General Manager, Major Event Operations

 

The General Manager, Major Event Operations will lead planning and operational delivery for Highland’s role in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28).

 

The GM will be responsible for the end-to-end execution of a high-visibility, large-scale transportation program: deploying 500 electric buses, in coordination with a network of regional transportation partners, to support staff and contractor movement during the LA28 Games, while also building and managing the systems, relationships, and standards that govern Highland’s external transportation partners.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, requiring strong operational leadership, cross-functional coordination, and the ability to adapt to rapid change and deliver reliably in a complex, time-constrained environment.

This position is based in Los Angeles, CA and will require regular travel within Southern California.

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

Coordinate 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 Highland uses to deliver ongoing contractual commitments for non-LA28 customers

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