Herschend is the world’s largest family-held themed attractions company, with a portfolio of over 40 family entertainment brands across North America, including destinations, resorts, theme parks, water parks, immersive experiences, and content enjoyed by audiences worldwide. 

While each of our family brands offers something unique, all are united by a shared purpose: Bringing Families Closer Together by Creating Memories Worth Repeating®. Our 22,000 passionate hosts make this purpose possible through everyday acts of love and service—what we call Heartspitality®—the intersection of heart and hospitality. 

As an equal-opportunity employer, we strive to provide environments where every host, guest, and partner feels welcome, valued, and loved. We firmly believe that words and actions matter, which is why all individuals are to be treated equally and with respect. For more information, visit www.Herschend.com.  

POSITION SUMMARY
The Senior Food & Beverage Purchasing Manager is responsible to manage food and beverage procurement and supply chain related functions including property support, vendor relationships, category management, inventory technology software and support physical inventory counts and reporting.

This leader is responsible to support the on-grounds food and beverage property teams with forecasting, ordering, inventory, reporting and related functions. This leader will contribute to the consistent delivery of the brand experience as it relates to the guest's Food & Beverage experience across properties. This role is expected to create a strong team environment, strong vendor relationships, supporting a great place to work for great people and achieve all financial targets and business metrics.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

General Leadership and Key Responsibilities

Responsible for inspiring, educating and advancing the passion and enthusiasm for food & beverage through procurement expertise, adding to a “foodie” culture, leadership and technical skills to deliver an exceptional employee and guest experience
Lead procurement activities for specific Food & Beverage categories, vendors and/or support of properties
Promote and advance training and development of Food & Beverage leadership, supervisors and team members as it relates to forecasting, procurement, inventory, software technology
Ensure product quality and consistency, food safety and sanitation standards, responsible handling of alcohol, financial results and cost of goods sold are advanced on a consistent basis
Collaborate and coordinate with all resources and stakeholders within Herschend and outside of Herschend including vendors, sponsors, industry leaders, subject matter experts and third-party partners
Serve as a true “procurement and supply chain” minded Food & Beverage Subject Matter Expert utilizing strong business and financial analytical skills, and accustomed to achieving a balance across the team member experience, the guest experience, financial and organizational goals
Build strong relationships and collaborate with Property Leadership and Property Support Center Leadership to ensure company expectations are achieved
Approach with an entrepreneurial spirit to assure profitability of food and beverage division by closely monitoring and making business decision to positively impact property team, sales, cost of goods, inventory and labor
Create a strong team environment, to increase great place to work results measured annually
Involvement with and assists in the hiring and selection process of procurement and warehouse leadership
Develop the property leadership and lead teams to ensure growth, bench strength, coach, inspire, empower, provide feedback, and ensure accountability to grow team members knowledge and skills and continuously improve the procurement and inventory process and functions

Procurement, Inventory and Financial Leadership

Work closely with and support all food & beverage leadership and purchasing and warehouse leadership as it pertains to product needs to ensure the right products are being ordered and received at the right time at the proper levels and assists in developing forecasting, ordering, receiving and inventory processes
Monitor all food purchases vs sales forecasts to ensure optimum inventory levels and day turns based on various input including seasonality, festivals and events, attendance trends, weather forecasts and other impacts
Manage and facilitate all related functions in the inventory and recipe software including item creation, vendor integration, invoice reconciliation, managing substitute products, developing and supporting maintenance of inventory count sheets and vendor order guides
Manage the vendor rebate, credit and incentive programs to ensure all rebates and incentives are achieved, received applied and distributed properly across properties
Monitor and support the tracking of product credits to ensure product is refused/returned in a timely way and credits are obtained and applied accordingly across properties
Monitor and advance the avoidance and/or depletion of deadstock inventory
Provide and establish regular and impactful reporting to property and PSC teams as it relates to purchasing, trends, usage, COGS, commodity pricing, top 50/100, etc.
Assist in establishing inventory process and support and monitor period-ending food and beverage inventory Involvement in inventory process and review to ensure completion in an accurate and timely manner including month-end inventory valuation and day stock/turns reporting at period end
Identify and recommends processes and opportunities for property leadership and their respective business units in a balanced way to ensure a high-level engagement from leads and supervisors in each business unit to supporting meeting financial targets
Develop and support plans to properly train and equip all team members to perform their job responsibilities as it pertains to procurement and inventory related processes
Assist in a Food & Beverage short- and long-term planning to achieve continuously improving business metrics
Support non-Food & Beverage procurement activity as needed on request including sourcing, negotiating and/or supporting the storage and warehousing of product

Guest Experience Leadership

Be mindful and intentional in decision making to exceed Guests’ expectations that drive Net Promotor Score including quality, flavor, and variety of food offering as well as availability
Source and suggest new and creative food products and ingredients that lead business and industry trends
Participate and provide input to long-range planning for improving the guest experience and delivering net profit growth for all Food & Beverage operations, collaborating with supporting teams for success

Software and Data Governance

Maintains and governs F&B inventory and recipe related data and technology including data entry and maintenance and obtains expert knowledge of the inventory and recipe system software
Ingredient item creation, maintenance and governance, order guide maintenance, vendor set-up, data pump monitoring and troubleshooting, bid price entry, vendor discrepancies, data governance associated with vendor and ingredient creation
Understanding of POS software and able to gain knowledge in the integration and functionality and serves as a backup to execution related to F&B POS software
Supports and aids in the execution and/or upgrades and updates for all F&B related technology

Safety Leadership

Develop, support and recommend processes and procedures to complies with all respective safety requirements in food and beverage with an emphasis and receiving, storage and transportation.
Perform inventory stock audits as it relates to safety of product, rotation, best by/use by/expiration dates on a regular and as-needed basis

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

Minimum of 5 years food & beverage procurement management experience with $5M in annual spend or minimum of 10 years of progressive food and beverage operational experience with $15M in annual revenue is required. Multi-site leadership preferred.
Experience in the theme park, attraction, sports and entertainment, convention center, hospitality or entertainment industry preferred.
Experience with leading food & beverage inventory and recipe software required. Experience with CrunchTime and/or Appetize POS software preferred.
Bachelor degree required. Degree in Culinary, Food Service Management, or Hospitality preferred. Extensive practical experience would be considered in lieu of educational degree.
Proven track record of business acumen with strategic ability and customer centric thinking
Proven track record of successfully developing teams and individuals.
ServSafe Food and TiPS Alcohol Certified or the ability to obtain certification.
Working knowledge of common office software such as word processing, presentation design, and spreadsheet software required.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Must be self-motivated, disciplined and be able to prioritize and complete work assignments on a timely basis.
Must maintain strict confidentiality and judgment regarding privileged information.
Must promote and support a “team” work environment by cooperating, helping co-workers and working across various departments and must show appreciation to others
Must enjoy a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Must be sensitive to the needs of our Guests and feel empowered to act to meet their needs within company guidelines.
Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations.