Associate Director Creative Procurement

MSD•Rahway, NJ

14h•Hybrid

About The Position

This role leads regional category management and sourcing for Creative, Digital Production & Publishing, and Medical Education within Marketing Procurement. It applies a global mindset through collaboration 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, leads key initiatives, establishes cross-functional teams for sourcing processes, and provides strategy oversight for regional and local category activities. The role focuses on value creation, service delivery, innovation and digitalization, and corporate social and environmental responsibility. It builds and sustains cooperation frameworks with procurement colleagues, business partners, and suppliers. This includes developing strategic source plans and aligning on initiatives; advising business partners on requirements, savings targets, and longer-term strategic needs; and building supplier relationships, managing performance, and supporting supplier inclusion in RFPs and contracts. Work encompasses strategy creation, strategy execution, ongoing procurement operations, and supplier relationship management. Activities include engaging stakeholders and Global Procurement, market intelligence and data analysis, developing and executing RFIs/RFPs, process re-engineering, reviewing and negotiating contracts, resolving purchase order and supplier issues, creating vendors, and improving 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 results orientation. The position is based in Rahway, New Jersey, with a hybrid work arrangement and 25% travel. Relocation is not offered and visa sponsorship is not available.

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.
Five years of experience using analytical skills.
Five 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.
Demonstrated success developing and executing global or regional creative sourcing strategies.
Strong communication and influencing skills at senior levels.
Ability to collaborate with senior management, stakeholders, team members, other departments, and suppliers.
Ability to prioritize and execute tasks effectively in a dynamic environment.
Required skills include agency management and relationships, commercial contract negotiations, cost analysis and negotiations, cost reduction and savings, creative sourcing, continuous improvement, negotiation, people leadership, strategic sourcing, supplier improvement and relationship management, technical evaluation, and vendor selection.

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.

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 global, regional, and local procurement professionals to develop and implement sourcing strategies.
Lead key initiatives and establish cross-functional teams through sourcing processes; provide oversight for regional and local category components.
Identify and manage priorities involving value creation, service delivery, innovation, digitalization, and corporate social and environmental responsibility.
Participate in or lead procurement teams to develop strategic source plans and align on initiatives and priorities for Marketing services categories.
Engage business stakeholders to define and meet business requirements, identify and manage profit plan savings targets, and advise on strategic decisions and business needs over one-, three-, and five-year horizons.
Build relationships with global, international, and enterprise suppliers; manage supplier performance against business requirements and support major regional supplier relationships.
Ensure appropriate supplier inclusion in RFPs and contracts, use supplier capabilities effectively, provide fair opportunities for sustainable supplier growth, and optimize spend.
Create long-term category strategies through stakeholder engagement, sourcing process workshops, market intelligence, and data gathering and analysis.
Execute sourcing strategies by developing and implementing RFIs and RFPs, selecting suppliers, and working with the business to re-engineer processes.
Manage ongoing procurement operations, including contract review and negotiations, purchase order issue resolution, vendor creation, supplier issue resolution, and technology and process execution.
Develop and participate in supplier forums and other relationship-building activities; analyze and negotiate contracts and generate supplier-related insights.
Apply company leadership standards: make disciplined decisions, act with courage and candor, demonstrate ethics and integrity, foster collaboration, and drive results.