Regional Category Manager - Events & Sponsorships

SAP•Edgmont Township, PA

4d•$127,100 - $282,800•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic Regional Category Manager – Events & Sponsorships to join our Global Marketing Procurement team. In this senior role, you will drive innovation, efficiency, and strategic value creation across the Events and Sponsorships categories, shaping how the organization engages partners and delivers world-class brand experience. You will be responsible for developing and executing the regional category strategy for events and sponsorships, while leading efforts to streamline and advance ways of working across regional teams. This includes mapping, optimizing, and standardizing sourcing, contracting, and supplier management processes to ensure global consistency, agility, and excellence. As a trusted business partner, you will collaborate closely with Marketing and Commercial teams to deliver innovative, high-quality and cost-efficient event & sponsorship experiences while ensuring procurement brings strategic value and seamless support.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years of experience in marketing procurement, ideally focused on events, sponsorships or related marketing categories.
Proven track record in defining and executing global/regional category strategies in close collaboration with business stakeholders and suppliers, ensuring alignment with both commercial and business objectives.
Demonstrated success in leading cross-regional and cross-functional initiatives and driving process harmonization or transformation.
Strong expertise in process mapping, documentation and optimization, with the ability to simplify complex workflows and enhance stakeholder experience.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, interpret, and analyze data to support decision-making, identify opportunities, and drive continuous improvement.
Effective communication, stakeholder management and negotiation skills, with the ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders, and drive change across the organization and with external suppliers.
Experience presenting category strategies, business cases, and commercial recommendations at senior or executive leadership forums.
Proven ability to manage multi-million-dollar spend portfolios and drive measurable value beyond cost – such as supplier innovation, or operational agility.
Proven experience in leading or contributing to organizational transformation, including implementing new processes, driving digitalization, or managing change within procurement or similar functions.
Strong project management skills; able to manage multiple priorities regionally.
Proven ability to lead without authority, steering cross-functional teams and shaping decisions in matrixed, geographically dispersed environments
Capability to mentor and coach junior team members and contribute to capability building across Marketing Procurement globally.
Strategic mindset, with the ability to think beyond immediate tasks and understand the long-term impact of procurement strategies on business transformation and value creation.

Nice To Haves

The candidate should be comfortable working in dynamic environments and capable of championing innovation, sustainability, and new ways of working within the team.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the regional category strategy for events and sponsorships in line with business and procurement goals.
Own the regional category spend and deliver financial targets (savings, rebates, payment terms etc.), value creation, and risk-mitigation targets with full accountability.
Harmonize and optimize processes across regions by mapping current workflows, identifying inefficiencies and implementing standardized, agile and compliant solutions to improve overall stakeholder experience.
Provide strategic leadership to buyers / sourcing teams, ensuring consistency and alignment with global/regional frameworks and policies.
Build strong business partnerships with global and regional stakeholders to understand needs, influence decisions and deliver tailored, value-driven procurement solutions.
Lead strategic sourcing and supplier management initiatives, including supplier selection, negotiation, contracting, risk mitigation and performance optimization.
Lead complex, high-impact commercial negotiations, including multi-year sponsorship agreements and regional event frameworks.
Lead procurement transformation and change management initiatives, supporting the adoption of new tools, governance frameworks and digital solutions.
Develop governance models, metrics and knowledge-sharing frameworks to ensure transparency, capability building and continuous improvement globally.
Drive innovation, sustainability and diversity across the supplier base, supporting corporate ESG goals