Senior Specialist, Procurement

About the role

The Sr. Specialist, Marketing Procurement supports strategic sourcing, supplier management, contract management, and stakeholder engagement activities across Marketing Services categories within our Animal Health division. Key categories include Advertising, Media (Traditional and Digital), Market Research, Public Relations, Branding, Creative and Design Services, Communications, Print, and Events.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and execution of sourcing strategies for Marketing Services categories.
• Conduct supplier, industry, and market analysis to identify opportunities for value creation, innovation, risk mitigation, and cost optimization.
• Lead and support competitive sourcing events, including Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Proposal (RFP), and supplier evaluations.
• Analyze spending trends and market intelligence to support informed sourcing decisions.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Support supplier performance management programs through the development and monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Afford opportunities to improve supplier performance, service quality, innovation, and operational efficiency.
• Participate in supplier business reviews and performance discussions.
• Support the development, review, negotiation, execution, and management of supplier agreements, Statements of Work (SOWs), and related contractual documents.
• Partner with Legal and business stakeholders to ensure contracts align with business requirements and company policies.
• Monitor contract compliance and support contract renewal activities.
• Partner closely with Marketing, Sales, Communications, Finance, Legal, and other functional teams to understand business objectives and procurement needs.
• Serve as a trusted advisor by providing procurement expertise and market insights.
• Identify and support mitigation of supplier, contractual, operational, and commercial risks.
• Ensure sourcing and supplier management activities comply with company policies, procedures, and applicable regulations.
• Support supplier due diligence and risk assessment activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve sourcing processes, supplier performance, and overall procurement effectiveness.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing, best-practice development, and continuous improvement initiatives within the GSM organization.
• Support cross-functional projects and procurement initiatives as needed.

Requirements

• Required: Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Marketing, Finance, or a related field.
• Preferred: MBA or other advanced degree.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, supplier management, marketing services, or a related business function.
• Experience supporting sourcing events, supplier negotiations, and contract management activities.
• Knowledge of Marketing Services categories such as Advertising, Media, Creative Services, Digital Marketing, Market Research, Events, Communications, or related services.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret data and develop actionable insights.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams in a matrix environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel (Pivot Tables), PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Skills

• Strategic Thinking
• Business Partnership
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Negotiation and Influencing
• Data Analysis
• Contract Management
• Risk Management
• Communication and Collaboration
• Continuous Improvement
• Results Orientation