Director, Ticketing
Responsibilities
- Programme Ownership: Lead the planning, development, and delivery of the ticketing and hospitality programme across all phases of the FIFA World Cup project, from initial briefing to post-event debrief.
- Team Lead: Day-to-day management of core ticketing team of 4 who are responsible for central management of all ticketing operations.
- Client Liaison: Serve as the point of contact for the client on all ticketing-related matters, translating client objectives into actionable operational plans while ensuring strict adherence to FIFA regulations and protocols.
- Guest Experience Strategy: Define and implement guest journey mapping and ticket distribution strategies that integrate seamlessly into the broader event ecosystem, ensuring alignment with both FIFA standards and bespoke client requirements.
- Project Governance: Drive project governance including timelines, workstreams, milestones, reporting, and tracking.
- Cross-Functional Coordination: Collaborate with le from other operational verticals (e.g., accreditation, transport, accommodation, F&B) to deliver a cohesive and exceptional guest experience.
- Vendor Management: Oversee engagement and coordination with third-party tech suppliers, ensuring alignment on deliverables, SLAs, and service excellence.
- Budget & Reporting: Manage programme budget, track expenditures, raise POs, and produce financial updates and reconciliation reports as required.
- Platform Management: Lead the configuration, testing, and rollout of ticketing systems (e.g., ticket order management, guest portals, allocation tools) in partnership with internal teams and external tech suppliers.
- Inventory Management: Maintain detailed oversight of ticket inventory, allocations, contingencies, and real‑time tracking, and reporting to support both strategic and operational decision‑making.
- Compliance & Documentation: Ensure all ticketing processes comply with FIFA protocols, GDPR, and relevant legal/regulatory requirements. Maintain up‑to‑date documents, guest communications, delivery schedules, and operational playbooks.
- Issue Management: Lead troubleshooting and escalation workflows for ticketing issues – both pre‑event and live, ensuring rapid and transparent resolution for clients and guests.
- Reporting & Audits: Produce regular operational reports and post‑event audit documentation to support transparency and accountability.
- Main contact: Act as senior ticketing contact on‑site during tournament which includes managing extended ticket operations managers based in the US who will be supporting during tournament time.
- Issue resolution: Managing issues with ticket delivery, guest changes, last‑minute coordination, guest services, and real‑time issue resolution.
- Venue team support: Coordinate closely with hospitality teams at stadiums to implement last‑minute operational changes swiftly and effectively.
- Cross‑functional role: Represent ticketing interests in cross‑functional meetings and escalated issues to senior leadership.
- Contingency plans: Develop, document, and implement contingency plans to address critical risk areas such as technical failures, last‑minute ticketing adjustments, and access control problems.
- Responsiveness: Manage support teams during onsite emergencies, ensuring minimal disruption to guest experience and operations.
- Team mentorship: Lead, mentor, and manage junior ticketing and guest services staff, fostering clarity of roles and excellence in service delivery.
- Post‑event reporting: Analyze data and gather stakeholder feedback to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement.
- Extensive experience in large‑scale event ticketing management, ideally within international sports or entertainment contexts.
- Proven leadership in managing complex ticketing operations and stakeholder relationships.
- Strong knowledge of ticketing systems architecture, vendor management, and integration with hospitality and accreditation systems.
- Demonstrated ability to manage operational readiness, compliance, and contingency planning.
- Expertise in data privacy, guest data lifecycle management, and regulatory compliance.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with experience managing diverse teams.
- Ability to work under pressure, solve problems proactively, and make timely decisions in a dynamic environment.
- Availability for onsite event support during FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament phases.
- Proven experience (7+ years) in account management, event operations, or ticketing for major international events – experience with sports tournaments is a strong advantage.
- In‑depth knowledge of ticketing platforms, CRM systems, and digital ticket distribution technologies.
- Demonstrated ability to manage high‑level stakeholders and complex operational delivery under tight timelines.
- Strong project management skills, including budgeting, planning, and team coordination.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to navigate diverse cultural environments.
- Highly organised, solution‑oriented, and capable of working under pressure in fast‑paced, dynamic environments.
- Experience in managing third‑party vendors and contractors is desirable.
- Fluency in English is essential; additional languages (particularly Spanish) are an asset.
- Availability for international travel and flexible working hours, including weekends and match days.
- Contract Type: Fixed‑Term Contract (until August 2026)
- Location: Based in London, with travel to the United States required during the tournament.