Senior Buyer, Procurement - Marketing Services

1. Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

• Strategy Development: Experience developing and executing strategic sourcing plans to identify, evaluate, and select the best marketing partners.

• Sourcing Execution: Lead the end-to-end procurement process, including market analysis, needs assessment, and the development of RFPs.

• Co-op & Partnership Management: Assist with the development, negotiation, and management of co-operative marketing agreements to maximize shared promotional reach, align brand strategies, and ensure equitable resource allocation between partners.

• Market Intelligence: Stay updated on marketing trends, agency landscape changes, and new technologies to drive innovation.

2. Contract Management & Financial Analysis

• Negotiation: Negotiate complex, high-value agency contracts focusing on intellectual property rights, indemnification, and performance guarantees.

• Financial Modeling: Conduct detailed financial analysis of supplier proposals, agency rates, and production costs. Provide clear recommendations to leadership to ensure transparency in marketing spend and budgeting.

• Cost Optimization: Drive significant cost savings and cost avoidance through competitive bidding, process efficiencies, and effective negotiation of agency compensation models (e.g., fixed fees, retainers, performance-based incentives).

3. Supplier Relationship & Performance Management

• Performance Tracking: Conduct supplier performance reviews based on established KPIs (quality, cost, compliance, innovation) and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

• Dispute Resolution: Act as the primary point of contact for internal stakeholders regarding contract compliance and supplier disputes.

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4. Stakeholder Collaboration & Compliance

• Business Partnering: Build strong, collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in Marketing, Legal, and Finance, influencing alignment across functions and geographies.

• Risk Mitigation: Ensure all sourcing activities adhere to internal procurement policies, regulatory requirements, and due diligence procedures.

• Payment Exception Management: Manage urgent, high-profile, and non-standard supplier payments (e.g., one-time event speakers, complex international wire transfers) by coordinating time-sensitive onboarding, payment processing, and necessary compliance documentation across multiple internal teams.

Required Education & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, Marketing, or a related field.

• Experience: Minimum of 3 years in strategic sourcing, procurement, or relevant commercial/operational roles.

• Category Expertise: Proven experience in a procurement, buying, or sourcing role, specifically with a focus on marketing services (e.g., media buying, creative agencies, market research, digital services, MarTech).

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Required Skills

• Agency Compensation: Strong understanding of agency compensation models (fees, retainers, incentives).

• Negotiation: Exceptional negotiation skills to secure favorable terms, pricing, and quality from vendors/agencies. Strong grasp of contract law and contract management.

• Marketing Strategy: A solid grasp of how marketing campaigns work, allowing the buyer to align procurement decisions with the company's overall marketing and business objectives.

• Technology Proficiency: Experience with procurement-specific software (e.g., SAP Ariba, Coupa), and ideally, marketing or media-buying platforms (e.g., Google Ads and DSPs).

• Communication and Collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to articulate strategies, present reports, and clearly communicate needs to internal stakeholders and external vendors.

• Stakeholder Management: The ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with both internal marketing teams (the client) and external suppliers/agencies.

• Analytical and Critical Thinking: Strong ability to analyze complex data, solve problems, and make informed, data-driven decisions.

• Attention to Detail: Meticulous accuracy when dealing with contracts, purchase orders, f