Category Manager F&B

ISS Facility Services - North America; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 119,500 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

ISS Facility Services - North America is seeking a Category Manager for Food and Beverage to drive sourcing, negotiation, and supplier selection, delivering financial results across a broad product base. You will lead day-to-day category operations, develop cross-functional strategies, and build strong supplier partnerships in a growth-oriented environment.

Ideal candidates bring 5+ years in category management within F&B, robust data analysis skills, and excellent communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required – IFM industry experience preferred.
• 5+ years’ experience with a demonstrated ability to navigate global complex organizations and strategic sourcing; strong leadership in a matrix environment.
• Experience in complex, ambiguous environments with a focus on driving simplicity.
• Experience leading initiatives affecting external client-facing teams and functions.
• Strategic supplier partnerships to create a competitive advantage.
• Experience in sourcing strategy creation and execution (e.g. 7 Step sourcing).
• Strong analytics to distill complex data into clear business actions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day tactics and operations of assigned categories.
• Develop a category strategy with other departments to deliver strong financial results.
• Negotiate mitigation of adverse commercial changes proposed by suppliers.
• Work cross-functionally to manage implementation of contracts or program changes.
• Identify category improvement opportunities and recommendations.
• Prepare supplier and category analyses and presentation materials.
• Conduct sourcing activities with stakeholders to optimize value across relationships.
• Perform industry deep dives to support long-term category strategies.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Communication

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Forecasting

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

MS Excel

MS PowerPoint

MS Word

Job description

Category Manager – Food and Beverage

Are you passionate about pairing new and creative solutions with established procurement expertise to deliver best in class results? Do you perform at your best in a fast moving, growth culture that values flexibility, optimism, resourcefulness and transparency? Are you able to think strategically and also roll up your sleeves to execute operationally? Are you a natural leader who brings the best out of people? If the answer is yes, come join us!

You will be responsible for the sourcing, negotiation and selection of the supply base. The goal of the job is to uncover financial opportunities through extensive data analysis to deliver financial results across a broad range of products and clients. In this role you will also take responsibility for the day-to-day execution of assigned categories and the execution of business plans within a supportive, growth-focused environment. You will apply your procurement expertise including negotiation, budgeting and forecasting, aligning customer needs with program opportunities, fostering supplier relationships and engaging cross-functional resources to deliver your strategies for growth. As Category Manager, you will also work closely with other team members to further develop your category expertise and broaden your knowledge of the business. This role includes strong project management, analytical and customer service components.

What You’ll Do

• Lead day-to-day tactics and operations of assigned categories.
• Develop a category strategy in collaboration with other departments that offers targeted business objectives that deliver strong financial results.
• Negotiate mitigation of adverse commercial changes proposed by suppliers.
• Work cross-functionally to manage the implementation process for new contracts or program changes.
• Identification of category improvement opportunities and recommendations.
• Respond to field requests for additional information about products and programming.
• Preparation of supplier and category analyses and presentation materials.
• In conjunction with the key business stakeholders, conduct sourcing activities that optimize value across supplier and business relationships
• In line with the sourcing calendar conduct industry deep dive analysis to develop a commercial understanding of the marketplace & provide proactive insight to long term category strategies

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required – IFM industry experience preferred
• 5+ years’ experience with a demonstrated ability to successfully navigate global complex organizations and strategic sourcing. Outstanding leadership skills with an ability to influence and gain alignment in a matrix environment.
• Experience in leading in a highly ambiguous and complex environment with a key skill of driving simplicity.
• Experience in leading initiatives impacting external client facing teams and functions.
• Strong ability to create strategic supplier partnerships that creates a competitive advantage.
• Strong experience in sourcing strategy creation and execution (e.g. 7 Step sourcing).
• Expertise in conducting complex analyses and distilling into a clear, concise business action.
• Strong facilitation and project management skills.
• Strong ability to interface with all levels, departments and Operating Companies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ensure that the range of services and/or products has been sourced and negotiated at the lowest net price aligned with the needs of the business
• Continually strive to seek out opportunities to improve the overall profitability of the business by leveraging market and product expertise across distribution, products and services
• Build credible, long-lasting relationships with multiple stakeholders, demonstrating that Guckenheimer is the partner of choice in the industry

What You’ll Need

• 5+ years of category management and procurement experience within the Food & Beverage industry.
• 3+ years Strategic Sourcing/Procurement Experience required covering Commercial Contract Negotiation skills to provide creative best in class procurement solutions
• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Experience with commodity tracking and industry benchmarking tools.
• A great attitude - flexibility, optimism, resourcefulness and transparency.
• A proven track record of delivering results delivery while being self-motivated and driven.
• Ability to extract insights from complex data sets using advanced excel skills. Adaptable to change and thrives in a dynamic environment.
• High attention to detail and exceptional work quality.
• Evidence of an ability to work cross-functionally and influence at senior levels. Good knowledge of budgets and forecasting.
• Strong negotiation experience.
• Outstanding presentation skills.
• High proficiency level with MS Excel, Word and PowerPoint required.
• Ready to travel within the region as required, up to 15%

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Requires constant sitting for long periods of time
• Requires ability to work under stress and meet deadlines
• Requires ability to lift/move/carry up to 25 pounds if required to perform the essential job functions

HSEQ Compliance

All employees must adhere to Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality (HSEQ) policies and procedures to ensure a safe and compliant work environment. This includes following safety protocols, maintaining environmental responsibility, and upholding quality standards in all tasks. Employees are expected to actively participate in HSEQ training and report any potential hazards or compliance concerns.

ISS offers full time employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, as well as a comprehensive leave program based on employment status. The annual salary range for this position is $119,500.00 per year - $125,000.00 per year. Final compensation will be determined based on experience and skills and may vary from the range listed above.

As a global organization, ISS Group is committed to making the international community more resilient and just for all people. We encourage diversity and inclusion in their broadest terms, including ethnicity, race, age, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, language, culture, and educational background. We look to lead our industry by example and to positively influence the market wherever we operate.