Corporate Category Manager

Entertainment Places; Orlando, Northern (FL, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Complimentary Park Tickets and Passes

Park Discounts on Food and Merchandise

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

401K Retirement plan

Voluntary Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Benefits

Tuition Reimbursement

Dependent and Health Care Flexible Re:

Job summary

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment in Orlando seeks a Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing for United Parks & Resort Food & Beverage, partnering with business units to drive value.

Requires 3+ years in sourcing, a related bachelor’s, and SAP/ERP plus eSourcing experience. You’ll analyze trends, manage contracts, and deliver cost savings with integrity.

This role offers a collaborative environment with cross-functional exposure and the opportunity to influence procurement practices across parks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management; professional supply chain certification preferred (CPSM, CSM, CPIM, SCSP)
• At least 3 years' experience strategically sourcing goods and services
• Experience with Sourcing & Procurement processes
• Knowledge of contract terms, standards and business practices
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills with diverse audiences
• Demonstrate critical thinking and consider all factors before decisions
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong negotiation skills
• Ability to interact with team members at all levels and maintain internal customer focus
• Experience with SAP or other ERP systems; familiarity with eSourcing tools such as Ariba/Zycus

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic sourcing projects to support United Parks & Resort Food & Beverage
• Develop strong relationships with business units; act as trusted advisor
• Evaluate total cost of ownership; identify opportunities to reduce costs
• Develop and manage contracts, implementation plans, and cost-saving strategies
• Execute structured negotiations following Strategic Sourcing methodology
• Manage item master data and pricing across systems
• Initiate sourcing projects via spend and market analyses
• Analyze market trends affecting suppliers, costs and pricing
• Promote procurement policy compliance and issue resolution
• Report status of critical purchases to management

Skills

Stakeholder management

Category management

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Verbal & written communication

SAP / ERP

eSourcing (Ariba, Zycus)

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain management

Finance / Business related degree

Procurement certifications (CPSM/CSM/CPIM)

Tools

SAP

Ariba

Zycus

ERP systems

Job description

SeaWorld is a world-renowned leader in the themed-park and entertainment industry. Our success is built on a passion for caring for animals and a dedication to delivering positive, memorable experiences to people from around the world. We're also committed to helping ambitious people achieve their professional best. We're always seeking exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable individuals to join our team.

What you get to do:

Primary responsibility of the Category Manager is strategic sourcing to best support the needs of United Parks & Resort Food & Beverage. You will be part of a team responsible for Sourcing & Procurement activities with a focus on stakeholder management, category management and technical solutions. Develop strong working relationships with business units through active listening and problem solving to gain a position of influence as a trusted advisor Participate in cross functional teams responsible for developing and implementing strategic sourcing projects Evaluate total cost/supply analyses to identify opportunities to reduce Total Cost of Ownership Develop and manage new contracts, implementation/communication plans and strategies to maximize contract utilization and cost savings Participate in preparing and executing clear, structured negotiations following established Strategic Sourcing methodology Execute balanced supplier selection metrics that extend beyond purchase Ensure compliance with Sourcing and Procurement policies and best practices Promote compliance with Procurement policies for purchase requisitions, purchase orders, invoice processing, account reconciliation and issue resolution to ensure accurate and timely financial transactions Participate in Article Master Data team; responsible for creating and maintaining item master records and pricing information accurately across all systems Initiate sourcing projects through spend and market analysis Communicate and report to management the status of any critical purchases that could affect planning and decision-making Analyze market trends and conditions that affect suppliers, cost of goods, pricing and the resulting impact on clients Research and implement "best practices" for procurement, including supporting technologies related to sourcing commodities Participate in professional development activities to keep abreast of current industry best practices Demonstrate exemplary integrity and ethics in all instances.

What it takes to succeed:

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Business, Finance or other quantitative discipline preferred
• Professional supply chain certification preferred i.e. CPSM, CSM, C.P.M., SCSP, CPIM
• Must have at least 3 years' experience strategically sourcing goods and services
• Must have experience with Sourcing & Procurement processes
• Demonstrated knowledge of variations in the financial terms of contracts, contract standards and other business practices
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills, including a demonstrated ability to articulate ideas and issues clearly, concisely and persuasively to a variety of audiences, including technical, administrative, vendor representatives and senior management
• Demonstrate critical thinking; consider all factors affecting a decision before making a recommendation
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong negotiation skills
• Must be able to interact with team members at all levels
• Must have internal customer focus
• Must have experience with SAP or other ERP system
• Experience with eSourcing systems (i.e. Zycus, Ariba) a plus

The perks of the position:

• Paid Time Off
• Complimentary Park Tickets and Passes
• Park Discounts on Food and Merchandise
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401K Retirement plan
• Voluntary Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Disability Benefits
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Dependent and Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Legal Assistance Plan

EEO Employer: SEAWORLD PARKS & ENTERTAINMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT REGARD TO AGE, RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, PREGNANCY, GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, DISABILITY OR COVERED VETERAN STATUS.

United Parks & Resorts is a world-renowned leader in the themed-park and entertainment industry. Our success is built on a passion for caring for animals and a dedication to delivering positive, memorable experiences to people from around the world. We're also committed to helping ambitious people achieve their professional best. We're always seeking exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable individuals for a variety of roles throughout our organization.