At Nike Procurement, we are dedicated to revolutionizing how the world’s leading sports brand does business with its suppliers and partners!
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FORProcurement plays a critical role in supporting business growth, driving innovation, and mitigating risk through internal and external partnerships. Our Category Leads are the key enablers.
We are looking for a EMEA Creative & Production Category Lead—someone with deep category expertise, a strategic mindset, and the ability to create meaningful linkages between procurement goals and business objectives. One of the main focuses of this role is to help develop and implement strategies that bring the most suitable external solutions and deliver sustainable competitive advantages for the business.
The ideal candidate will have comprehensive procurement category management expertise, providing thought leadership and formulating strategic sourcing approaches that optimize spend across demand, supply, and process levers. Deep experience in Marketing processes and the Creative & Production services landscape is essential.
Strong communication, storytelling, and strategic thinking skills are critical to effectively influence and operate within a global matrix organization.
WHAT YOU WILL WORK ONYou will work as part of the Marketing & Events team within the EMEA Procurement organization, focusing on the Creative & Production category. You will develop category strategies and implementation plans that support the following value propositions:
- Capacity for Growth ; Speed ; Innovation;Risk mitigation; and Increased connection with the consumer
Key Reponsibilities :
Core Responsibilities: Category Management, Stakeholder Engagement & Management, and Agency Relationship Management
- Develop a strong category strategy aligned with global and regional category needs, in partnership with Global and other Geo category teams.
- Proactively identify the needs and priorities of business stakeholders across the Geo.
- Build strong relationships with key stakeholders, working collaboratively to achieve alignment on category and sourcing strategies and associated sourcing initiatives.
- Ensure strategic alignment with marketing agencies and other business functions.
- Work closely with sourcing managers within the team to drive and execute the implementation of sourcing strategies.
- Identify and deliver initiatives and savings pipelines through internal and external partnerships that align with category strategies.
- Identify key agencies and execute the agency relationship program in close collaboration with business stakeholders.
- Manage strategic relationships with Geo suppliers to continuously improve performance and maximize value.
- Stay informed about Creative & Production trends and translate insights into solutions and innovative ideas that support business teams and category development.
- Partner with cross-functional teams including Finance, Business Planning, and Legal.
Within Nike’s matrix organization, you will report to the EMEA Marketing Procurement Director. You will work closely with the Global Marketing & Events Procurement team and with sourcing managers within the EMEA Procurement team.
Business partnership is critical to this role. You will be responsible for managing and fostering key relationships with internal partners across the EMEA Marketing function, including Brand Creative, Digital Marketing, City Marketing teams, Creative Studios, as well as external Creative & Production agencies.
WHAT YOU BRING- Strong experience in Marketing Procurement / Marketing Operations
- Expertise in the Creative & Production category
- Category management experience in an international environment
- Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret spend and cost data, research market trends, identify best practices, and support contract development activities
- Geo-based perspective and experience in category management and procurement processes, supply base management, and best practices
- Strong leadership, influencing, and communication skills across diverse cultural environments
- Proven experience influencing and collaborating with business partners, including identifying needs, developing action plans, defining clear deliverables, and presenting results
- Experience with spend management practices such as demand management, compliance management, supplier collaboration, and/or performance management
- Proven track record of winning hearts and minds, inspiring teams to innovate, take calculated risks, and coaching others through change
- Confidence, assertiveness, and subject-matter expertise to effectively present and influence diverse audiences
- Ability to adapt quickly and make an impact in a fast-paced Procurement organization
- Passion for the NIKE brand, mission, values, and purpose