Associate Director Creative Procurement

MSD • Rahway, NJ

1d • $129,000 - $203,100 • Hybrid

About The Position

This role provides regional category management and sourcing leadership for Creative, Digital Production & Publishing, and Medical Education within Marketing Procurement. It takes a global perspective and collaborates with Human Health business partners and regional and local sourcing professionals in a matrix organization. The role supports development and implementation of global sourcing strategies using a Supply Strategy Council framework and leads key initiatives. It establishes and leads cross-functional sourcing teams and provides oversight for regional and local category activities. Priorities include value creation, service delivery, innovation, digitalization, and corporate social and environmental responsibility.

The position sustains and develops cooperation with procurement colleagues, business partners, and suppliers. It helps procurement teams develop and implement strategic sourcing plans and align on priorities; partners with stakeholders to meet business requirements and manage savings targets; and serves as a trusted advisor who influences and appropriately challenges strategic decisions. It builds relationships with global, international, and enterprise suppliers, manages supplier performance, supports regional supplier relationships, and ensures appropriate supplier participation in RFPs and contracts.

The work spans strategy creation, strategy execution, ongoing procurement operations, and supplier relationship management. Activities include strategic planning and market intelligence; developing and executing RFIs and RFPs and related process changes; contract review and negotiation, purchase-order and supplier issue resolution, vendor creation, and procurement process execution; and planning and carrying out initiatives to develop, improve, sustain, or reposition relationships with critical suppliers. The role is expected to follow the Company’s leadership standards, including disciplined decision-making, courage and candor, ethics and integrity, collaboration, and accountability for results. The position is hybrid, based primarily in Rahway, New Jersey, with 25% travel and a day shift.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, procurement, or business administration.
• At least 5 years of experience in strategic procurement, creative agency procurement, marketing, or a related role.
• 5 years of experience using analytical skills.
• 5 years of experience working with data and reporting dashboards.
• In-depth subject matter expertise in creative and production agencies or sourcing, including current industry trends and best practices.
• Proven success developing and executing global or regional creative sourcing strategies.
• Strong communication and influencing skills at senior levels.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with senior management, stakeholders, team members, other departments, and suppliers.

Nice To Haves

• Experience negotiating with creative, digital, or marketing agencies of record.
• Advanced Microsoft Office suite experience.
• Knowledge of the Decideware scoping application.
• Knowledge of procurement sourcing tools.
• Knowledge of analytic dashboards.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a dynamic environment (listed as preferred in the posting).

Responsibilities

• Lead regional category management and sourcing for Creative, Digital Production & Publishing, and Medical Education within Marketing Procurement.
• Collaborate with Human Health business partners and regional and local sourcing professionals to support global sourcing strategy development and implementation.
• Lead key sourcing initiatives and cross-functional teams, and provide strategy oversight for regional and local category activities.
• Drive value creation, service delivery, innovation, digitalization, and corporate social and environmental responsibility.
• Work with global, regional, and local procurement representatives to develop and implement strategic source plans and align on broader Marketing services priorities.
• Engage business stakeholders to define and meet or exceed requirements, manage profit-plan savings targets, and advise or influence strategic decisions.
• Build and manage relationships with global, international, enterprise, and regional suppliers; monitor supplier performance and support appropriate supplier inclusion in RFPs and contracts.
• Create sourcing strategies through stakeholder engagement, workshops, market intelligence, and data gathering and analysis.
• Execute sourcing strategies by developing and carrying out RFIs and RFPs, supporting supplier selection, and re-engineering processes with the business.
• Handle ongoing procurement operations, including contract review and negotiations, purchase-order and supplier issue resolution, new vendor creation, technology and process execution, and data analysis.
• Plan and carry out supplier relationship management activities, including supplier forums, stakeholder and supplier discussions, contract reviews, negotiations, and related analysis.
• Apply the Company’s leadership standards: make disciplined decisions, act with courage and candor, demonstrate ethics and integrity, foster collaboration, and drive results.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision healthcare and other insurance benefits for employees and family.
• Retirement benefits, including 401(k).
• Paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days.
• Annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director