Category Manager- Enterprise F&B and Hospitality

Churchill Downs - Louisville, KY

Full-time - Mid Level

Louisville, KY

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries

About the position

The Category Manager for Enterprise Food & Beverage (F&B) and Hospitality at Churchill Downs Incorporated is responsible for leading the development of comprehensive category strategies and standardization across the enterprise. This role requires a blend of creativity and strategic leadership, coupled with strong financial and operational acumen. The Category Manager will work closely with various stakeholders to ensure cohesive collaboration and effective communication throughout the organization. The position is pivotal in managing the procurement processes and ensuring that the F&B and Hospitality categories align with the overall business objectives of the company. In this role, the Category Manager will provide both business and technical guidance, acting as a liaison between corporate sourcing, property purchasing managers, and the IT department. This includes ensuring that all necessary information is available and functioning efficiently within the procurement systems. The Category Manager will also support reporting needs based on business requirements, build and maintain dashboards in Ariba, and manage user access controls. Additionally, the role involves managing supplier catalogs, facilitating end-user training, and overseeing vendor integration and user acceptance testing. The Category Manager will be the first point of contact for internal audits and will manage the approval flow configurations and system exception parameters. This position requires a detail-oriented individual with strong organizational skills, project management capabilities, and the ability to cultivate effective working relationships across the organization. The successful candidate will possess excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills, along with strong verbal and written communication abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of enterprise-wide category strategies for Food and Beverage and Hospitality.
• Ensure standardization across the F&B and Hospitality categories through collaboration and communication.
• Act as a liaison between corporate sourcing, property purchasing managers, and IT to ensure system functionality.
• Support reporting needs based on business requirements and build dashboards in Ariba.
• Manage User Access Control and the User Access Certification process.
• Serve as the first point of contact for Internal Audit.
• Build and maintain Approval Flow configurations and manage system exception parameters.
• Facilitate end-user training and education on procurement systems.
• Manage supplier catalogs and guided buying within SAP Ariba.
• Oversee vendor integration and user acceptance testing.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, accounting, or finance.
• 1-3 years of experience in multi-location F&B and Hospitality spend management.
• Prior experience with purchasing systems and procure-to-pay processes.
• Significant competency in developing and analyzing reports using business intelligence tools.
• Detail-oriented with strong organization and time management skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills for effective interaction with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Access).