Director of Parking

The Director of Parking is accountable for the strategic direction, financial performance, operational execution, and continuous improvement of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium parking program. This position owns the overall parking operation for all stadium events and serves as the senior parking subject-matter leader responsible for delivering safe, efficient, financially responsible, and guest-focused parking operations.

The Director develops and establishes parking strategies, operational plans, staffing requirements, traffic and vehicular flow strategies, vendor performance standards, and contingency plans for NFL games, MLS matches, concerts, collegiate sporting events, major sporting events, and other special events.

The Director serves as the primary stadium representative for parking-related matters and leads relationships with third-party parking operators, transportation partners, event promoters, government agencies, law enforcement, the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), and other internal and external stakeholders.

The position carries significant financial and operational accountability for a major stadium revenue-generating function, including parking revenue performance, vendor expenditures, contract management, operational efficiencies, revenue optimization, and financial controls.

The Director is expected to exercise independent judgment and organizational leadership, including the authority and responsibility to evaluate requests from senior leaders, event stakeholders, vendors, and partners and determine when proposed parking or transportation solutions are not operationally, financially, or safely feasible. When appropriate, the Director provides alternative solutions and recommendations that protect the interests of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Director also serves as a Stadium Operations Center (SOC) Security Lead during assigned events and operational periods, providing venue-wide operational leadership and coordinating with Security, Public Safety, Guest Experience, Stadium Operations, transportation partners, law enforcement, and other agencies during significant incidents and emergency situations.

This position requires a strategic, hands-on leader capable of operating at both the executive and tactical levels while maintaining accountability for safety, financial performance, operational excellence, guest experience, vendor performance, and employee development.

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  Provide leadership and operational expertise on stadium-wide initiatives that intersect with parking, transportation, security, guest experience, and event operations.

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  Lead or participate in strategic projects involving parking, transportation, technology, infrastructure, revenue optimization, and operational efficiency.

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  Represent the parking function during executive meetings, audits, inspections, contract reviews, stakeholder meetings, and external engagements.

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  Provide operational leadership and subject-matter expertise during major stadium initiatives and special events.

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  Develop and maintain operational policies, procedures, standards, and contingency plans related to parking and transportation.

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  Support stadium security operations initiatives and cross-functional assignments when appropriate and as business needs require.

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  Lead or participate in emergency preparedness planning, tabletop exercises, and after-action reviews.

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  Provide operational leadership during non-event activities, facility projects, construction impacts, and special venue initiatives affecting parking or transportation.

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  Perform other duties and assume additional responsibilities as assigned by Stadium leadership.

• Own the overall parking program and establish the strategic vision, operating standards, and performance expectations for Mercedes-Benz Stadium parking operations.

• Direct all parking operations for stadium events, including NFL games, MLS matches, concerts, collegiate sporting events, major sporting events, and special events.

• Develop and establish event-specific parking strategies that account for attendance, event type, parking inventory, traffic conditions, transportation requirements, guest demographics, VIP requirements, and operational constraints.

• Establish and approve, or recommend for approval, parking operating plans, staffing requirements, traffic flow strategies, vehicular ingress and egress procedures, parking access strategies, and contingency plans.

• Direct the development and implementation of parking and transportation plans in coordination with Stadium Operations, Security, Public Safety, Guest Experience, the GWCC, transportation partners, law enforcement agencies, event promoters, and other stakeholders.

• Determine operational requirements and establish appropriate parking resources for major events based on event-specific needs and anticipated demand.

• Own the operational readiness of all parking assets, equipment, signage, technology, access systems, and related resources.

• Establish standards and processes to ensure parking facilities and operational resources are maintained and event-ready.

• Drive continuous improvement in parking efficiency, revenue performance, guest experience, safety, traffic management, and operational reliability.

• Analyze event performance, operational data, financial results, guest feedback, and other available metrics to identify trends, opportunities, deficiencies, and corrective actions.

• Establish performance metrics and accountability measures for the parking program and its service providers.

• Develop long-term strategies to improve parking utilization, operational efficiency, revenue performance, and the overall guest experience.

• Own the financial performance and operational accountability of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium parking program.

• Develop, manage, and monitor the parking operating budget in coordination with Finance and Stadium leadership.

• Establish financial controls and operational processes designed to protect parking revenue and minimize revenue leakage.

• Analyze parking revenue performance by event, parking asset, product, pricing structure, and other relevant categories.

• Develop and evaluate strategies to maximize parking revenue while balancing guest experience, operational requirements, market conditions, and event-specific considerations.

• Review and evaluate parking-related expenditures, vendor costs, staffing requirements, equipment needs, technology investments, and other operational expenses.

• Evaluate the financial impact of operational decisions and provide recommendations to Stadium leadership.

• Establish financial and operational performance expectations for parking vendors and hold service providers accountable for achieving agreed-upon results.

• Review parking-related financial reporting, reconciliations, invoices, settlements, and other financial information to identify discrepancies, trends, and opportunities for improvement.

• Partner with Finance to ensure appropriate controls, reporting, reconciliation, forecasting, and financial accountability are maintained.

• Develop business cases and financial recommendations for parking-related capital investments, technology, operational changes, pricing strategies, and contractual decisions.

• Own the strategic relationship with third-party parking operators and related service providers.

• Establish contractual performance expectations, operating standards, service levels, staffing requirements, and accountability measures.

• Lead vendor negotiations related to pricing, staffing, scope of services, operational requirements, performance expectations, contract modifications, renewals, and other business terms.

• Evaluate vendor proposals and recommendations and determine their operational and financial implications.

• Negotiate solutions that protect the financial, operational, safety, and guest experience interests of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

• Hold vendors accountable for contractual performance, staffing levels, service quality, operational readiness, safety requirements, and event execution.

