Lead Procurement Category Manager - Marketing

Lead Procurement Category Manager - Marketing

Asda House, Leeds (Hybrid)- Permanent, Full Time

Competitive Salary + Bonus + Car Allowance + Excellent Benefits

Client Details

Help Shape Asda's Marketing Future

We're looking for an exceptional Lead Procurement Category Manager - Marketing to lead one of Asda's most strategically important and high-profile spend portfolios. Managing over £250m of marketing expenditure, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping how Asda engages customers, builds its brand and delivers growth. Working at the heart of commercial decision-making, you'll influence senior stakeholders, drive innovation through strategic supplier partnerships and help shape Asda's future marketing capabilities.

This is a specialist role requiring expertise in marketing categories, a proven track record of managing complex spend portfolios and the ability to influence and challenge at senior leadership level.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join an organisation where Procurement is at the heart of business decision-making, allowing you to lead a critical category, develop a high-performing team and deliver meaningful commercial impact across the Group.

Description

What You'll Do

Category Strategy & Leadership

· Develop and implement long-term category strategies across the Marketing portfolio.

· Build category plans aligned to wider business objectives and growth priorities.

· Identify opportunities to optimise costs, improve supplier performance and deliver innovation.

· Leverage market intelligence and emerging industry trends to shape strategic decision-making and identify competitive advantage.

· Drive procurement best practice across all Marketing categories.

Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Delivery

· Lead complex sourcing programmes and competitive tender exercises.

· Negotiate high-value contracts and commercial agreements.

· Deliver measurable savings, cost avoidance and value creation opportunities.

· Develop sourcing strategies that balance commercial outcomes with quality and innovation.

· Ensure robust contract governance and commercial risk management.

Supplier Relationship Management

· Develop strategic relationships with key marketing agencies and service providers.

· Establish supplier performance frameworks and governance structures.

· Drive continuous improvement and innovation through supplier partnerships.

· Monitor supplier performance against agreed commercial and operational measures.

· Support supplier consolidation and optimisation initiatives where appropriate.

Stakeholder Management

· Partner with senior Marketing and business leaders to understand strategic priorities.

· Act as a trusted advisor on procurement and commercial matters.

· Influence stakeholders to achieve optimal commercial outcomes.

· Influence major campaigns, transformation programmes and strategic initiatives through commercial expertise and market insight.

· Present recommendations and business cases to senior leadership teams.

Team Leadership & Development

· Lead and inspire a high-performing team, creating an environment where colleagues can grow, innovate and deliver their best work.

· Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

· Build procurement capability and succession plans.

· Share knowledge and best practice across the wider procurement function.

· Champion professional development and high performance

Profile

About You

We're looking for a commercially minded procurement leader with deep marketing category expertise, the credibility to influence senior stakeholders and the ambition to shape one of the UK's most significant marketing spend portfolios.

Essential Experience

· Significant experience and expertise across multiple Marketing categories such as Media, Creative Agencies, Production, Print, MarTech, Data or Marketing Services.

· Proven experience developing and executing category strategies.

· Strong track record of delivering commercial value and cost optimisation.

· Experience leading complex sourcing and supplier management initiatives.

· Excellent negotiation and contract management skills.

· Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing capability.

· Experience operating within large, complex organisations.

· Leadership experience, including coaching and developing procurement teams.

Desirable Experience

· Exposure to digital transformation and Marketing technology procurement.

· Knowledge of data, analytics and customer insight services.

· Experience working within retail, FMCG, consumer or customer-focused environments.

· CIPS qualification or equivalent professional accreditation

What Success Looks Like

You'll:

· Develop and deliver a best-in-class procurement strategy across a £250m+ marketing portfolio.

· Be recognised as a trusted commercial partner to senior Marketing and business leaders.

· Deliver significant value through cost optimisation, innovation and supplier-led transformation.

· Build strategic supplier partnerships that create long-term competitive advantage.

· Lead and develop a high-performing procurement team that consistently delivers exceptional results.

· Influence executive decision-making through expert commercial insight and market knowledge.

Job Offer

Why Asda

Procurement at Asda manages more than £2.5bn of indirect spend and is on an exciting transformation journey to become a truly best-in-class function. We are increasing our influence across the business, driving innovation, strengthening supplier partnerships and delivering strategic value at scale.

This is an opportunity to lead one of our most visible and commercially significant categories, working with senior leaders to influence decisions that directly impact our customers, brand and business performance.

Everything You'll Love

· Competitive Salary

· Annual Performance Bonus

· Car Allowance

· Generous Pension Scheme

· Private Healthcare

· Hybrid & Flexible Working

· Enhanced Holiday Allowance

· Employee Wellbeing Programmes

· Professional Development Support

· Career Progression Opportunities

· Inclusive and Collaborative Culture

Join Our Journey

If you're an experienced Marketing Procurement Manager, Procurement Lead, Category Lead, Strategic Sourcing Manager or Head of Marketing Procurement looking for your next leadership challenge, we'd love to hear from you.

Join a business where Procurement has a genuine seat at the table, your expertise is valued, and your decisions can influence customer experience, brand performance and long-term business growth.

If you're ready to lead one of the largest and most strategically important Marketing Procurement portfolios in UK retail, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply Now

If you're a procurement professional with indirect marketing category management experience and a passion for Marketing Services - Procurement, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note all third party CVs submitted will be directed to Michael Page to engage with candidates