Event Operations Manager Jobs in Van Lear, KY (NOW HIRING)

Highland Electric Fleets’ mission is to make electric fleets accessible and affordable for all, enabling communities to realize the benefits of cleaner, quieter and healthier fleets. Highland is North America’s leading provider of Electrification-as-a-Service (EaaS). Founded in 2019, Highland partners with school districts, municipalities, and fleet operators to make the transition to electric fleets simple and affordable.

Highland proudly serves as the Official Electric School Bus Provider of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA. From pioneering vehicle-to-grid technology to managing some of the nation’s largest electric school bus fleets, Highland delivers reliable, cost-effective solutions that support local communities and drive the future of transportation.

The General Manager, Major Event Operations will lead planning and operational delivery for Highland’s role in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28).

The GM will be responsible for the end-to-end execution of a high-visibility, large-scale transportation program: deploying 500 electric buses, in coordination with a network of regional transportation partners, to support staff and contractor movement during the LA28 Games, while also building and managing the systems, relationships, and standards that govern Highland’s external transportation partners.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, requiring strong operational leadership, cross-functional coordination, and the ability to adapt to rapid change and deliver reliably in a complex, time-constrained environment.

This position is based in Los Angeles, CA and will require regular travel within Southern California.

• Own end-to-end operational execution of Highland’s LA28 transportation program
• Serve as a senior liaison for Highland to LA28/USOPP organizing committees, districts, utilities, and subcontractors, ensuring alignment on transportation planning, risk mitigation and contingency planning, and ongoing operations
• Design and implement the operational model for service delivery, including routing, dispatch, and staffing
• Coordinate sourcing, readiness, and day-to-day operations of ~500 electric buses in partnership with local fleet customers and a network of Southern California school transportation providers
• Oversee the Games‑time operating mode and manage real-time service coordination, which may include: fleet readiness, charging and energy planning, driver recruitment and scheduling, maintenance staffing, spare buses, reporting, and incident response
• Ensure delivery against timelines, service standards, and contractual commitments
• Partner with commercial leadership to drive sales momentum across Southern California with districts, cities, and other partners
• Lead cross‑functional internal project management and governance for the Highland LA28 program, including transportation games budget ownership
• Partner cross-functionally with internal teams (e.g., Fleet Operations, Procurement, Finance, Sales, and Marketing) to ensure readiness and alignment
• Define performance expectations, service standards, and accountability mechanisms
• As requested, support the oversight of other external transportation partners Highland uses to deliver ongoing contractual commitments for non-LA28 customers

• Proven experience leading complex, large-scale operational programs with real-time service delivery components for major events
• Strong operator with the ability to translate strategy into execution and manage multiple moving parts simultaneously
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, including executive‑level interaction with organizing committees, governmental entities, school districts, municipalities, and subcontractors.
• Experience managing external vendors, partners, or subcontractors in a structured, accountable way
• Comfortable operating in high-stakes, time-bound environments with significant visibility
• Excellent cross-functional collaborator and communicator, including with senior stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to build teams and operational systems from the ground up
• Extensive experience with transportation, logistics, or similar operations
• Familiarity with dispatch systems, routing, or field service operations
• Experience working with public sector or large institutional partners

$180,000 - $200,000 a year

• Competitive base salary and performance-based bonus program
• A supportive, highly collaborative, team-oriented environment
• Ability to work with bright, innovative, and forward-thinking colleagues
• Health, Vision, and Dental coverage for employees & their dependents
• Generous Paid Time Off
• 401(k) program and company match

Highland Electric Fleets provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Highland Electric Fleets complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.