• Direct the resolution of vendor performance deficiencies, disputes, operational issues, and contractual concerns.

• Evaluate vendor performance and develop corrective action plans when established expectations are not met.

• Partner with Procurement, Legal, Finance, and Stadium leadership on contract negotiations, renewals, amendments, and strategic sourcing decisions.

• Develop recommendations regarding the future structure, scope, and strategic direction of parking service agreements.

• Serve as the senior parking operations leader for assigned stadium events.

• Own parking operational readiness and ensure event-specific plans are developed, communicated, and executed effectively.

• Establish staffing and coverage requirements for each event and ensure adequate operational resources are available.

• Oversee the deployment and performance of contracted parking personnel and ensure the parking operator provides the appropriate staffing levels and operational support.

• Direct event-day parking operations and make real-time operational decisions based on changing conditions, traffic patterns, attendance, weather, security requirements, transportation impacts, and stakeholder needs.

• Maintain an appropriate parking operations leadership presence for major events, either on-site or through established on-call coverage.

• Resolve operational issues and guest concerns and determine appropriate corrective action.

• Evaluate requests from senior leaders, event promoters, VIP stakeholders, vendors, and other partners and determine whether proposed parking accommodations are operationally, financially, or safely feasible.

• Clearly communicate when requests cannot be accommodated and provide alternative recommendations when appropriate.

• Lead parking-related participation in event planning, operational readiness, traffic planning, and post-event review meetings.

• Direct after-action reviews and establish corrective actions to address identified deficiencies and improve future event execution.

• Develop and establish parking-related traffic and transportation strategies for major events.

• Lead coordination with the GWCC, City of Atlanta, transportation agencies, law enforcement, event promoters, transportation providers, and other external stakeholders.

• Represent Mercedes-Benz Stadium in parking, transportation, traffic management, and event mobility discussions.

• Evaluate traffic and transportation impacts associated with event schedules, attendance, concurrent events, construction, road closures, weather, and other external factors.

• Establish vehicular ingress and egress strategies designed to maximize safety, efficiency, and guest experience.

• Coordinate parking operations with stadium security, public safety, pedestrian movement, rideshare operations, transit, VIP transportation, and other transportation programs.

• Develop contingency strategies for significant traffic disruptions, severe weather, transportation failures, emergencies, and other operational challenges.

• Serve as the Stadium Operations Center (SOC) Security Lead during assigned events and operational periods.

• Provide operational leadership within the SOC and maintain situational awareness of stadium and campus activities.

• Direct and coordinate communication between Security, Public Safety, Parking, Stadium Operations, Guest Experience, transportation partners, law enforcement, and external agencies.

• Lead or coordinate operational responses to incidents affecting guests, employees, stadium operations, parking facilities, transportation networks, or surrounding campus areas.

• Exercise sound judgment during emergency and critical incidents and provide operational recommendations to Stadium leadership.

• Ensure established emergency management, incident response, communication, and escalation procedures are followed.

• Support venue-wide emergency management operations and participate in incident command activities as assigned.

• Lead or participate in emergency preparedness planning, tabletop exercises, drills, and after-action reviews.

• Identify operational risks and recommend mitigation strategies to protect guests, employees, stadium assets, and business operations.

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop direct reports and parking operations team members.

• Establish clear performance expectations, accountability measures, and professional development objectives.

• Direct the daily activities and development of assigned parking personnel.

• Oversee the operational performance of contracted parking personnel through vendor management and established service-level expectations.

• Identify and cultivate future leaders within the department through mentoring, cross-training, developmental assignments, and succession planning.

• Develop team members with the expectation of preparing qualified employees to advance into management and future Director-level positions within the organization.

• Conduct performance evaluations and provide meaningful ongoing feedback.

• Establish a culture of accountability, professionalism, teamwork, inclusion, safety, and operational excellence.

• Build strong relationships across Stadium Operations, Security, Guest Experience, Finance, Facilities, Events, and other departments to promote integrated stadium operations.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Sports Management, Public Administration, Operations Management, Transportation Management, Emergency Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in parking operations, venue operations, transportation management, event operations, security operations, or related fields.

• Minimum of 3 years of leadership experience managing professional staff, contracted workforces, vendors, or large-scale operational teams.

• Demonstrated experience managing parking operations and/or transportation programs for major sports, entertainment, convention, or other large-scale venues.

• Demonstrated experience managing significant operational budgets, revenue-generating programs, vendor contracts, or other financially accountable business functions.

• Demonstrated ability to negotiate with vendors and establish contractual and operational performance expectations.

• Demonstrated ability to make independent decisions in high-pressure and time-sensitive environments.

• Demonstrated ability to appropriately challenge requests from senior stakeholders when necessary to protect safety, financial interests, operational integrity, or guest experience.

• Experience managing large-scale events with significant guest attendance.

• Strong communication, organizational, financial, analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.

• Proficiency with parking management systems, event operations technology, financial reporting tools, and Microsoft Office applications.

• Ability to work nights, weekends, holidays, and extended hours based on event schedules.

• Experience working in a major sports and entertainment venue.

• Experience in emergency management, incident command, or command center operations.

• Knowledge of traffic management, transportation planning, parking technology, revenue management, and public safety coordination.

• Professional certifications related to venue management, emergency management, parking/transportation operations, security operations, project management, or related disciplines are preferred.

• Ability to work both indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions.

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods during events.

• Ability to respond rapidly to incidents throughout the stadium campus and surrounding parking facilities.

• Ability to work effectively in high-pressure, time-sensitive environments.

• Must be available to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, overnight periods, and major event days.

• Ability to remain operationally engaged for extended periods during major events and emergency situations.