Manager Academic Relations, Olympic Studies Center

Department: Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage

Location: Lausanne, Switzerland

Contract Type: Open-ended

Activity Level: 100%

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the guardian of the Olympic Games and the leader of the Olympic Movement. A truly global organisation, it acts as a catalyst for collaboration between all Olympic stakeholders, including athletes, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Sports Federations (IFs), Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), Worldwide Olympic Partners and Media Rights-Holders. It also works with public and private authorities, including the United Nations and other international organisations.

The Olympic Studies Centre (OSC), which is part of the IOC’s Culture and Heritage Department, is recognised as the centre of reference for Olympic knowledge with a mission to ensure that knowledge is permanently enhanced and is accessible. Through our programmes and services, we support the work of the Olympic Movement and also foster Olympic education, teaching and research among professors, researchers and students, and support the activities of the global academic network of Olympic Studies and Research Centres.

If you are a professional withstrong experience working for an international organisation (preferably in the Olympic Movement) and have a sound understanding of the world of academia and research, and you believe in power of sport to create a better world the mission to create a better world, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact to the Olympic Movement from within.

This position is instrumental to fostering knowledge exchange and communication between the IOC and the academic community, supporting research initiatives in the social and human sciences, leading the OSC’s academic networks and promoting Olympic education and studies.

Main responsibilities of this role include:

Help to develop and implement the OSC’s external relations strategies, policies and action plans in close cooperation with the Head of Unit

• Propose and implement the collaboration strategy vis-à-vis the academic community.

• Support the Head of the OSC in conducting collaboration activities with Olympic Movement partners and other educational and cultural partners.

• Contribute to the communications strategy, particularly for the academic community.

Promote and facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration between the academic community and the Olympic Movement

• Serve as the point of contact for, and ensure communication and knowledge exchange between, academic stakeholders and IOC departments.

• Oversee and ensure the relevance, development, implementation and promotion of research grant programmes and manage the Research Grant Programme Selection Committee.

• Oversee and ensure the relevance, development and implementation of other OSC led academic initiatives such as the International Olympic Case Study Competition and the On The Line with an Expert session.

• Handle support and collaboration requests from the university sector.

• Advise Olympic Movement stakeholders, including Organising Committees for the Olympic Games, National Olympic Committees and International Sports Federations in matters relating to educational and research activities.

Identify and support research requests from IOC departments

• Guide, advise and support IOC departments in establishing (call for proposals), promoting and, if necessary, evaluating and implementing research or educational initiatives with academic or educational institutions.

• Manage the Advanced Olympic Research Grant Programme and identify the priority research themes.

• Recommend experts and support departments with applied research projects.

Manage and lead the network of Academic Olympic Studies and Research Centres (OSRCs)

• Ensure regular contact with the OSRCs.

• Review and produce summaries of the OSRCs’ annual reports.

• Follow up on requests to incorporate new OSRCs into the network.

• Lead and promote the OSRC network.Ensure regular communication and provide opportunities to exchange knowledge with and among network members.

• Oversee the organisation of the regular colloquium of OSRCs (min. every four years):

• Contribute to establishing an organising committee;

• Help ensure a relevant format and establish the programme;

• Manage resource and budget allocation and branding matters.

Manage the services activities and team

• Ensure regular and constructive exchanges with the Head of Unit and peers to enhance the OSC’s team overall cohesion and cross-functional efficiency.

• People management - manage the sections staff, assign roles and responsibilities.

• Oversee and continuously monitor the quality of service and communication.

• Manage the section as per the policy established by the IOC, the Department Director and the Head of Unit in cooperation with Human Resources (evaluations, training requirements, etc.).

• Make proposals on and monitor the section’s objectives and budgets.

• Ensure appropriate reporting.

Eligibility criteria:

• Higher education studies, Master’s degree in humanities and social sciences; a focus on sports sciences would be a plus.

• Strong experience (8+ years) working in an international organisation, ideally in a role dealing with international programmes and stakeholders.

• Experience with managing complex projects and programmes.

• Strong understanding of the academic landscape, including research structures, funding mechanisms and institutional partnerships.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Excellent general knowledge of and experience working within aninternational and multicultural movement

• Excellent written and oral English communication skills, as it is the primary language of communication in international settings (Spanish and French will be a strong plus).