Manager, Volunteer Operations

Reporting to the Senior Volunteer Manager – FIFA27, the Volunteer Operations Manager will help bring together and manage thousands of volunteers across the 8 Host Cities.

In this role, you will support the planning and delivery of the Volunteer Programme, especially in the important areas of attracting, recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers during the Tournament. You will work closely with many internal teams and with the Host Cities of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™. The role will work closely with FIFA Zurich to ensure consistency and accountability.

Your main responsibilities will include managing key projects from start to finish. This includes organising volunteer recruitment activities, operational organisation of volunteer trainings, and overseeing the design and set-up of Volunteer Centres in each Host City. You will also create clear operational plans to ensure we meet programme milestones and deliver a consistent, high-quality volunteer experience in all 8 Host Cities.

We are looking for someone with strong experience in volunteer operations, who understands the challenges and opportunities of a major global event, and who has practical experience working in Brazil.

Key responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and support the daily operations of the Volunteer Programme while helping deliver several connected projects – including setting up volunteer services such as transport, catering, rewards and recognition.
• Work on important parts of the volunteer journey, such as promotional events, recruitment, training, and Tournament-time operations. These projects will develop and change as we get closer to FWWC27.
• Contribute to headcount planning efforts working closely with all Functional Areas to collect, confirm and combine volunteer requirements.
• Support Host Cities with planning and running the Volunteer Recruitment Centres, helping us deliver a unified Volunteer Programme across Brazil.
• Create clear, central plans and processes that help teams work efficiently and ensure volunteers have consistent experience everywhere.
• Build strong working relationships with Functional Areas, Host City teams, stadium authorities, and service providers to ensure smooth project delivery.
• Participation in venue operation planning and assisting in the central coordination of volunteer data capture and management.
  FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027™ Job Description.
• Help develop volunteer policies and procedures that follow FIFA standards and guidelines.
• Plan and run readiness workshops for the FWWC27 Volunteer Management team to ensure all locations are prepared for operations.
• Manage procurement processes (including RFI and RFP) for all services needed for volunteer operations from launch through Tournament time, in coordination with FIFA Zurich.
• Work with Functional Areas to ensure all volunteer-related items are correctly counted, prepared, and delivered at each stage of the volunteer journey. Support Host Cities in delivering their responsibilities on time and in line with the central plans.

• Education: Master in Sports Management or Event Management or Project Management preferred.
• Experience: 5 years + Proven experience in leading and managing large-scale volunteer programmes including fit for purpose attraction, recruitment, engagement and tournament time operational tactics.
• Strong understanding of effective volunteer management best practices.
• Solid knowledge of project management principles and methodologies, with the ability to plan, coordinate, and deliver multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience working with a Volunteer Management System (e.g. Rosterfy) or similar platforms is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to develop beneficial working relationships with internal and external stakeholder.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with a proven ability to prioritise tasks, multitask effectively, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience operating in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, with the flexibility and resilience to adapt to change and manage competing priorities.
• Excellent communication skills in both English and Portuguese (written and verbal), with the ability to communicate clearly across diverse teams and cultures.
• Creative, with aptitude to adapt, anticipate risks and remain solution orientated.
• A collaborative and inclusive team player, capable of working effectively with colleagues both on-site and remotely, while fostering a positive and respectful working environment.
• Right to work in Brazil.
• Ability to re-locate to Rio de Janeiro.