Manager, Ceremonies

Department: Events & Entertainment

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time

Location: Brazil

Description

THE POSITION

•  Support the operational delivery and implementation of the Ceremonies Concept provided by FIFA.
• Support the end to end planning and delivery of all official ceremonies across the FWWC27 tournament.
• Oversee ceremonies planning and delivery from concept development through pre production, execution, dissolution, and legacy handover.
• Ensure full alignment with the Entertainment team in Zurich across all ceremonial workstreams.
• Manage the approval process for all ceremony related creative and operational deliverables.
• Provide senior decision making support on creative direction, technical feasibility, and operational prioritisation.
• Lead the development of ceremony operational plans, production schedules, rundowns, and show formats for all ceremonies, including PMC.
• Coordinate with Venue Management, Broadcast, Safety & Security, and other Functional Areas to integrate ceremonies seamlessly into match day and event day operations.
• Escalate ceremony related operational matters.
• Ensure all ceremonies reflect the approved creative vision, brand standards, cultural sensitivities, and tournament wide entertainment strategy.
  
  

• Support the Ceremonies Team by contributing to daytoday coordination, operational readiness, and delivery standards.
• Assist with the onboarding and support of Ceremonies personnel—including suppliers, freelancers, and eventtime workforce—helping ensure consistent standards and operational preparedness.
• Contribute to internal talent development through daily guidance, structured feedback, and knowledge sharing.
• Support effective collaboration across creative, technical, and operational units.
• Contribute to coordination between venuebased ceremonies teams to maintain consistency in delivery standards and operational execution.
• Foster strong teamwork, knowledge exchange, and operational alignment with the Stadium Entertainment Team to ensure unified delivery across all entertainment and ceremonies workstreams.
  
  

• Support the planning and delivey processes for all major ceremonial events, including: Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony, Medal and Trophy Ceremonies, Final Match Half-Time Show (if applicable), Pre-Match Ceremonies throughout the tournament
• Ensure that each major ceremony reflects the ambition, brand standards, and cultural significance of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027™.

• Support the development and refinement of the ceremonial concept and creative direction for each ceremony in collaboration with the Entertainment Team.
• Contribute to the integration of host country cultural elements into ceremonial programming in a meaningful, authentic, and respectful manner.
• Assist in the creation of creative briefs, content commissioning, and preproduction workflows in coordination with internal teams and external agencies
• Contribute to stakeholder approval processes to ensure all content is delivered, documented, and archived in line with operational requirements.
  Support IP and copyright compliance across all ceremony related content.

• Maintain detailed project plans, WIP reports, and milestone trackers for all ceremony workstreams.
• Ensure operational and creative decisions are fully documented and version controlled.
• Coordinate with multiple suppliers, conduct regular update meetings, coordinate implementation processes, and supervise payments and reporting.
• Prepare written and oral presentations, high-level briefings, and reports for senior leadership and FIFA counterparts.
• Organize and participate in Review, Project Team, and Status Update meetings.
• Support the creation, management, and archiving of project plans, workflows, venue documentation, and readiness tools across all ceremony workstreams.
• Contribute to ensuring readiness standards are met at all ceremony venues and provide operational support on event days.
• Support operational decision-making to help maintain seamless delivery during live ceremonies.
• Assist with rehearsal planning, scheduling, approvals, and stakeholder coordination for all ceremonies.
• Support venue level preproduction activities, including technical surveys, staging assessments, and infrastructure planning.
  
  

• Support procurement processes as directed by the Ceremonies Senior Manager, including supplier briefing and evaluation.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with entertainment suppliers and contractors at assigned venue(s).
• Assist with budget management tasks, including forecasting inputs, cost tracking, variation documentation, and invoice processing, ensuring accuracy and timely follow-up.
• Help monitor contractual deliverables and timelines, ensuring they remain aligned with preproduction schedules and operational readiness requirements, and escalate risks to the Senior Manager as needed.
  
  

• Act as a liaison between the Ceremonies Team and all relevant Functional Areas, including Venue Operations, Broadcast, Safety & Security, Marketing, and FIFA SPE, in coordination with the Senior Manager.
• Deliver concise briefings and alignment updates across all internal and external stakeholders.
• Support the building and maintenance of relationships with Host Country national bodies, cultural organizations, and local partners contributing to ceremonies.
• Ensure early phase cross functional integration to support seamless operational delivery.

• Support preparation of Site Operational Plans (SOPs), ceremony production schedules, and PMC rundowns.
• Direct venue level pre-production processes including technical surveys, staging assessments, performer logistics, and infrastructure planning.
• Contribute to ensuring readiness standards are met at all ceremony venues and support execution on the day of each event.
• Act as the key operational decision maker to maintain seamless delivery during live ceremonies.
• Assist in rehearsal planning, scheduling, approvals, and stakeholder coordination.
• Ensure all creative and technical elements are validated during pre-event testing and rehearsal phases.
  
  

• Perform additional responsibilities as required by management aligned with project delivery.
• Represent the Ceremonies function in cross-functional planning forums and management briefings.
• Support the Head of Entertainment in strategic planning, operational readiness, and tournament‑wide entertainment integration.

YOUR PROFILE

• Bachelor's degree or similar level of higher education or equivalent in industry experience.

•  5+ years' experience in live event production and ceremonies management, ideally within major international sporting events or large-scale public events.
• Prior experience in a FIFA tournament or comparable major international sports event is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, large-scale ceremonies including opening/closing ceremonies and awards presentations.
• Proven track record in team managership, creative development, supplier management, and cross-functional coordination.
• Experience managing RFP/procurement processes and overseeing multi-supplier contracts and budgets.
• Experience integrating cultural programming and working with national cultural bodies and creative agencies.

• ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS: Ability to manage office and production documentation including, RFPs, presentations, show rundowns, rehearsal schedules, scripts, and permits accurately.
• ADAPTABILITY: Ability to adapt to evolving creative direction and operational challenges in high-pressure environments.
• FLEXIBILITY: Willingness to work irregular hours, including evenings and weekends, across the full tournament period.
• COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; able to manage complex stakeholder relationships at a senior level.
• ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS: Exceptional project management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent ceremony workstreams to tight deadlines.
• PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS: Strategic and creative approach to problem-solving; ability to make clear decisions under pressure.
• CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLABORATION: Proven ability to work collaboratively across internal teams and diverse functional areas, ensuring alignment and contributing to the successful achievement of delivery goals.
• INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: Builds effective working relationships across internal and cross-functional teams, applying strong interpersonal skills to support smooth coordination and operational alignment
• CULTURAL SENSITIVITY: Deep awareness and respect for diverse cultures; committed to ensuring ceremonies are inclusive, authentic, and globally resonant.
• PASSION FOR ENTERTAINMENT: Genuine passion for live performance, ceremony production, and the power of sport to inspire.

• Fluent in English and Brazilian Portuguese.
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio & Project) and planning/collaboration tools.
• Experience of Monday.com an advantage.
• Knowledge of and previous event / tournament experience across the stadiums in Brazil a plus
• The right to work in Brazil. 
• Ability to re-locate to Rio de Janeiro.