We still await formal confirmation that Glasgow will host the Commonwealth Games in 2026 – but with so little time to prepare, organisers are moving quickly to hire the senior personnel required to deliver the slimmed-down event.
Somewhat quietly last week, the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games Organising Company posted a series of job adverts on LinkedIn.
They are hiring for a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, and Chief Finance & Corporate Services Officer.
‘We are actively recruiting into (these key roles) in readiness of Scotland being formally awarded the 2026 Commonwealth Games,’ each advert states.
‘It will be the biggest sporting and cultural event to be held in Scotland in the last decade,’ they declare – referring, of course, to the last time Glasgow hosted the Games, back in 2014.
Salary and benefits are described only as ‘competitive’.
Recruitment consultants Livingston James are also seeking candidates for Non-Executive Board Director, ‘contributing to the strategic direction, financial stewardship, and risk management of the 2026 Games Organising Company’. These positions will be ‘non-renumerated although reasonable expenses will be reimbursed’.
Scarce details
Details about the Games themselves still remain scarce.
There has been no confirmation of the 10 sports which will feature, although most speculation takes it for granted that track cycling will make the cut, given the availability of a world-class velodrome already in the city, and the strong prospect of medals for the host nation.
Even the dates for the Games are still up in the air. Organisers of the abandoned plans to host in Melbourne had reserved March 17-29; dates which make more sense in the southern hemisphere’s late summer, rather than the end of a Scottish winter.
In a recent newspaper column, UK sports administrator Ed Warner observed that timing would be particularly challenging. ‘The men’s football World Cup in North America runs from mid-June to mid-July in 2026. Birmingham will host the European Athletics Championships in early August.
‘If organisers want to coincide with the Scottish school holidays then they either need to gamble on an Easter event, live in football’s shadow or ask track and field stars to compete in back-to-back championships. None ideal.’
Commonwealth heads of government will meet for their biennial summit in Samoa from 21-26 October; and it seems reasonable to expect that Games organisers would want to have details confirmed before then.