Procurement Operations Associate Jobs in Chicago, IL

Company Overview

Founded on a passion for exceptional experiences and enduring relationships, KemperSports is a privately held company specializing in property and hospitality management. Since its founding in 1978 by James S. Kemper Jr. and Steven H. Lesnik with the opening of Kemper Lakes Golf Club, the company has helped shape the modern standard for golf, hospitality and destination golf experiences in America.

Today, KemperSports is one of the nation’s leading golf and hospitality management companies, creating experiences and building communities with more than 10,000 team members across 30 states. Their portfolio spans over 200 golf courses, private clubs, destination resorts, sports venues and live-event properties. The company manages more Top 100 public and resort golf courses, as recognized by GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfweek, than any other management company in the industry.

What distinguishes KemperSports is its ability to combine the scale, sophistication and operational expertise of a national platform with the personalized partnership and hands-on service of a small company. From single-course facilities to complex multi-experience destinations, KemperSports delivers tailored strategies rooted in operational excellence, guest experience and long-term value creation.

At the heart of the company is a culture built on service, integrity, relationships, creativity, loyalty and financial discipline. These values guide every decision, every partnership and every experience — fueling a team that is passionate about creating places and moments that leave a lasting impression on guests, members, clients and communities alike

Position Summary

KemperSports is seeking an Operations Associate to support KemperDestinations, with an initial focus on newly developing resorts in our expanding portfolio. This role is operator-driven and highly collaborative, supporting the full lifecycle of world-class destination resort development—from concept and pre-opening planning through launch and continued growth.

Reporting to the KemperDestinations Senior Director of Operations, the Operations Associate will play a key role in operational readiness, financial and performance analysis, procurement/purchasing support, and on-site operational execution across a growing portfolio of destination golf resorts. This is a hands-on opportunity for a detail-oriented, analytically minded teammate who thrives in fast-moving environments and wants meaningful exposure to high-impact hospitality and resort operations—powered by KemperSports’ TrueService principles.

Key Responsibilities

Pre-Opening & Development Support

• Support pre-opening operational planning for new destination resorts, including staffing plans, operating models, SOP development, and timeline tracking
• Assist with operational readiness checklists, opening schedules, and cross-department coordination
• Support on-site teams during soft openings, preview play, and opening phases as needed

Operations & Performance Analysis

• Assist in analyzing operational performance, budgets, forecasts, and KPIs for destination properties
• Prepare reports, summaries, and dashboards to support leadership decision-making
• Help evaluate operational efficiencies, cost controls, and service standards across properties

Procurement & Purchasing

• Support purchasing and procurement efforts, including vendor coordination, pricing analysis, and order tracking
• Assist with FF&E planning and purchasing for new openings and capital projects
• Help establish purchasing processes, documentation, competitive analysis, and approval workflows

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Support operations executives and directors as a liaison between development, operations, finance, marketing, and on-site property leadership
• Support project tracking across multiple workstreams and ensure follow-through on action items by driving clear communications to stakeholders
• Assist with meeting preparation, documentation, and follow-up

General Operations Support

• Provide ad hoc operational support as needed for destination properties and leadership
• Assist with research, benchmarking, and special projects related to resort operations and guest experience
• Help build scalable systems, templates, and tools that can be used across future developments
• Support and work with the KemperSports Destinations team at key events, activations, and property operations during transitions

Why This Role Matters

This position offers direct exposure to one of the most exciting segments of the golf and hospitality industry and the opportunity to help shape how KemperSports supports world-class destination resorts. The Operations Associate will help build the operational backbone that supports successful openings today and scalable growth tomorrow—while gaining high-impact experience across planning, analytics, procurement, and resort operations.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in business, hospitality, operations, finance, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• 1–3 years of experience in hospitality, golf operations, resort operations, consulting, or analytics
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to work comfortably within, Enterprise AI tools, as well as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint (including basic financial models)
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities simultaneously
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Preferred

• Experience supporting new openings, development projects, or complex operations
• Background in golf, resort, destination hospitality, or lifestyle brands
• Familiarity with purchasing, procurement, or vendor management
• Comfort working in ambiguous environments where infrastructure and processes are still being built

Key Attributes for Success

• Proactive self-starter who takes ownership and follows through
• Comfortable working both strategically and tactically (planning + execution)
• Curious, adaptable, and eager to learn across disciplines
• Strong judgment, discretion, and professionalism
• Willingness to travel periodically to support property opening activities and events

Compensation

• Full-time, Salaried, Exempt
• Range: $60,000 - $75,000

KemperSports Management is an Equal Opportunity Employer