Director, Category Management

LEGENDS GLOBAL

Legends Global is the premier partner to the world’s greatest live events, venues, and brands. We deliver a fully integrated solution of premium services that keeps our partners front and center through our white-label approach. Our network of 450 venues worldwide, hosting 20,000 events and entertaining 165 million guests each year, is powered by our depth of expertise and level of execution across every component — feasibility & consulting, owner’s representation, sales, partnerships, hospitality, merchandise, venue management, and content & booking — of world-class live events and venues.

The Legends Global culture is one of respect, ambitious thinking, collaboration, and bold action. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone can be authentic, make an impact, and grow their career. Winning is an everyday thing at Legends Global.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are building a centralized Category Management function to transform how Legends Global sources, contracts, and manages the goods and services that power our portfolio of stadiums, arenas, convention centers, theatres, amphitheaters, and attractions. The Director, Category Management — Facilities will own the strategic sourcing lifecycle for all facilities-related categories across this diverse portfolio.

This is a high-impact role that requires someone who can navigate a complex operating model where central procurement influences but does not mandate venue-level purchasing decisions. You will develop category strategies, negotiate enterprise agreements, and build supplier partnerships that deliver measurable value—while respecting that each venue operates under unique client requirements and local conditions. The ability to write, negotiate, and optimize Master Service Agreements (MSA’s) and conduct rigorous RFP processes is essential.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Own the category lifecycle for Facilities, examples including but not limited to: MRO (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), janitorial and environmental services, production (rigging, staging, etc.), FF&E, vertical transportation, contingent labor, security and event-day staffing, utilities and energy, landscaping, fire and life safety, pest control, and more.

Category Strategy & Sourcing

• Develop and execute strategic category plans, including but not limited to market analysis, total cost of ownership (TCO) modeling, supplier landscape assessment, and savings opportunity identification.
• Lead end-to-end strategic sourcing events: define specifications, build RFP/RFQ/RFI documents, evaluate supplier responses using weighted scorecards, conduct negotiations, and award contracts.
• Design category strategies that balance enterprise-level leverage with venue-level flexibility, recognizing that compliance cannot be mandated and adoption must be earned through demonstrable value.
• Monitor category trends, market pricing, regulatory changes, and emerging suppliers across all facilities subcategories.

Contract Development & Negotiation

• Draft, redline, and negotiate Master Service Agreements (MSAs), preferred supplier agreements, national account programs, and statements of work.
• Structure agreements to optimize rebate revenue, program administration fees, and supplier-funded value-adds that generate revenue for the centralized procurement function.
• Ensure contracts contain appropriate SLA/KPI frameworks with measurable performance metrics, credit mechanisms, and quarterly business review requirements.
• Partner with legal counsel to manage risk allocation, indemnification, insurance, force majeure, termination, and assignment provisions.

Stakeholder Engagement & Venue Support

• Build trusted relationships with venue General Managers, Directors of Operations, and facilities teams across a geographically dispersed portfolio.
• Serve as the subject matter expert on facilities categories, translating corporate sourcing strategies into practical, venue-relevant recommendations.
• Present category strategies, supplier recommendations, and savings analyses to venue leadership and corporate executives.
• Navigate the complexities of venue-level client relationships, CSAs, and local procurement requirements—including publicly owned or operated venues with government purchasing regulations.

Supplier Management & Performance

• Own supplier relationship management (SRM) for key facilities vendors, conducting quarterly business reviews and annual strategic planning sessions.
• Establish and monitor supplier performance scorecards tied to contractual SLA/KPIs, driving accountability and continuous improvement.
• Create competitive tension across categories through structured market engagement, dual-sourcing strategies, and periodic re-bid programs.
• Manage supplier onboarding, compliance documentation, insurance verification, and diversity spend tracking.

Analytics & Reporting

• Leverage spend analytics across facilities categories by venue, supplier, subcategory, and region using available procurement and financial systems.
• Track and report on savings delivery, rebate capture, contract compliance, and cost avoidance against annual targets.
• Develop business cases for new sourcing initiatives, quantifying projected savings, implementation timelines, and resource requirements.
• Support the broader Category Management team’s reporting cadence to Legends Global leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement, with at least 5 years focused on facilities, indirect, or MRO categories.
• Demonstrated expertise in writing and negotiating MSAs, service agreements, and complex multi-site contracts. You must be able to draft contract language, interpret redlines, and negotiate commercially and legally sound agreements – not just review what others have written.
• Proven track record of conducting formal RFP/RFQ processes from specification development through award, including cross-functional evaluation, supplier presentations, and post-award transition management.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to build spend models, TCO analyses, should-cost estimates, and savings tracking. Proficiency in Excel is required; experience with procurement analytics tools (e.g., Coupa, SAP Ariba, Jaggaer, Power BI, Tableau) is a plus.
• Experience managing categories in a decentralized or matrixed organization where compliance is influence-based rather than mandate-driven. You know how to build adoption through value demonstration, not policy enforcement.
• Working knowledge of facilities operations in large-scale commercial, institutional, or venue environments. Familiarity with at least several of the following: HVAC, janitorial services, elevator/escalator maintenance, production/rigging, event staffing, and building maintenance programs.
• Demonstrated experience in or with a Group Purchasing Organization is essential.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Facilities Management, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Public sector sourcing and contracting experience. Many Legends Global venues are municipally owned, authority-governed, or subject to public procurement regulations. Experience with government RFPs, prevailing wage requirements, minority/women-owned business enterprise (M/WBE) goals, and public disclosure requirements is highly valued.
• Sports, entertainment, or hospitality industry experience. Understanding the operational rhythms of live events—load-in/load-out, seasonal staffing surges, event-day service delivery, and the unique vendor dynamics of professional sports and entertainment venues.
• Niche category expertise in production services: rigging, lighting, sound, staging, and related technical production services. These are specialized categories where deep market knowledge creates outsized sourcing value.
• Experience with managed service provider (MSP) or vendor-on-premise (VOP) models for contingent labor and staffing in high-volume, event-driven environments, as well as Vendor Management Systems (VMS) for contingent labor management.
• Professional certifications: CPSM (ISM), CSCP (APICS), CPM, or equivalent. Facilities management certifications (FMP, CFM, SFP from IFMA) are also valued.
• MBA or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.
• Experience with systems and platforms and their role in facilities maintenance optimization as well as Procurement.
• Familiarity with energy procurement, demand response programs, and utility deregulation in multi-state portfolios.

Core Competencies

• Commercial acumen: You think in terms of total value—not just unit price. You understand rebate structures, supplier economics, program fees, and how to build agreements that fund the procurement function.
• Influence without authority: You can get a stadium GM to adopt a new janitorial vendor without ever being able to mandate the switch. You lead with data, relationships, and results.
• Contract craftsmanship: You don’t hand contracts to legal and wait. You draft, you redline, you negotiate—and you understand the interplay between commercial terms and legal risk.
• Analytical rigor: You build the model before you make the recommendation. Spend analysis, TCO, should-cost, scenario modeling—these are your tools, not afte