Regional Director

The Regional Director represents The IRONMAN Group within assigned markets and leads a team of Operations Managers and Race Directors to deliver world-class IRONMAN events. Reporting to the MD, North America & World Championship Events, the role is accountable for safe event execution, athlete experience outcomes, financial results, and the regional P&L. It also oversees compliance, risk management, operational delivery, and business development for the region.

The role requires building trusted community relationships and supporting talent development across the organisation.

• Define and execute the regional strategy aligned with global objectives, driving operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Ensure safe, high-quality event execution across the region, overseeing compliance with technical standards, procedures, and risk management protocols.
• Own the regional P&L, including budgeting and forecasting; monitor financial performance and implement cost-optimization strategies while partnering with Finance and Marketing on course capacity and sales targets.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team, modelling IRONMAN's BE ICONIC behaviours and fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for new events, acquisitions, and renewals in partnership with business development stakeholders to support the long-range plan.
• Own the region's event safety strategy and readiness, ensure compliance with permits, medical/EMS plans and incident reporting, and lead critical-incident response and debriefs.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with local communities, authorities, athletes, clubs, coaches, volunteers, businesses, and civic partners, engaging them year-round in planning and storytelling.
• Navigate local political and civic environments with sound judgment, identifying risks and escalating emerging issues to protect permits, partnerships, and community trust.
• Partner with global teams (Marketing, Athlete Services, Sponsorship, Medical, Security, Communications) to ensure seamless event delivery and act as primary liaison between regional operations and corporate leadership.
• Drive performance against regional KPIs including athlete experience (NPS/CSAT), EBITDA vs budget, on-time milestone delivery, compliance readiness, and stakeholder/community relationship health.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Sports Management or a related field.
• Strong operational acumen and ability to understand complex event operations, safety, permitting, logistics, and delivery requirements.
• Proven track record in P&L management and strategic planning.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing multi-site teams.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Passion for endurance sports and commitment to delivering exceptional athlete experiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships across the endurance sport community, including athletes, clubs, coaches, volunteers, host cities, local businesses, and civic/public safety partners.
• Ability to move, position, transport, and install materials and equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to perform manual handling tasks including bending, stooping, twisting, and reaching during event setup, breakdown, and onsite operations.
• Ability to stay stationary or move around event sites for extended periods, including long event days, outdoor conditions, and uneven surfaces.
• Ability to work in indoor and outdoor venues in varying weather conditions.
• Ability to operate or assist with basic event equipment and tools as required.
• Willingness to work extended days and travel while attending assigned onsite events.

• Master's degree in Business, Sports Management, or a related field.
• Direct operational role experience is beneficial but not required if the candidate demonstrates strong judgment, learning agility, and the ability to lead operational teams effectively.
• Experience partnering with municipalities and public safety agencies (permitting, traffic plans, medical/EMS, security) and leading event-day incident escalation.

The IRONMAN Group is the world's largest operator of mass participation sports, delivering over 200+ events a year across 55+ countries. The company says its purpose is to empower over a million athletes to cross a finish line each year and inspire a billion people through the…