Sports Director

Department: Sports Department
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Contract Type: Open-ended

Activity Level: 100%

Job start date: 01.07.2025

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 the athletes, the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Sports Federations (IFs), Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), the Worldwide Olympic Partners and Media Rights-Holders. It also works with public and private authorities,including the United Nations and other international organisations.

If you are an experienced professional in the field of sport and the vision to build a better world through sports inspires you, this is a unique opportunity to contribute to the Olympic Movement within the IOC.

About the Role

As the Sports Director you will be managing relations with the Olympic and Recognised International Federations (IFs). You will also be liaising with Olympic Federations and Organising Committees of the Olympic Games on the planning and delivery of sports element of Olympic Games, Olympic Winter Games, and Youth Olympic Games. Additionally, you will be supporting the work of the Olympic Programme Commission and overseeing the work of the Athletes Department and the Health, Medicine and Science Department in the implementation of IOC strategies.

Main Responsibilities

Institutional

• In collaboration with each respective department’s Director, oversee the policy, strategy and objectives of the Sports, Athletes and Health, Medicine & Science departments, including aligning on budget and Human Resources and work of their respective commissions

• Lead and empower the three departments in the operational implementation of IOC strategies and recommendations, while raising executive-level issues to the Director General and the IOC President for decision

• Lead the representation of the Sports, Athletes and Health, Medicine & Science Departments at the IOC Executive Board and IOC Session meetings

• Enable the operations of the Sports, Athletes and Health, Medicine & Science departments for the delivery of Games-time related programmes and deliverables

Management of the department

• Task planning :

  • organises the department's activities

  • negotiates the objectives to be achieved and the means of achieving them with the people concerned

  • ensures that they are implemented and supervises the results obtained.

  • creates and implements performance indicators to monitor the department's overall activity.

  • processes and manages files appropriately.

• Staff and budget management:

  • Validate the Human Resources and budgeting needs with each Department (Sports, Athletes, Medicine & Science)

  • Ensure the budgets relating to the three departments are respected.

  • Evaluate his or her direct staff and ensure that the end-of-year evaluations within his or her department are properly conducted.

  • Accept responsibility for resolving disputes which cannot reasonably be solved by his or her staff members and managers.

  • Undertake to respect and ensure respect of the cultural differences within his or her department and/or in his or her relations with IOC partners.

• Communication:

  • Ensure good communication within all three departments and strong liaison with the rest of the IOC Administration

  • Attend directors’ meetings and take all measures necessary to develop synergies between departments.

  • Ensure that the Executive Board and Session are informed about the issues within the areas of activity of the Sports, Athletes and Medical & Scientific departments.

• Administrative and financial tasks:

  • Ensure that the law, the different regulations, instructions and procedures are correctly applied within his or her department.

  • Be responsible for his or her budget vis-à-vis the President and Director General.

  • Define the decision-making powers of the staff within his or her department.

• Respect for internal rules of conduct

  • Respect and ensure respect of the internal rules of conduct and all instructions and procedures in place (information security, Code of Ethics, staff regulations, project management methodology, etc.)

Strategic and operational Responsibilities

Olympic Programme Commission

• Define the Olympic programme review procedure and manage its implementation

• Manage engagement with Olympic Programme Commission members and the management of meetings and recommendations

• Support the Chair of the Commission on presentations of reports to the IOC Executive Board and the IOC Session

International Sports Federations

• Lead and manage the relations with the Olympic IFs and the IFs’ involvement in IOC strategic projects

• Intervene in situations requiring mediation between IFs and OG or YOG Organising Committees.

• Is responsible for relations with the International Federations:

  • Liaison between the International Federations and the IOC

  • Recognition of International Federations and examination of applications from recognised International Federations

  • Monitoring the support granted to International Federations for the development programme

  • Organisation of joint meetings with ASOIF and AIOWF

  • Liaising with AGFIS and ARISF

• Is responsible for monitoring all activities and relations with recognised sports organisations. Enable the Sports team to support the IFs with developing their sport

Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games

• Lead and manage the liaison with IFs and OCOGs on sport-related projects, including the qualification systems, competition schedules, venue selection, IF services, delivery models and Games / competition operations. Make sure this is coordinated with the Olympic Games Executive

• Coordinate and manage all sports-related evaluations and reports in the framework of the applicant and bid city procedures for the OG and YOG.

• Take part in the OG and YOG Coordination Commission meetings and project reviews.

• Manage the sports-related operations during the OG and YOG.

• Manage the OG and YOG debriefing with the Olympic IFs and follow up the resulting actions and recommendations.

• Support the Games-time activities of IOC President (sports visits…)

We’re seeking someone with:

• Preferably at least 10 years’ experience in the field of high-level sports management, including ideally International Federations and / or Organising Committees of the Olympic Games.

• Proven experience of at least 10 years in a managerial function within an organisation linked to sport, a public agency or large-scale sports association.

• Proven knowledge of the Olympic Movement.

• Excellent management skills.

• Ability to exert influence and work in a complex environment.

• Excellent sense of planning and organisation.

• Ability to work both independently and in a team.

• Excellent command of French and English, with knowledge of other languages an asset.

• Communication skills; team spirit; appreciation of working in a multicultural environment.

• Keen sense of priorities for efficient management of projects and deliverables.

• Experience of dealing with other people at all levels of an organisation, as well as gathering and communicating often complex and sensitive information orally and in writing.

• Excellent command of the corporate tools and ability to follow the internal user rules (Outlook, etc.).

Behaviour and attitude:

• Respect the Olympic values andthe internal rules of conduct and all instructions and procedures in place (i.e. Information Security, Code of Ethics, etc).

• Diligence and discretion combined with solid professional ethics.

• Collaboration and transfer of knowledge.

• Positive attitude, open-mindedness.

• Possessing agility and flexibility while maintaining focus on core issues.

• Enthusiasm, reactivity and efficiency.

• Independent and proactive with a can-do attitude, yet able to work closely with different teams and manage multiple stakeholders.

• Results-oriented and personal commitment to setting and achieving lofty goals.

• Ability to adapt, react, and efficiently deliver in an environment in constant evolution.

• Ability to listen, engage and motivate people.

• Ability to set a direction for the team and lead to a common result.

• Ability to set individual objectives and assess performance accordingly. Share regular feedback to team members.

• Ability to empower others to make decisions or take charge.

• Is able to act quickly, set new directions, and make smart but fast decisions if required by changes in the market or customer needs.

• Ability to share sensitive messages or unpopular points of view in a motivating manner.

Come and join an organisation where the spirit of inclusion, gender equality and diversity is embedded in its DNA and which focuses on what unites us – a passion for sport and its values. Work in a flexible and rewarding environment which offers competitive employee benefits and numerous incentives to live a sustainable, healthy and active life. By joining us, you become part of the Olympic Movement and help to build a better world through sport. You will have the opportunity to work with people of more than 70 nationalities.