Major Sports Events Officer

The GLA is the strategic lead for major sporting events in the city and the first point of contact for anyone looking to bring their event to London.  The GLA’s Major Sports Events Team is responsible for managing the GLA’s stake in Major Sports Events in London, helping to unlock support from a variety of city stakeholders to ensure that rights owners can deliver their events in London to world class standards. The team builds and manages relationships with events owners, national governing bodies of sport, international sports federations, venue owners and key government agencies.    

The GLA is seeking to recruit into a permanent post to join the Major Sports Events Team. The postholder will provide effective and comprehensive project support to the Major Sports Events Team and to Host City Projects, and help to coordinate the team’s internal engagement on the opportunities around the Major Sports Events calendar.

Principal accountabilities

Participate in a range of workstreams and projects relating to the event; and take responsibility for some specific workstreams.

Coordinate, manage and plan consultation and stakeholder events, and communications activities.

Track, monitor and manage project actions against targets, and take accountability for ensuring the team’s master portfolio-wide plan is up to date.

Liaise with the team’s key sporting stakeholders and other key partners; and maintain excellent working relationships. 

Arrange meetings, including finding suitable dates, booking rooms, ordering catering and equipment, producing and circulating meeting documentation (such as agendas, minutes and presentations), and following up on any actions agreed as required.

Contribute to live bidding processes, providing key project support and partner liaison.

Support the planning, management and facilitation of Mayoral visits relating to Major Sports Events.

Provide secretariat support to event stakeholder boards, working groups and project meetings, with the aim of protecting the GLA’s stake and interests in Major Sports events; ensuring proper governance; managing reputational risk on behalf of the GLA and London more widely; and, ensuring that events are on track to deliver in accordance with agreed plans.

Support the team’s internal work in terms of written and oral briefings and reports for the Mayor, senior managers and Mayoral Directors, as well as London Assembly Members, relating to Major Sports Events.

Person specification

Technical requirements/experience/qualifications

Demonstrable experience of supporting project delivery.

Good communication skills and experience of working to demanding deadlines and working with a range of stakeholders.

Experience of using Microsoft Office including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel.

Exceptional attention to detail and experience of managing multiple priorities within a busy environment.

Behavioural competencies

Building and managing relationships

… is developing rapport and working effectively with a diverse range of people, sharing knowledge and skills to deliver shared goals.

Level 2 indicators of effective performance:

Develops new professional relationships 

Understands the needs of others, the constraints they face and the levers to their engagement

Understands differences, anticipates areas of conflict and takes action

Fosters an environment where others feel respected 

Identifies opportunities for joint working to minimise duplication and deliver shared goals

Challenges the views of others in an open and constructive way

Presents a credible and positive image both internally and externally 

Planning and organising

… is thinking ahead; managing time priorities and risk; and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard.

Level 1 indicators of effective performance:

Plans and prioritises own workload to meet agreed deadlines

Advises colleagues or manager early of obstacles to work delivery

Perseveres and follows work through to completion

Checks for errors to ensure work is delivered to a high standard first time

Effectively juggles priorities

Stakeholder focus

… is consulting with, listening to, and understanding the needs of those our work impacts and using this knowledge to shape what we do and manage others’ expectations.

Level 1 indicators of effective performance:

Listens to understand requirements without making assumptions

Demonstrates an enthusiastic and ‘can-do’ attitude to all requests

Provides timely, accurate and personalised responses

Provides a polite and helpful first point of contact for stakeholders

Learns from feedback to improve personal service to others

The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here: GLA competency framework.

This role is based at City Hall, in the Royal Docks (Kamal Chunchie Way, London, E16 1ZE).

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

Application Process & Additional Information

Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs alone for this role.

London's diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share. 

In addition to a good salary package, we offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.

On this recruitment campaign, as part of GLA’s continuing commitment to be an inclusive and equal opportunity employer we will be removing personal identifiable information from CVs and covering letters that could cause discrimination.

Reasonable adjustment will be made to working arrangements to accommodate a person with a disability who otherwise would be prevented from undertaking the work.

Application closing date: 13 February 2023 at 23:59