Title:  Strategic Sourcing Expert - Marketing

Role Purpose 

As a Strategic Sourcing Expert – Marketing based in Cologne, you will develop and deliver effective sourcing and category strategies for a major German client in the consumer goods and retail sector. You will lead complex marketing procurement initiatives, combining strong market knowledge with commercial judgement, agency and supplier management, and effective stakeholder engagement. In doing so, you will create sustainable value beyond cost savings and advance marketing procurement through innovation and commercial excellence. 

Responsibilities 

• Develop and deliver sourcing and category strategies and category roadmaps for marketing services, including creative agencies, media, sponsorship, and event management. 

• Lead complex end-to-end sourcing initiatives, from market analysis and tendering through agency and supplier evaluation, negotiation, and contract award. 

• Identify and deliver measurable savings, commercial improvements, supplier consolidation, innovation, and risk reduction. 

• Advise key stakeholders across Procurement, Marketing, Communications, Finance, Legal, and relevant business functions as a trusted sourcing partner. 

• Manage strategic marketing agencies and service providers and lead complex negotiations, business reviews, and performance discussions. 

• Use market benchmarks, agency and supplier intelligence, and industry knowledge to develop robust business cases and sourcing recommendations. 

• Monitor market trends, pricing models, and agency and supplier developments across the German and European marketing services market, translating insights into actionable sourcing strategies. 

• Collaborate with Chain IQ’s global category and sourcing teams and contribute to marketing category excellence, knowledge management, and procurement transformation. 
  
  

Requirements 

• At least five years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, vendor management, or category management, ideally with a focus on marketing services. 

• Strong experience sourcing marketing services, with proven expertise in the German agency and supplier market. 

• Demonstrated category experience across multiple marketing subcategories. 

• Proven success leading complex marketing sourcing projects, commercial negotiations, and contract awards. 

• Strong knowledge of end-to-end strategic sourcing for marketing services, including category strategy, market analysis, agency and supplier positioning, tendering, and savings delivery. 

• Strong commercial, analytical, and contractual skills, with the ability to translate marketing requirements, delivery models, and complex data into robust recommendations and business cases. 

• Confidence engaging with key and senior decision-makers, a high level of ownership, and the ability to manage complex priorities independently. 

• Experience with source-to-contract tools and strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. 

• Fluent written and spoken German and English, including the ability to negotiate in both languages.