Venue IT Director of Premiere Events - FIFA World Cup 26TM

Who We Are:

On Location is a premium experience provider, offering world class hospitality, ticketing, curated guest experiences, live event production, and travel management across sports, entertainment, and fashion. From unrivaled access for corporate clients to guests looking for fully immersive experiences at marquee events, On Location is the premier and official service provider to over 150 iconic rights holders, such as the IOC (Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026, LA 2028), NFL, NCAA, UFC and PGA of America, and numerous musical artists and festivals. The company also owns and operates a number of unique and exclusive experiences, transforming the most dynamic live events into a lifetime of memories. On Location is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.

Endeavor is a global sports and entertainment company, home to many of the world’s most dynamic and engaging storytellers, brands, live events, and experiences. The Endeavor network specializes in talent representation through entertainment agency WME; sports operations and advisory, event management, media production and distribution, and brand licensing through IMG; live event experiences and hospitality through On Location; full-service marketing through global cultural marketing agency 160over90; and sports data and technology through IMG ARENA and OpenBet. Endeavor is also the majority owner of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company comprising UFC and WWE.

Reporting to the VP of Global Service delivery, the IT Director of Premiere Events for FIFA World Cup 26TM plays a crucial and prominent role within the On Location business. This highly visible position will lead the planning and development of a premiere event program, including the staffing plan, technology selection, coordination with Infrastructure, and more.

The IT Director of Premiere Events position demands a unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen to effectively manage the coordination between venues, business functional areas, and IT. Collaborating closely with business stakeholders and users, the IT Director anticipates business needs and ensures a strong alignment between IT support and business objectives. The IT Director will directly lead the program for a specific Premiere Event division and have IT leads across Americas reporting to them. A comprehensive understanding of in-venue events support, core IT processes and systems, and a continual improvement mindset is essential for this role. Additionally, the IT Director must stay abreast of technological advancements and proactively advise the business on the best solutions for their event needs.

Our ideal candidate will exhibit exceptional leadership, transformation, and technical skills, enabling them to successfully navigate a fast-paced and complex organization. Excellent communication skills and a passion for customer service and mentorship/coaching are a must.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan, develop and deliver a Premiere Event program over (2) years.

• Collaborate with business stakeholders to identify and understand their technology requirements, challenges, and opportunities.

• Manage a team of Manager-level employees, with tiers of reporting lines, to deliver IT events services in venues throughout the Americas region.

• Foster robust relationships with key team members and business stakeholders to respond to business needs and feedback, identifying areas of, planning for, and actioning improvement efforts with clear KPI tracking and reports.

• Compile and prioritize IT demand and deliver technology solutions supporting event operations and business strategy.

• Supervise successful execution of premiere events, ensuring high availability and quality of support, thoughtful end user change management and adherence to security standards.

• Harness the enterprise IT organization, infrastructure, and technology capabilities to achieve business outcomes.

• Uphold appropriate compliance, security, and controls, aligning with company policy and governance.

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, or related field, or equivalent work experience.

• At least 10 years of experience in delivering IT projects and operations for large-scale events on-time and on-budget, preferably in the sports industry.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with senior management, technical staff, vendors, and partners, as well as diverse and multicultural audiences.

• Strong leadership, team building, and project management skills, with the ability to motivate and mentor IT staff and foster a collaborative and productive work environment.

• Proven track record of delivering IT solutions that meet the needs and expectations of event stakeholders, sponsors, participants, and spectators.

• Excellent leadership and communication skills to manage a diverse and global IT team.

• Expertise in IT infrastructure, network, security, cloud, data, and communication technologies and platforms, as well as emerging trends and innovation for large-scale events and operations.

• Ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, vendors, and partners to deliver IT solutions that meet the needs and expectations of large-scale events and operations.

• Knowledge of the latest trends and innovations in IT and the sports industry.

• Responsible for developing and overseeing the IT strategy and budget for a premiere event program, ensuring alignment with the organizational goals and objectives.

• Ensure the security, reliability, and performance of the IT systems and infrastructure, as well as compliance with the relevant standards and regulations.

• Manage and coordinate the IT staff and contractors, providing guidance, training, and feedback.

• Identify and evaluate new technologies and solutions that can enhance the IT capabilities and services for large-scale premiere events.

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with key IT vendors and partners, negotiating contracts and service level agreements.

• Demonstrate strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, as well as the ability to work under pressure and handle multiple tasks and deadlines.

Endeavor unites and brings people together in our love of sport, culture, and entertainment. We understand this can only be accomplished when we lead with a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. As a global company that drives culture, we strive to reflect the world’s diverse voices.  

Endeavor is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religion or belief.