What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director-Category Management, Food & Beverage position at Marriott International, Inc?
The Director, Category Management – Food & Beverage, US & Canada is a key leader within the continent procurement team, reporting to the Senior Director, Category Management. This role is responsible for driving best-in-class category management and strategic sourcing, with direct oversight of food service categories across all Marriott brands, disciplines, and continents. The Director ensures adherence to Marriott’s procurement policies and processes, serves as a point of escalation for food service-related sourcing issues, and delivers effective communications at all levels—including executive leadership. As a strategic leader, this role guides cross-functional teams on food service procurement initiatives and projects, partnering closely with enterprise, continent, and discipline leaders to develop and execute sourcing strategies that enhance supplier governance, promote responsible and ethical sourcing, and support financial sustainability in food and beverage operations.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Education and Experience
Required
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
- 10 years’ experience in business leadership, supply chain, and/or distribution
- Proven strategic leadership and ability to drive results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to influence and engage across levels of the organization.
- Expertise in strategic distribution planning and vendor management.
- Strong analytical skills, with a focus on data-driven decision-making.
- Demonstrated success in business planning, budget management, and financial forecasting.
- Ability to travel up to 25%
Preferred
- Graduate/post graduate degree
- Demonstrated ability to create strategy and implement change in a geographically dispersed and highly matrixed cross-discipline environment.
CORE WORK ACTIVITIES
- Act as a strategic procurement business partner to business disciplines, with direct oversight of food service categories, providing guidance on category management, strategic sourcing, policy and risk management.
- Establish, refine and implement category management and sourcing strategies for food service procurement across the enterprise, ensuring alignment with discipline partners and company objectives.
- Monitor demand patterns, food service category spend, cost benchmarks, and industry trends to identify potential high-performing suppliers, advise on competitive dynamics, and proactively work with stakeholders to modify strategies to meet enterprise-wide requirements, manage risk and optimize costs.
- Identify and develop strategies to mitigate potential risks within the food service supply chain, ensuring business continuity and stability.
- Lead and optimize supplier relationships, ensuring quality and cost-effectiveness.
- Recommend and champion new sourcing strategies, process improvements, and supplier partnerships that elevate food service performance and guest experience for the enterprise.
- Develop and manage timelines, resources and cross functional teams to implement sourcing strategies and initiatives.
- Provide thought leadership and end-to-end ownership of sourcing events for major food service initiatives.
- Implement robust tracking mechanisms and measurements to monitor the competitive bidding process.
- Apply strong analytical and communication skills to lead and assist others in managing all aspects of competitive bids, including analyzing and scoring multiple proposals, creating corresponding business cases (including financial reports), and presenting clear and concise summaries of recommended options.
- Enforce governance frameworks for supplier onboarding, performance management, and contract compliance.
- Collaborate across corporate, continent, and discipline teams to align food service procurement strategies with broader enterprise goals.
- Ensure food service sourcing strategies align with corporate sustainability goals, ethical sourcing standards, and supplier diversity initiatives.
Marriott International is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive, people-first culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law.
Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.
