Intern, Partnership Management & Activation - Columbia University Graduate Fall 2023 & Winter 2024

The Olympic and Paralympic Games will be hosted in Los Angeles, California in 2028, returning to the United States for the first time in over 30 years. 2028 will be the first time LA hosts the Paralympic Games, creating an opportunity to expand awareness, understanding and inclusion of people with disabilities.

LA28, the organizers for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, is on a mission to create an unparalleled Games experience for athletes, fans, partners, our community and our people. Our vision is to collectively create what’s next through sport, community and the power of our differences.

The LA28 Games will represent LA and leverage the strength of our community’s diversity and creativity as we collectively work to design a Games that we all want to be a part of. We do this by focusing on people and by inviting everyone into the story of the LA28 Games.

The LA28 organizing committee is an independent, non-profit organization that is privately funded and governed by a board of directors. After LA28 secured the bid to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, LA28 formed the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP), the commercial arm of LA28, as a joint venture between the LA28 organizing committee and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. USOPP leads the marketing and selling efforts for sponsorship and licensing rights for LA28 and Team USA through 2028.

Values and Behaviors:

• Optimism – Embody a positive, enthusiastic, and solution-oriented attitude in everything we do; inspire and support one another to achieve our best; have our eyes on the future and believe we can make a meaningful impact
• Integrity – We communicate openly and honestly, listen, and respectfully value multiple perspectives; we do what we say and are accountable for everything we do; we do the right thing, always. Even when it isn’t easy
• Excellence – We hold ourselves to the highest standard and expectations; we live our values and truths and persevere through challenges; we are continuous learners and adapt and pivot with speed to meet changing needs
• Inclusion – We seek to represent, include, empower and level the playing field; our work reflects the communities we serve and the world in which we live; we leverage our platforms to bring awareness to issues relevant to who we are
• Co-Creation – We are authors of a shared story. We embrace collaboration within and across teams; everyone contributes their unique voice to our shared mission; we share pride in our accomplishments and ownership of our shortcomings
• Boldness – We embrace creativity, courage and outside-the-box thinking; we are unafraid to take risks, explore unconventional solutions, and learn from the process; we are innovators, disruptors, and challengers of the status quo

Job Description:

We’re looking for two Graduate Student Interns to join the LA28/USOPP Partnership Management & Activation (PMA) team in New York! As an intern on the PMA team, you will assist in the launch and execution of key strategic projects and research projects for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 and beyond by supporting engagement with our Partners across the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Additionally, you will be responsible for working closely with the PMA team to help design and drive marketing strategies and initiatives that further the business goals of our Partner Family.

The ideal candidate will have some prior experience with a wide range of marketing functions, including communications, advertising, branding, digital marketing, and social media. You must be organized and adept at multitasking; able to handle many distinct projects at once and meet tight deadlines. You’ll collaborate with our sales, communications, athlete, social impact, creative strategy and design teams to help drive the overall success of Team USA and the LA28 Games.

More broadly, the Partnership Management & Activation (PMA) graduate student intern will support various elements of the strategic development and execution of the USOPP Commercial Team, especially as it relates to mapping commercial activity, and thought leadership research with an emphasis on planning, implementing, and recapping outcomes. 

This job description is a general summary of responsibilities and requirements and is not intended to be all-inclusive of the responsibilities and requirements of this position.

Location: New York, NY (hybrid office environment: in-person and remote, environment to change at USOPP’s discretion)  

Length:

• Fall 2023 (September – December)
• Winter 2024 (January – April)

We will be bringing on (1) Graduate Student Intern for each semester.

Hours: 25-30 hours/week, paid Part-Time Internship (during the Columbia University semester calendar year)

Job Responsibilities:

• Assist in the launch and execution of key strategic projects for Paris 2024 and beyond including supporting the development of Gamestime operations, inclusive of domestic hospitality efforts in the U.S.
• Continually seek and research pertinent information/news/data relative to LA28/USOPP commercial partners and prospects
• Aggregate research, insights and key commercial trends to support Purpose-driven Games initiatives for LA28
• Track commercial athlete data across our roster of Sponsors
• Monitor key commercial questions and insights in preparation for Paris 2024 planning
• Support USOPP/LA28 as we build new Team USA programs and Partner activation opportunities
• Support all improvements for processes and tracking to KPIs
• Prepare marketing activity reports and metrics for measuring program success
• Play a role in building an exciting, engaging and inclusive team culture across LA28/USOPP
• Create presentations, tracking documents and other work product as needed
• Handle additional administrative functions as needed
• Liaise with key colleagues/functional units at IOC, IPC, USOPC, and NGBs

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in sports marketing, marketing, advertising, communications or relative field of study
• Currently enrolled as a graduate student at Columbia University in sports business or related marketing environment managing and leading people and initiatives
• Previous internship experience in a marketing or partnerships role
• Knowledge within the sports marketing industry
• Self-directed/self-starter individual with excellent organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced, independent environment
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Clear communicator with attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to work collaboratively with individuals at all levels in the organization

Preferred Qualifications:

• Hands on experience managing relationships
• Passion for sport
• Strong operational and program execution skills required
• Strong cross-functional skills, and a capacity for creativity/innovation
• Experience effectively interacting internally with senior marketing management and externally with the senior executives of partners
• Excellent presentation preparation skills and ability to work successfully with varied audiences (colleagues, business partners, collaborators, customers, and senior members of the organization)

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help shape the future of Los Angeles and the Olympic and Paralympic Movement in the United States and across the Globe. 

LA28 is committed to operating fair and unbiased recruitment procedures allowing all applicants an equal opportunity for employment, free from discrimination on the basis of religion, race, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, color, ethnic or national origin, or any other classification as may be protected by applicable law. We aim to recruit the right people for the jobs we have to offer, and to assess applications on the basis of relevant skills, education, and experience.