Working life at the IOC
Working principles
To fulfil its mission, the IOC and the Olympic Movement have adopted and adhere to four working principles that drive us in our work and daily activities. These working principles preserve the integrity and distinctiveness of what we do.
Sustainability: Sport has been recognised as an important enabler of sustainable development. We have the opportunity to make a real difference through our contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Including sustainability as a working principle means that, when making decisions, we ensure feasibility and we seek to maximise positive impact and minimise negative impact in the social, economic and environmental spheres. The IOC works to embed sustainability across its operations as an organisation, as the owner of the Olympic Games and as the leader of the Olympic Movement.
Learn more about sustainability.
Unity in diversity: The IOC stands against discrimination of any kind, such as race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, social, language, religion, political belief or social background. We celebrate our unity in all our diversity.
Find out more about inclusion and diversity .
University and solidarity lie at the heart of everything the Olympic Movement stands for. This is the opportunity for us to contribute to a more inclusive society and to peace.
Find out more about Olympic Solidarity.
Autonomy and good governance: Good governance is a key part of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism. The IOC continues to strengthen its principles of good governance, promoting integrity across the Olympic and sports movement.
Find out more about integrity.
Workplaces
We are located in two different sites: Olympic House, the home of our headquarters; and The Olympic Museum, dedicated to general public activities in Ouchy.
Addressing individual and collective needs, Olympic House offers the IOC workforce a first-rate contemporary working environment. It has been built to adapt to strategic or organisational changes to come, with an agile working environment dedicated to a mobile workforce. Olympic House has received three of the most rigorous sustainable building certifications. It has therefore become one of the most sustainable buildings in the world.
Olympic House
Olympic Museum
Meet the teams
About 700 people work in the IOC administration at our headquarters and in The Olympic Museum in Lausanne (Switzerland). All of our team members come from different backgrounds and have brought diverse experience to the IOC. They are the ones who make our offices such a great place to work and help to develop the Olympic Movement every day with their enthusiasm and commitment to the missions of the IOC. Get to know our employees – your future colleagues and managers – by reading about their experiences below.
See what our Staff Have to Say
It’s motivating to know that you are a piece of the jigsaw that is the IOC, which organises the Olympic Games every two years. It’s even more magical once the Games begin, and you live and work for several days losing all track of time, in tune with the results and the emotions at the competition venues. Besides that, the working environment on the shores of the lake in Lausanne is very pleasant.
I joined the IOC to experience the work that goes on beyond the Olympic Games. I have had the opportunity to contribute to a range of different projects and provide ongoing resources for athletes, entourage members, Federations and NOCs – all while getting to work with some brilliant colleagues along the way!
Since watching the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games as a young boy from PyeongChang, it had been my dream to work at the IOC. I have to say, it's better than I could have imagined. Working in such a diverse environment behind the scenes of one of the most significant events in the world is a one-of-a-kind experience and one that brings a true sense of fulfilment.
Strengthening the links between sport, culture and education is a fascinating mission. The cultural programmes and synergies that we develop during the Olympic Games, but also beyond the Games, enable us to help bring the Olympic values to life and present them to the world.
One of the greatest things about working at the IOC is the people you meet along the way. Being surrounded by passionate individuals is more than just a career opportunity, it is a truly inspiring experience.
I decided to work for the IOC as I had always wanted to work for a large international organisation alongside dedicated people. Through being in contact with 206 NOCs across the world, that is exactly what I found here: a multicultural world, passionate about sport, with new challenges for each edition of the Olympic Games.
As an Olympian, it is really meaningful for me to work at the IOC. We have so many knowledgeable people in the house, and it is truly a privilege to be part of this incredible group of people. On top of this, it is inspiring to come to the office, when your mission is to support athletes globally with their sporting and non-sporting careers.
I have been employed at the IOC since 2003, and have worked on the Youth Olympic Games since 2007. It is an exciting project as it is aimed at young people and promotes Olympism as a philosophy of life, of education through sport.
The Olympics are a magic place, and I do not know any other organisation where getting the feeling of goose-bumps is part of the job. In addition, working in a multi-cultural environment is a truly enriching experience.