Senior Lead - Indirect Procurement Marketing Category Manager

In short

We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Senior Lead - Indirect Procurement Category Manager for our Marketing category. This pivotal role will shape and drive the marketing category strategy, optimize spend, and build strong partnerships with agencies and vendors. You will be responsible for developing the category management framework, identifying key opportunities, and ensuring alignment of marketing procurement activities with the organization’s overall brand and business objectives. The ideal candidate will demonstrate innovative thinking, strong negotiation skills, a deep understanding of marketing trends, and exceptional market knowledge.

Your Mission

• Take ownership of shaping the marketing category by analyzing current practices, identifying gaps, and introducing innovative solutions to optimize costs, improve agency and vendor performance, and align with brand and business goals.
• Design and implement a comprehensive procurement strategy for the Marketing category, including but not limited to advertising, media buying, creative agencies, market research, digital marketing tools, trade marketing, events, and sponsorships.
• Ensure robust management of key agency and vendor relationships within agreed categories of marketing supply, while mitigating risk and delivering operational benefit at all times.
• Ensure marketing solutions are fit for purpose, aligned to brand and business needs, and represent the best value, highest quality, and innovation.
• Lead high-value contract negotiations with agencies and vendors, ensuring favorable terms for the organization, managing contract lifecycle, and mitigating risks.
• Perform detailed spend analysis and identify opportunities for cost savings and value creation within the marketing category. Leverage data to drive decision-making and measure performance against KPIs.
• Provide key senior stakeholder support in the marketing procurement sourcing lifecycle—including driving requirement specifications, RFIs, RFPs, evaluation, drafting, contracting, on-boarding, negotiations, agency/vendor management.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by exploring new marketing technologies, processes, and methods for category management to increase efficiency and impact.