Marketing & Media Procurement Category Manager

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Marketing Category Manager to join our Procurement team at Integrity. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the Marketing and Communications market landscape, both physical and digital, especially as the relate to driving customer acquisition and broker growth and loyalty within the Insurance and Financial Services industries. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong negotiation and leadership skills, with extensive experience in managing Marketing and Communications categories to drive business growth within a complex US-based organization. Additionally, this position has responsibility for 1-3 direct reports.

Position Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing

• Develop and execute comprehensive category strategies for marketing and communications, including digital marketing, media buying, advertising agencies, events, and promotional materials.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and drive continuous improvement initiatives in category spend for both physical and digital media.
• Analyze future strategies and current spend data to identify opportunities for spend leverage.
• Regularly establish and report quarterly on category goals, plans, and progress.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers.
• Evaluate supplier performance, assessing compliance with cost, quality, and timeliness service level agreements (SLAs) and contractual obligations.
• Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with strategic suppliers to communicate performance, identify improvement areas, and organize improvement initiatives.

 Contract Negotiation

• Lead and support complex negotiations for Marketing contracts, including creative and advertising agency agreements, lead generation arrangements, and media distribution services.
• Ensure all agreements align with company policies, legal requirements, and compliance standards.
• Manage contract renewals proactively to optimize terms and prevent lapses in service.

Market Analysis

• Monitor industry trends, market conditions, and technological advancements in the Marketing and Communications sector and assess their potential impact on procurement strategies.
• Provide insights based on market intelligence to inform strategic decision-making. Identify supplier capabilities and candidates that can best enable achievement of Integrity goals.
• Develop relevant competitive positioning to optimize negotiation and selection activities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Marketing, Communications, Finance, Legal, and other departments to understand technical requirements and align procurement activities.
• Facilitate communication between stakeholders to ensure project alignment and successful implementation of Marketing and Communications initiatives.
• Support Marketing and Communications project teams by providing procurement expertise and guidance.

Risk Management

• Identify potential risks in the Marketing and Communications supply chain, including cybersecurity and continuity of support threats.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, corporate, and industry-specific standards.
• Manage data privacy considerations in vendor relationships, especially regarding cloud and SaaS solutions

Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field.
• Master's degree in Business Administration is a plus.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in Marketing procurement or category management.
• Minimum of 2 years of demonstratable experience managing and leading high functioning teams.
• Extensive knowledge of categories such as SEO, digital distribution, call centers, creative agencies, agent and customer leads, traditional and new media, print, and public relations.
• Proven track record of successful contract negotiations and supplier management in the Marketing sector.
• High proficiency with MS Excel and BI tools, such as Power BI and Tableau.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills.
• Proficient in Coupa or other leading procurement solutions.
• Understanding of cybersecurity considerations in Marketing and Communications procurement.
• Highly motivated problem solver with the ability to think critically.
• Self-starter with an innate curiosity and drive to understand the insurance industry environment.
• Cross-functional collaboration skills to promote alignment across the organization.
• Team oriented, wit