Churchill Downs Racetrack · 18 hours ago
Director, Derby Operations
Louisville, KY
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
5+ years expChurchill Downs Racetrack, the world’s most legendary racetrack, is seeking a Director of Derby Operations responsible for planning and executing various operational aspects of Kentucky Derby Week. The role involves vendor selection, infrastructure needs, and project management to ensure successful event setups and coordination across departments.
EventsRecreationSports
Responsibilities
Serves as the on-site lead for all Derby Week operations vendors including, but not limited to, temporary builds, fencing, portable restrooms, etc
Provides recommendations on vendor selection, conducts RFPs and negotiates contracts
Maintains working knowledge of all contracts – pricing, deliverables/deadlines, insurance requirements and coverage and renewal planning
Develops and disseminates vendor guidelines – ensures compliance will all onsite vendors throughout project
Manages project budget, track changes, processes purchase orders and invoice reconciliation
Creates and manages all Derby operational timelines
Oversees timely production of site planning sets - ensures accuracy, oversees publication, tracks changes and confirms final “as-built” set at event completion
Provides daily leadership to production teams in the oversite and troubleshooting for all temporary builds and operational tasks
Collaborates with other departments and stakeholders to ensure deadlines are met and event setup remains on schedule
Conducts daily construction meetings with all applicable staff and contractors
Develops a platform to collect and track all space requests along with facility support requirements – collaborates with Senior Director of Operations on approvals
Tracks requests and determines priorities for in-house resources – IT, electrician, maintenance, waste management, and sign production
Manages the internal and external Derby Dashboards for information sharing and resource requisition forms
Coordinates all Derby Week temporary signage - including locations, designs, installation, dismantle and post-event inventory/storage
Creates and updates Derby Standup presentations
Provides timely communication to departments and stakeholders regarding project status, changes and milestones – i.e. Two-week/Seven-day/Three-day/One-day Look Aheads
Serves as the primary keeper of all Derby Week planning materials, including renderings, engineering drawings, photos/aerials, presentations and project orders
Collects, consolidates and archives all after-action reports and materials for future planning
Collaborates on future facility planning that may impact Derby operations
Other duties and special projects as assigned
Qualification
Required
Proficient with various software tools such as spreadsheets, databases and web applications, including but not limited to: Word, Excel, Outlook, Smartsheet, Visio, Power Point and other MS suite applications
Diplomatic personality, able to collaborate with a wide variety of personalities and backgrounds, under pressure and while maintaining calm demeanor
Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently
Evidence of strong budget management skills, with ability to forecast and track expenses through duration of project execution
Strong written communication skills, with ability to collect, analyze and disseminate information in a detailed and efficient manner
Ability to be exposed to adverse weather conditions when required to work outside
Ability to be on your feet for long periods of time
Commitment to working flexible hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, as required by event and operational demands
Bachelor's degree in Sports, Business Management, or related field recommended
Minimum 5 years of leadership experience in sports and entertainment operations, venue operations, or project management with an emphasis on events
Company
Churchill Downs Racetrack
Horse racing in Kentucky dates back to 1789, when the first race course was constructed in Lexington.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Casey (Cook) Ramage
VP of Marketing and Partnerships
Chad Waits
Senior Director of Partnership Development
Recent News
2025-12-16
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2025-12-16
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2025-10-25
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