JOB SUMMARY
The Senior Manager, Category Management is part of the US/CN Procurement team which is responsible for driving best-in-class category management and strategic sourcing for supported categories. The Senior Manager drives adherence to and communication of Marriott procurement policies and processes, serves as a point of escalation for issues, delivers effective communications at all levels (including to executive leadership), and leads cross-functional teams on projects and procurement initiatives. As a key member of the US/CN Procurement team, the Senior Manager will partner closely with corporate, continent, and discipline leaders to develop and execute procurement strategies, enhance supplier governance and drive responsible sourcing and financial sustainability. The ideal candidate will possess solid experience in category management, strategic sourcing, risk management and regulatory compliance. This individual must demonstrate exceptional category management and stakeholder management skills and have a proven track record of working in a geographically dispersed and highly matrixed environment.
Key accountabilities include:
- Create and drive Category Management Plans while communicating and assisting with internal and external stakeholders.
- Supports the development of spend optimization strategy and manages contracted relationships with vendors for key sourcing categories and supplier relationships, including group purchasing organizations and other global/strategic categories.
- Regularly provides recommendations for improvements to the operating model through business cases and proof of concepts (POCs).
- Champions Serve360 procurement priorities including Supplier Diversity, responsible sourcing, and Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions reductions initiatives.
- Supports brand, engineering, F&B, rooms, and other core disciplines in sourcing activity and interface with Group Purchase Organization (GPO) and suppliers.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Education and Experience
Required
- 4-year bachelor's degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Hotel Management, or related sector.
- 7+ years of business, legal, and/or procurement experience. Deep technical knowledge of category management and strategic sourcing in the hospitality, lodging or adjacent sector. Excellent project/program management skills and ability to independently manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Demonstrated ability to create strategy and implement change while working in a geographically dispersed team in a highly matrixed cross-discipline environment.
- Strong analytical skills for planning, estimating, budgeting, and monitoring program/project work.
- Ability to travel up to 30%
Preferred
- Graduate/post graduate degree
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to articulate complex ideas in easy-to-understand business terms
CORE WORK ACTIVITIES
- Act as a procurement business partner to business disciplines, providing guidance on category management, strategic sourcing, policy and risk management.
- Establish, continuously refine, and implement category management and sourcing strategies for assigned categories, ensuring alignment with discipline partners and company objectives.
- Stay abreast of demand patterns and category spend, cost benchmarks, and business trends to identify potential suppliers, advise on competitive dynamics, and proactively work with stakeholders to modify strategies to meet enterprise-wide requirements, manage risk and optimize costs.
- Identify and develop strategies to mitigate potential risks within the supply chain for assigned categories, ensuring business continuity and stability.
- Manage and optimize supplier relationships, ensuring quality and cost-effectiveness.
- Recommend new sourcing strategies, process improvements, and supplier relationships for assigned categories.
- Develop timelines and organize teams to implement sourcing strategies and initiatives.
- Provide thought leadership and end-to-end ownership of sourcing events for major initiatives.
- Utilize effective internal tracking mechanisms and measurements to monitor the competitive bidding process.
- Leverage strong analytical and communication skills to manage all aspects of competitive bids, including analyzing and scoring multiple proposals, creating corresponding business cases (including financial reports), and presenting clear and concise summaries of recommended options.
- Utilize training programs and awareness initiatives to ensure procurement teams and stakeholders understand and adhere to policies and governance frameworks.
- Consistently utilize governance mechanisms for supplier onboarding, performance management, and contract compliance.
- Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams across the enterprise and within Global Procurement to achieve shared goals.
- Ensure procurement strategies align with corporate sustainability goals, ethical sourcing standards, and supplier diversity initiatives.
At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated. Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law.
