Strategic Sourcing Manager, Marketing & Advertising [AQ-24244]

Aquent is thrilled to partner with an industry-leading retail brand that is shaping the future of consumer experiences. This company is renowned for its innovative approach and commitment to excellence, and you will play a pivotal role in driving its continued success. Join a dynamic team where your strategic vision and hands-on expertise will directly influence how this beloved brand connects with its audience, making a tangible impact on its marketing and advertising initiatives. We are seeking an experienced Strategic Sourcing professional to join our client’s Marketing and Advertising organization. This highly visible role offers a unique opportunity to shape key commercial relationships and optimize spend across a broad portfolio of marketing services. You will be instrumental in bridging the gap between creative vision and commercial execution, ensuring that every marketing dollar delivers maximum value and impact. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment where you can balance strategic thinking with detailed execution, this is your chance to make a significant contribution to a leading retail brand. What You Will Do To Make An Impact Lead and support end-to-end strategic sourcing activities across Marketing and Advertising categories, including agency/vendor intake, requirements gathering, market assessment, RFx activity, supplier evaluation, negotiation, contracting, implementation, and ongoing supplier management. Manage a diverse portfolio of marketing-related contracts, renewals, Statements of Work (SOWs), agency agreements, commercial terms, and supplier requests, handling all detailed administrative and coordination work from intake through execution. Negotiate commercial terms, agency fee structures, rate cards, SOWs, renewals, and other supplier agreements in close partnership with Legal, Finance, Marketing, and shared-services teams. Lead or support RFI, RFP, and RFQ processes for marketing services, encompassing requirements development, supplier outreach, bid analysis, evaluation governance, award recommendations, and implementation. Support a wide array of Marketing and Advertising categories, such as creative agencies, media, social media, influencer marketing, content production, experiential or immersive agencies, PR and external communications, print, direct mail, branded materials, and related marketing services. Build strong, collaborative relationships with Marketing and creative stakeholders, effectively translating business needs into clear scopes, robust sourcing strategies, sound commercial recommendations, and executable agreements. Prepare executive-ready materials, including deal summaries, rate comparisons, spend analyses, supplier recommendations, savings opportunities, risk considerations, and presentations for senior leadership. Analyze agency rates, commercial models, supplier performance, spend data, and market benchmarks to identify significant savings opportunities, enhance value, and inform critical category decisions. Contribute to the development of category strategies, sourcing roadmaps, supplier strategies, preferred-vendor approaches, and longer-term Marketing procurement priorities. Monitor supplier performance and actively support supplier relationship management, including conducting business reviews, facilitating performance discussions, resolving issues, and driving ongoing optimization. Identify and communicate contractual, commercial, supplier, project, and operational risks, working cross-functionally to develop practical and effective solutions. Balance strategic work with hands-on execution, including contract administration, renewals, SOW coordination, tracking, reporting, supplier follow-up, and other day-to-day sourcing needs in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. What You’ll Bring To The Team (Must-Have Qualifications) Approximately five or more years of cumulative experience in Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Category Management, or a closely related function, w…

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