Procurement Category Manager

WPP Media Limited; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

WPP Media Limited is seeking a senior procurement professional to shape regional and country-level category plans, lead sourcing and negotiation across Production services, and guide supplier partnerships. You will partner with production, agency and finance teams to drive commercial value and transformation.

The role emphasizes cross-functional collaboration in a global, hybrid environment, with a strong focus on market insights, contracts, and supplier management.

Qualifications

• Experience in procurement, sourcing, category management or supplier management.
• Strong commercial, sourcing and negotiation skills in production/advertising or similar services.
• Experience developing category plans or supplier partnership programmes.
• Understanding of contracts, SOWs, pricing models and commercial agreements.
• Experience in Production and/or Talent is advantageous.
• Ability to build relationships and influence across teams.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and supplier relationships.

Responsibilities

• Develop regional and country-level category plans using market insight and stakeholder requirements.
• Lead sourcing, RFP, and negotiation initiatives across Production services and sub-categories.
• Partner with stakeholders across Production, agency and finance to provide commercial guidance.
• Support development of supplier relationship management programmes.
• Identify opportunities to enhance supplier partnerships and address capability/capacity needs.
• Collaborate with the wider WPP Procurement team on transformation initiatives.

Skills

Procurement experience

Sourcing

Category management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Data analytics

Job description

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands.

We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company - powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.

We work with the world's most valuable brands and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.

Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.

For more information, visit WPP.com.

Why we're hiring:

This is an exciting opportunity to join WPP during a period of global transformation. As part of the global Production & Talent Procurement team, you will play a key role in helping shape a more connected, commercially effective and scalable supplier ecosystem across our markets.

Working at the intersection of procurement, production and creativity, you'll contribute to initiatives that drive commercial value, improve supplier partnerships and support the evolution of WPP's operating model. This is a fantastic opportunity to influence change on a global scale while collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders across the business.

What you'll be doing:

Developing regional and country-level category plans, using market insight, supplier knowledge and stakeholder requirements to identify opportunities and support business objectives.

Leading sourcing, RFP, and negotiation initiatives across Production services and related sub-categories.

Partnering with stakeholders across Production, agency and finance functions to provide commercial guidance and support.

Supporting the development of supplier relationship management programmes.

Identifying opportunities to enhance supplier partnerships and address emerging capability or capacity requirements.

Collaborating as part of the wider WPP Procurement team to support transformation initiatives and continuous improvement.

Who you'll be working with:

Reporting to the Global Head of Procurement, Production & Talent, you'll work as part of a global procurement team, partnering with stakeholders across the business to deliver commercial value, strengthen supplier relationships and support the ongoing transformation of WPP's ecosystem.

What you'll need:

We know that no one candidate will tick every box. If this role excites you and you have experience in several of the areas below, we'd love to hear from you.

• Experience in procurement, sourcing, category management or supplier management.
• Strong commercial, sourcing and negotiation skills, ideally within production, advertising, marketing services or other complex service categories.
• Experience developing category plans, supplier strategies or supplier partnership programmes.
• Understanding of contracts, SOWs, pricing models and commercial agreements.
• Expereince in Production and/or Talent would be advantageous.
• Ability to build strong relationships, influence stakeholders and collaborate effectively across teams.
• Experience managing multiple priorities, projects and supplier relationships.
• Strong analytical skills, using data and insights to support decision-making.
• Comfortable working in cross-functional, matrixed or global environments.

Who you are:

You’re open_:_ We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.

You’re optimistic_:_ We believe in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures for our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.

You’re extraordinary: we are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.

What we’ll give you:

Passionate, inspired people - We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work.

Scale and opportunity - We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.

Challenging and stimulating work - Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?

#LI-Hybrid

We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we've adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

Please read our Privacy Notice (https://www.wpp.com/en/careers/wpp-privacy-policy-for-recruitment) for more information on how we process the information you provide.