General Manager, Major Event Operations

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end operational execution of Highland’s LA28 transportation program
• Serve as a senior liaison for Highland to LA28/USOPP organizing committees, districts, utilities, and subcontractors, ensuring alignment on transportation planning, risk mitigation and contingency planning, and ongoing operations
• Design and implement the operational model for service delivery, including routing, dispatch, and staffing
• Coverage of sourcing, readiness, and day-to-day operations of ~500 electric buses in partnership with local fleet customers and a network of Southern California school transportation providers
• Oversee the Games-time operating mode and manage real-time service coordination, which may include: fleet readiness, charging and energy planning, driver recruitment and scheduling, maintenance staffing, spare buses, reporting, and incident response
• Ensure delivery against timelines, service standards, and contractual commitments
• Partner with commercial leadership to drive sales momentum across Southern California with districts, cities, and other partners
• Lead cross-functional internal project management and governance for the Highland LA28 program, including transportation games budget ownership
• Partner cross-functionally with internal teams (e.g., Fleet Operations, Procurement, Finance, Sales, and Marketing) to ensure readiness and alignment
• Define performance expectations, service standards, and accountability mechanisms
• As requested, support the oversight of other external transportation partners

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading complex, large-scale operational programs with real-time service delivery components for major events
• Strong operator with the ability to translate strategy into execution and manage multiple moving parts simultaneously
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including executive-level interaction with organizing committees, governmental entities, school districts, municipalities, and subcontractors
• Experience managing external vendors, partners, or subcontractors in a structured, accountable way
• Comfortable operating in high-stakes, time-bound environments with significant visibility
• Excellent cross-functional collaborator and communicator, including with senior stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to build teams and operational systems from the ground up
• Extensive experience with transportation, logistics, or similar operations
• Familiarity with dispatch systems, routing, or field service operations
• Experience working with public sector or large institutional partners