Senior Director, Winter Sport Strategy

United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee; United States; Remote; USD 136,000 - 174,000; Full time

Job summary

A major sports organization is seeking a Senior Director of Winter Sport Strategy. In this role, you will lead the implementation of the Winter Sport Plan across Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, manage a team, and oversee significant resources to drive athlete success. The ideal candidate has extensive leadership experience in high performance sport and strong strategic abilities. Remote work options are available.

Benefits

Annual Incentive Award Program

Comprehensive benefits package

Frequent travel opportunities

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive leadership in high performance sport.
• Experience managing multi-sport or Olympic/Paralympic portfolios.
• Demonstrated experience in evaluating high performance programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of the Winter Sport Plan.
• Oversee resource allocation and performance impact efforts.
• Coordinate Games-time preparation for Olympic and Paralympic sports.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Analytical mindset

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

Master’s degree in a related field

Tools

Microsoft Applications

Standard office equipment

Job description

Overview

Description Are you mission-driven and passionate about helping others succeed? Do you strive to lead, follow, and act with integrity? Are you the one who honors your commitments? Is building trusting relationships an integral part of why you do what you do? Do you push limits and challenge the status quo? If you answered YES, keep reading to discover how you can significantly contribute to Team USA’s success!

Here’s a Summary Of Responsibilities The Senior Director, Winter Sport Strategy is responsible for leading the implementation and operationalization of the USOPC’s Winter Sport Plan across Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. The role oversees a team of high performance professionals and directly partners with winter National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to develop and execute performance plans that maximize the probability of medal success. A critical leader within the Olympic & Paralympic High Performance team, this position is entrusted with overseeing the allocation, deployment, and impact of a multimillion-dollar pool of combined resources (cash, Olympic & Paralympic Training Center access, and human capital) annually.

The Senior Director provides high-level strategy and guidance to the Vice President of Olympic & Paralympic High Performance, supports the long-term evolution of high performance planning, and actively contributes to shaping USOPC’s short- and long-term Olympic and Paralympic success.

Responsibilities

Here’s How You’ll Have An Impact

• Strategic Leadership & Execution

• Lead the development and delivery of the Winter Sport Plan in alignment with the USOPC’s strategic priorities and performance goals.
• Serve as a key advisor to the Vice President on the development and refinement of high performance strategies and frameworks.
• Collaborate with senior leaders across High Performance to co-develop new services, processes, and systems that improve athlete outcomes and institutional effectiveness.
• Evaluate each NGB’s high performance plan for risk, opportunity, and alignment, and provide tailored strategic support to elevate performance trajectories across the winter sport portfolio.

Resource Oversight & Performance Impact

• Oversee the allocation and strategic use of a multimillion-dollar pool annually in USOPC resources (i.e., cash grants, Training Center(s) access, staffing support, etc.) across winter NGBs.
• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of deployed resources, ensuring they are aligned with Games-time performance targets and long-term development goals.
• Lead a consistent and transparent high performance review process to evaluate NGB funding requests and sport plans, with emphasis on driving continuous improvement and return on investment.
• Deliver clear, evidence-informed recommendations to the Vice President regarding the strategic investment of USOPC resources.

Winter Sport Team Management

• Direct and support the Winter Sport team, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture focused on excellence, impact, and innovation.
• Ensure consistency in the delivery and philosophy of high performance services across all winter sports.
• Develop and apply systems to assess team effectiveness, individual staff development, and program outcomes.

Games Planning & Integration

• Lead high performance planning and Games-time preparation efforts for Olympic and Paralympic winter sports, ensuring an optimal performance environment at Games.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders (e.g., Games Operations, Sports Medicine, Applied Sciences, Summer Sport) to ensure seamless integration of support services into NGB and athlete preparations.
• Support the identification and resolution of sport-specific logistical, technical, or resource-based barriers to podium performance.

Collaboration & Innovation

• Partner with the Senior Director, Summer Sport Strategy and Senior Director, Applied Sciences to ensure methodological consistency, data-informed decision-making, and knowledge sharing.
• Engage with external partners (e.g., universities, research centers, high performance experts) to enhance the evolution of applied high performance services.
• Identify opportunities for innovation in coaching, competitive analytics, sport-specific technology, and performance modeling.

Cross-Organizational Contributions & Leadership

• Contribute to Development team efforts by identifying funding gaps and supporting initiatives to attract high performance-specific donor investment.
• Participate in strategic planning efforts within High Performance and across the USOPC, representing the winter sport perspective.
• Lead the Winter Sport team, including hiring, mentoring, coaching, and motivating to maximize collective performance. Contribute to an atmosphere for outstanding teamwork through clear expectations, frequent communication, and providing fair and consistent feedback. Manage the performance of team members effectively.
• Lead the Winter Sport Director in identifying and understanding the unique strengths, skills, and experience of each member of the Winter team and strategically applying them across the high performance ecosystem to elevate team impact, enhance collaboration, and drive sustained success for Team USA.
• Perform other duties as assigned in service of Team USA’s success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• Master’s degree in sport performance, leadership, business administration, or a related field preferred
• Must possess or have the ability to obtain a valid passport
• Must possess a valid driver’s license
• 12+ years of progressive leadership in high performance sport, including direct experience managing multi-sport or Olympic/Paralympic portfolios
• Proven ability to lead teams and influence performance strategy in complex, resource-constrained environments
• Deep understanding of athlete development, sport systems, Games preparation, and the Olympic & Paralympic ecosystem
• Demonstrated experience in evaluating and funding high performance programs
• Experience and success in allocating limited resources to achieve maximum impact
• Successful business management and strategic development experience
• Strong strategic thinking, decision-making, and planning abilities
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Ability to build trust-based relationships with high-level stakeholders
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and apply insights to strategy and operations
• Demonstrated cross-functional team collaboration with the ability to earn the confidence and support of a wide range of internal and external constituents
• Proven ability to oversee large operational budgets and ensure funds are used efficiently and effectively
• Comfortable managing complexity and ambiguity while delivering measurable results

Tools, Equipment, & Conditions

• Standard office equipment
• Microsoft Applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Outlook
• Frequent travel to Colorado Springs and Lake Placid Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers (OPTCs)
• Non-traditional office and living environment at Games or meeting sites
• Frequent domestic and international travel in multi-cultural environments
• Non-traditional work hours including evenings, weekends and holidays
• Regular attendance at work is an essential job function.

Work Location

Remote

Additional Information

• Hiring pay range $136,805 – $173,742 per year
• This Full-Time, Exempt position is intended to work 40 hours per week.
• Bonus: This position will be eligible for the Annual Incentive Award Program, which has a 20% target. The USOPC may change or eliminate this program at any time at its sole discretion.
• Benefits: This position will be eligible for USOPC benefits. You can view a summary here.