We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Senior Lead - Indirect Procurement Category Manager for our Marketing category. This pivotal role will shape and drive the marketing category strategy, optimize spend, and build strong partnerships with agencies and vendors. You will be responsible for developing the category management framework, identifying key opportunities, and ensuring alignment of marketing procurement activities with the organization’s overall brand and business objectives. The ideal candidate will demonstrate innovative thinking, strong negotiation skills, a deep understanding of marketing trends, and exceptional market knowledge

Your Mission

• Take ownership of shaping the marketing category by analyzing current practices, identifying gaps, and introducing innovative solutions to optimize costs, improve agency and vendor performance, and align with brand and business goals
• Design and implement a comprehensive procurement strategy for the Marketing category, including but not limited to advertising, media buying, creative agencies, market research, digital marketing tools, trade marketing, events, and sponsorships
• Ensure robust management of key agency and vendor relationships within agreed categories of marketing supply, while mitigating risk and delivering operational benefit at all times
• Ensure marketing solutions are fit for purpose, aligned to brand and business needs, and represent the best value, highest quality, and innovation
• Lead high-value contract negotiations with agencies and vendors, ensuring favorable terms for the organization, managing contract lifecycle, and mitigating risks
• Perform detailed spend analysis and identify opportunities for cost savings and value creation within the marketing category. Leverage data to drive decision-making and measure performance against KPIs
• Provide key senior stakeholder support in the marketing procurement sourcing lifecycle—including driving requirement specifications, RFIs, RFPs, evaluation, drafting, contracting, on-boarding, negotiations, agency/vendor management
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by exploring new marketing technologies, processes, and methods for category management to increase efficiency and impact

Your story

• 7+ years of procurement experience, with a focus on marketing services, advertising, or a related category
• Entrepreneurial, flexible, and agile with a proven ability to achieve results with limited resources
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while working independently and self-directed
• Proven track record in developing and executing marketing procurement strategies, delivering cost savings, and adding value
• Proactive, positive, and flexible personality with excellent negotiation and communication skills. Extensive negotiation experience and ability to operate effectively in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments
• Familiarity with marketing markets, including trends, pricing models, key players, and digital platforms
• Exceptionally self-motivated, organized, and able to prioritize efficiently within an entrepreneurial environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present complex information clearly and influence decision-making
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, or a related field. Marketing-specific certifications or equivalent procurement certification is desirable

The indirect procurement team empowers and enables each individual within On to manage their procurement activities in an optimised, effective and value added way. Our aim is to challenge the status quo and build a high performance procurement culture in the marketing category through strong partnerships, competitive sourcing and scalable solutions.. We optimise procurement by delivering excellence across our service portfolio and implementing tools and processes to all teams in order to enable their core objectives. The team aims to deliver through 5 main pillars which are: Optimised Spend, Supplier security and flexibility, Optimal flow & Speed, Better and faster decision making, and stakeholder satisfaction

Just by the banks of the Limmat you’ll find our largest global hub in Zürich West – On Labs – where you can hike up 12 floors through our custom-built spiral trail

What we offer

• On is a place that is centered around growth and progress. We offer an environment designed to give people the tools to develop holistically – to stay active, to learn, explore and innovate. Our distinctive approach combines a supportive, team-oriented atmosphere, with access to personal self-care for both physical and mental well-being, so each person is led by purpose
• On is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a work environment that is fair and inclusive, where all decisions related to recruitment, advancement, and retention are free of discrimination
• Our full process can last about eight weeks from application to offer, because we care about getting it right. These steps explain how we usually do things

Ready to dig into the details?This second interview will be held with your future manager and will focus on the specifics of the job. Together you’ll delve into your unique skills and experiences and how they could be relevant at On. It's also a time to assess how you might feel working side-by-side. Bring any questions you have about the job, the team or anything else you might like to know – this is an open forum

Are we a good fit?We’ll get together internally to share our feedback and decide if we’re a match. We know that job searching is a big time investment, so it’s not a decision we take lightly. It’s also time for you to reflect on the experience – are we the right place for you?No matter the outcome, we’ll give you meaningful feedback

You'll start by submitting your application to a specific role