entry point for international governments, companies, and organizations seeking to connect with City Hall and our diverse and dynamic city. We maintain strong relationships with the diplomatic community based in Los Angeles and beyond, work to attract job-creating foreign investment to the city, and demonstrate LA’s leadership on the global stage on issues like sustainability, major events, and resiliency. In the lead up to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we are ensuring our city is prepared to welcome the world and showcase the strength of the city’s communities, economy, and convening power.

SUMMARY

The Director of International Sports Diplomacy reports to the Deputy Mayor of International Affairs and is responsible for engaging with National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, international businesses and delegations looking for information and support leading up to the Games, including identifying locations for hosting hospitality houses, sharing relevant and specific information on the status of the Games, and working with the Office of Major Events, LA28, and other partners in helping to identify pre-games training sites. The Director of International Sports Diplomacy will identify opportunities to collaborate and market Los Angeles to our international partners, coordinating closely with the Los Angeles Tourism Board, the Office of Major Events, LA28, and others.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Maintaining full understanding and awareness of the goals, progress, and activities taking place related to the 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Games and other major events as needed. This includes, but is not limited to, awareness of the project timeline, major deliverables, any delays, politically sensitive topics or challenges.
Developing & maintaining relationships with local and international partners involved in the Olympic & Paralympic Movement, including relationships with people in the other city departments, LA28, World Union of Olympic Cities, National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, and future/former host cities.
Identifying ways to support future Olympic and Paralympic host cities through peer-to-peer opportunities, hosting representatives where appropriate to learn how Los Angeles is preparing for the Games.
Create and deploy a strategy for National Olympic and Paralympic Committees to identify and establish hospitality houses leading up to the Games.
Create and deploy a strategy for managing meetings and site tours with visiting National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, businesses, and Host City delegations.
Develop and execute a strategy, in coordination with the Office of Major Events and LA28 to support National Organizing Committees in identifying training sites ahead of the games.
Identify ways to proactively engage in diplomatic efforts leading up to the Games.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Excellent written, communication and interpersonal skills
Demonstrated leadership and ability to build credibility with peers and senior leadership
Ability to interact and work well with others in a team environment
Outstanding organizational skills, with the ability to manage administrators and/or internal teams to organize high-profile meetings with appropriate professionalism
Demonstrated attention to detail
Supervisory experience
Proactive attitude
Strong research skills
Bachelor’s degree in related areas
The ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with minimal guidance
A commitment to public service

How to apply

HOW TO APPLY

REFERENCES: Include a minimum of 3 references in your cover letter.

Applicants should send a cover letter (with references) and resume to Mayor.Jobs@lacity.org with “Director of International Sports Diplomacy” in the subject line no later than Friday, September 4, 2026. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and suitable candidates may be contacted and hired before the application deadline. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications promptly.

This is an exempt, at-will position. The individual appointed to this position will not accrue any civil service tenure, contractual employment rights, or due process rights. The incumbent may be removed, without any finding of cause, by the hiring authority. The City of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities. Please call (213) 744-9300 if you need assistance.

exempt employment

If employment is said to be exempt, it is meant that the employment is exempted from the civil service provisions of the City Charter. In order to receive a regular civil service appointment, employees must have successfully participated in a civil service examination, received a high enough score on the examination to be placed on and receive an appointment from an eligible list, and they must serve a probationary period. Exempt employees do not compete in a civil service examination, they are not placed on an eligible list and receive an appointment from that list, nor do they serve a probationary period. As a result, exempt employees do not have what is referred to as a “property interest” in their job. Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority and can be terminated at any time without cause. Employees with a property interest in their job, i.e. civil service employees, cannot be deprived of their employment(discharged or suspended) without due process.

General Information About Exempt Employment

Exempt employees serve at the will of the appointing authority, and as such, they may be discharged, suspended or otherwise disciplined without cause. Exempt employees have no property interest in their employment, and any procedural benefit or other prerogative extended to them by their appointing authority is not intended to create and does not create any such property interest. No officer or employee of the City may make to any other officer or employee any representation of a property interest in employment which does not correspond to Charter provisions unless the City Council, by ordinance, permits such representation. No unauthorized representation can serve as the basis of an employee's reliance on, or expectation of, a property interest.

Employees Seeking To Become Civil Service Employees

There is no protective leave for an exempt employee appointed to a civil service position. Upon receiving a civil service appointment and passing probation, the former exempt employee will be subject to the Civil Service provisions described in Article X of the City Charter. Upon appointment, the civil service employee will begin to accrue displacement and layoff seniority on the first day of his/her civil service appointment and may file for promotional examinations for which s/he qualifies. A full or half-time exempt employee appointed to a full or half-time civil service position continues to: contribute to the Retirement System; accrue vacation time; accrue sick time; receive anniversary date salary increases; and, receive health and dental benefits identical to those received in the civil service position.

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