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- Tasks: Lead media and marketing procurement, shaping strategies and managing supplier relationships.
- Company: Join a global firm with a diverse community across 65+ countries.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and a focus on holistic well-being.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a high-performance environment while growing your expertise.
- Qualifications: Bachelor's degree and 5-10 years in category management or procurement required.
- Other info: Opportunity to develop skills and engage with innovative marketing partners globally.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 ÂŁ per year.
Who You'll Work With
You are someone who thrives in a high-performance environment, bringing a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle meaningful challenges that have a real impact. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we’ll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help you quickly broaden your expertise, grow into a well-rounded professional, and contribute to work that truly makes a difference.
- Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development.
- A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity.
- Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions.
- Exceptional benefits: On top of a competitive salary, we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family.
Your Impact
As Category Manager for Media and Marketing, you will lead a high-impact, enterprise-wide portfolio spanning a diverse ecosystem of media and marketing suppliers. This includes publishers, editorial partners, social media platforms, branding and creative agencies, and digital media vendors. You will be accountable for shaping and executing a comprehensive category strategy that advances the firm’s brand objectives, supports business priorities, drives financial value, ensures regulatory and policy compliance, and enhances the overall effectiveness and reach of our marketing investments.
In this strategic role, you will define the long‑term direction of the Media and Marketing category by developing forward‑looking strategies, cultivating strong cross‑functional partnerships, and building high‑value relationships with critical suppliers who shape the firm’s global brand presence and market engagement. You will drive innovation and efficiency in how the firm sources and manages media and marketing services across global and regional markets, ensuring supplier partnerships deliver measurable business outcomes and meaningful audience impact.
You will develop and implement global and regional category strategies aligned with brand, growth, and communications objectives. Through disciplined supplier lifecycle management—spanning sourcing, contracting, performance management, and continuous improvement—you will optimize how the firm engages with its marketing ecosystem.
Working closely with Marketing, Communications, Finance, Legal, Risk, and Compliance teams, you will identify opportunities to rationalize the supplier landscape, consolidate strategic partnerships, and unlock cost efficiencies without compromising brand quality, creative excellence, reach, or performance. You will lead commercial negotiations, including rate cards, scopes of work, performance incentives, and contract renewals, while strengthening contract structures and mitigating commercial and reputational risk.
Through robust supplier performance management and clearly defined KPIs, you will ensure partners deliver against quality, innovation, sustainability, and value targets. You will continuously evaluate evolving industry trends, emerging platforms, digital capabilities, and new supplier models to inform category strategy and position the firm at the forefront of media and marketing excellence.
Your work will drive the evolution toward a scalable, data‑informed, and future‑ready category strategy—unlocking value through strong supplier relationships, operational discipline, and strategic investment decisions that enable the firm to grow its brand, amplify its voice, and innovate with confidence. You’ll have the opportunity to build new skills, expand your industry exposure, and make a tangible impact on how the firm engages with its marketing and media partners globally.
Your Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
- 5–10 years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, or procurement, with a strong preference for media and/or marketing categories
- Demonstrated experience managing suppliers such as media agencies, publishers, editorial partners, social media platforms, branding or creative agencies
- Strong commercial acumen with proven negotiation and influencing skills
- Experience working in complex, global, matrixed organizations
- Ability to operate independently with minimal guidance while collaborating effectively with cross‑functional stakeholders
- Recognized ability to engage with senior business partners and external suppliers, including Legal and Risk teams
- Experience with supplier performance management and governance frameworks
- Professional procurement certification (e.g., CPSM, CIPS) considered an asset
- International experience and understanding of regional market dynamics strongly preferred
Procurement Category Manager, Media & Marketing employer: Mckinsey & Company
Contact Detail:
Mckinsey & Company Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Procurement Category Manager, Media & Marketing
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their values and how they align with your own. This will help you showcase your fit and make a lasting impression during those crucial conversations.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your skills and experiences make you the perfect fit for the Procurement Category Manager role. Tailor your examples to highlight your achievements in media and marketing procurement.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team and contributing to our mission.
We think you need these skills to ace Procurement Category Manager, Media & Marketing
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see how your growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit align with our mission. Share specific examples of how you've tackled challenges in the past.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for this specific role. Highlight your experience in category management and procurement, especially in media and marketing. We love seeing how your background fits into our vision!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your qualifications and potential impact.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mckinsey & Company
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into the company’s media and marketing strategies. Familiarise yourself with their suppliers and recent campaigns. This shows you’re genuinely interested and ready to contribute from day one.
✨Showcase Your Negotiation Skills
Prepare examples of past negotiations where you’ve achieved significant outcomes. Highlight your commercial acumen and how you’ve managed supplier relationships effectively. This will demonstrate your capability in a role that demands strong negotiation skills.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
Since this role involves working with various teams, be ready to discuss how you’ve successfully collaborated across departments in previous positions. Share specific instances where your teamwork led to innovative solutions or improved processes.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
Prepare thoughtful questions about the company’s future direction in media and marketing. Inquire about their approach to supplier management and how they measure success. This not only shows your interest but also your strategic thinking.