Manager, Ceremonies

FIFA has established a Local FIFA Subsidiary in Brazil to work together with FIFA Zurich to deliver the biggest women’s sporting event in the world, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ (“FWWC2027”) that for the first time ever, is hosted in South America in Brazil. Now is your time to be part of the workforce that is creating this unique and unforgettable experience.

THE POSITION

The Ceremonies Manager supports the end to end planning, creative development, and operational delivery of all official ceremonies for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Medal and Trophy Ceremonies, Pre Match Ceremonies (PMC), the Final Match Half Time Show (if applicable), and all additional ceremonial moments.

Reporting to the Head of Entertainment, the Ceremonies Manager supports the planning and operational delivery of all official ceremonies, working closely with the Senior Manager and wider Entertainment team to ensure alignment with FIFA’s vision, brand standards. The role supports and coordinates the implementation of the operational delivery across the entire FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™, ensuring that all ceremonies are executed in accordance with the Ceremonies Concept developed by FIFA.

Working closely with the Entertainment Team and key Functional Areas, the Ceremonies Manager supports the Senior Manager in coordinating the operational delivery of ceremonies, contributing to creative and operational review processes and helping ensure the execution of iconic, culturally resonant moments that celebrate women’s football on its biggest global stage.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• 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.

Team Leadership

• 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.

Major Ceremonies Oversight

• 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™.

Creative & Concept Development / Creative Concept, Content Production & Management

• 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.

Planning Scheduling & Documentation

• 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.

Supplier & Budget Management

• 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.

Stakeholder & Functional Area Liaison

• 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.

Venue Readiness & Execution

• 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.

Other Duties

• 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.

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YOUR PROFILE

Education:

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

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.

Skills & Competencies

• 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.

Certifications & Requirements

• 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.

About FIFA Women's World Cup 2027

The FIFA Women’s World Cup™ is the greatest women’s sporting event on the planet, showcasing the best players in the world on the biggest stage. In 2027, history will be made as Brazil welcomes the tournament to South America for the first time ever.

This landmark event will unite the world through an unprecedented celebration of women's football, inspiring billions of fans across the globe. As we prepare to host teams and supporters from every corner of the world, we’re looking for passionate, talented individuals to be part of history and help deliver an unforgettable tournament.

Join us and play your role in making FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ a truly extraordinary experience that celebrates and elevates women’s football.