Associate Director, Global Media & Partnerships Procurement

CamWebDir; Rahway (NJ); Hybrid; GBP 98,000 - 154,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) plan

Hybrid work

Job summary

Merck & Co., Inc. is seeking a senior procurement leader to oversee regional and global media & partnerships procurement within Marketing Procurement.

The role focuses on strategy development, cross-functional leadership, and managing supplier relationships across global, international, and enterprise levels. The candidate will drive value creation, sustainability initiatives, and digitalization while aligning with business partners on 1-, 3-, and 5-year horizons.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in supply chain or business-related field.
• Minimum of 7 years in strategic procurement, media procurement, marketing or related role.
• Strong analytical skills.
• In-depth subject matter expertise in the media field and current in industry trends and best practices.
• Proven success in developing and executing global or regional media sourcing strategies.
• Strong communications and influencing skills at senior levels.
• Proven ability to collaborate with a wide variety of individuals, including senior management, stakeholders, team members, other departments and suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Strategy Creation: define and plan high-level objectives with senior stakeholders during SMP.
• Strategy Execution: develop and rollout RFIs/RFPs aligned with strategic goals and execute them.
• Operations: drive ongoing procurement activities and ensure sustainability of procurement function.
• Supplier Relationship Management: build and manage relationships with key suppliers and stakeholders to meet targets.

Skills

Adaptability

Business Alignment

Business Decisions

Data Analytics

Global Sourcing

Influencing Skills

Stakeholder Management

Strategic Objectives

Education

Bachelor's Degree in supply chain or business-related field

Job description

Job Description

This role is responsible for regional category management and sourcing leadership of Global Media & Partnerships within Marketing Procurement, focused on a global mindset through collaboration with HH business partners as well as regional and/or local sourcing professionals in a matrix organization. This role reports to the Director of Global Media & Partnerships Procurement.

The candidate will work with regional and local teams to support development and implementation of a sourcing strategy at a global level, leveraging a Supply Strategy Council (SSC) framework, while leading key initiative.

In addition, the candidate will be responsible to establish and lead cross-functional teams through the sourcing process and to provide strategy oversight for regional and/or local components of the category. Day-to-day responsibilities of this role include identifying and managing key priorities: value creation, service delivery, foster innovation & digitalization & corporate social environmental responsibility. This individual requires a service mindset.

In addition, this role is responsible and accountable for sustaining existing and developing new cooperation frameworks across three stakeholder groups:

• With Procurement Colleagues: Participates/leads teams of global, regional & local representatives to develop and implement strategic source plans as well as to ensure alignment on key initiatives and priorities for broader Marketing services categories. Act as a member of the team willing to carry out the mission and ensure that input from all members is taken into consideration.
• With Business Partners: Identifies and engages with critical stakeholders and partners to define and meet or exceed business requirements and identify and manage profit plan savings targets. Understands strategic business requirements at 1,3 &5 year horizon. Acts as a trusted advisor to a wide range of business partners in the Marketing organization with a keen ear for needs and wants, and the ability to influence and guide strategic decision making, but also the courage to appropriately challenge the status quo.
• With Suppliers: Responsible for building relationships with Global, International and Enterprise suppliers and managing key supplier performance against business requirements using proven processes; ensures adequate inclusion of suppliers in RFPs and contracts as applicable. Supports major regional supplier relationships. Acts as a representative of the Corporation with a relentless drive to ensure our Company is using Supplier’s core competencies, provides a fair opportunity for sustainable growth, and optimizes the spend.

Key activities are listed below.

Strategy Creation

• Target: Definition and planning of high-level objectives targeted to long term results that will impact the way our Company views and purchases this category. This is the "big picture" creation, and it entails active engagement with senior stakeholders as well as critical members of the business in the category during the course of Sourcing Management Process (SMP).
• Typical Activities: Meetings with stakeholders to discuss SMP strategic tools; participation in workshops and meetings during SMP; dialogue and meetings with Global Procurement (GP) in connection with Target; participation in Market Intelligence activities in connection with Target; data gathering and analysis in connection with Target; others that contribute to fundamentally change or effect the status quo in pursuit of a long‑term competitive advantage to our Company.

Strategy Execution

• Target: Implementation of tactical plans or projects directly linked to a strategy created during the course of Sourcing.
• Typical Activities: Development, rollout and execution of RFIs/RFPs pursuant to supplier selection aligned with strategic goals; process re‑engineering in cooperation with the business pursuant to modify or create processes in connection with strategic goals; dialogue and meetings with GP in connection with execution of strategic goals; others that are directly linked with execution of strategic goals.

Operations

• Target: Drive ongoing procurement activities pursuant to transactions and projects not in connection with SMP or strategy creation/execution. This is the "keep the lights on" and it is normally driven by daily/weekly requests from the business and procurement.
• Typical Activities: Contract review/negotiations; PO issue resolution; creation of new vendors; supplier issue resolution; technology/process execution; dialogues and meetings with GP in connection with supplier and stakeholder resolution; data gathering and analysis leading to short/medium term insights not in connection with SMP or strategy creation/execution; all transactions not in connection with SMP or strategy creation/execution which ensure sustainability of the procurement function.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Target: Design, planning and implementation of actions and projects in connection with SMP or strategic goals pursuant to develop, improve, sustain or reposition our Company's relationship with critical/strategic suppliers.
• Typical Activities: Development/participation in supplier forums, congresses or market organizations; dialogues and meetings with business partners and suppliers in connection with Target; review, analysis and negotiation of contracts pursuant to Target; data gathering/analysis pursuant to generation of insights in connection with Target.

Our Company's Leadership Standards applicable to the role includes:

• Make Rapid, Disciplined Decisions - Make timely decisions at the right level with the right data and support them once made.
• Act with Courage & Candor - Speak openly, honestly and with conviction: have the courage to take appropriate risks and make difficult decisions.
• Demonstrate Ethics & Integrity - Adhere to the highest standards of trustworthy and ethical behavior in all interactions and hold others to the same standards; comply with all laws, policies, and regulations; identify and address ethical issues without hesitation.
• Foster Collaboration - Actively listen and seek to understand differing perspectives; work together to achieve the common goals of our Company.
• Drive Results - Set clear performance standards; overcome obstacles; hold we and others accountable for achieving results.

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in supply chain and or business-related field

Required Experience and Skills:

• Minimum of 7 years in strategic procurement, media procurement, marketing or related role.
• Strong analytical skills.
• In-depth subject matter expertise in the media field and current in industry trends and best practices.
• Proven success in developing and executing global or regional media sourcing strategies.
• Strong communications and influencing skills at senior levels.
• Proven ability to collaborate with a wide variety of individuals, including senior management, stakeholders, team members, other departments and suppliers.
• Proven ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a dynamic environment Preferred.

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Business Alignment, Business Decisions, Business Process Transformation, Commercial Contract Negotiations, Competency Management, Contract Review, Customer Management, Data Analytics, Decision Making, Driving Continuous Improvement, Executive Leadership, Global Sourcing Strategies, Global Team Collaboration, Influencing Skills, Inventory Control Management, Market Intelligence, Relationship Management, Results-Oriented, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Stakeholder Negotiations, Stakeholder Partnerships, Strategic Objectives {+ 7 more}

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

The salary range for this role is $129,000.00 - $203,100.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA.

Employee Status: Regular

Relocation: No relocation

VISA Sponsorship: No

Travel Requirements: 25%

Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid

Shift: Not Indicated

Valid Driving License: No

Hazardous Material(s): n/a

Job Posting End Date: 10/2/2026