Sr. Manager Media Procurement (US)

This is an exciting opportunity as part of Unilever media journey.   We operate at the forefront of competitive buying, sustainable sourcing and purpose-led partnerships. We seek to combine our own technology expertise and insights with our partners, to support the creation of disruptive sourcing strategies and supplier-led innovation that respond to ever-changing consumer needs quickly, flexibly and effectively. 

ABOUT UNILEVER PROCUREMENT

Part of the Supply Chain family, Unilever Procurement is responsible for over 30B Euro spend of material and services spend globally with more than 50,000 suppliers, over half of them in MBS – Marketing and Business Services. Getting the right services and materials, ensuring responsible procurement is critical to ensuring desire at scale. Our teams work closely with the business to understand stakeholders needs, bring innovation to meet changing consumer, employees and customers needs, and drive financial value for Unilever through competitive buying. We are at the forefront of digital procurement, bringing new tools and analytics to drive data-based decisions. 

ABOUT MBS

MBS, Unilever’s Marketing and Business Services Procurement team, is responsible for Unilever’s sourcing and supplier strategy and execution for all third party spend across Marketing, Business Services, and IT, supporting the business requirements of Brands, Business Units, Business Groups, and functions to drive growth through strategic supplier management, cost and value management, and innovation. The team manages an annual spend of ~10B Euro with a supplier base of about 40,000.

Within MBS, The Sr. Manager- Media Procurement (US) will increase effectiveness of our Media procurement by creating an expertise-driven model, streamlining accountabilities, building capabilities, and leveraging knowledge, relationships, and business strategies across markets, defining the future-fit strategy for media portfolio. 

The person in this role will increase efficiency of our Media procurement by driving scale where it makes sense, decreasing fragmentation, prioritizing higher impact spend areas, leveraging technology and data, and drive performance that unlocks growth for Unilever. 

Key Accountabilities:

• Quantify value of buying strategies and evaluate media cost drivers. Responsible for strategy on direct vs agency-led opportunities, cost drivers and opportunity identification (e.g., cost breakdown, value chain intervention), providing weekly inputs into the review of bidding strategy.  

• Support Media Trading Procurement Lead to manage and optimize the end-to-end bidding process for media procurement including strategic analysis of balancing upfront negotiation and biddable approaches.  

• Support design of negotiation strategies for external suppliers across media channels, data and tech, ensuring value delivery and alignment with Unilever’s procurement principles.  

• Continuously evaluate cost drivers and market dynamics to inform and refine media bidding strategies.  

• Support the roll-out of new processes and digital tools to drive efficiency and transparency.  

• Provide regular insights and recommendations to senior leadership on market trends and competitiveness, supplier performance, and cost optimization opportunities.  

• Collaborate with media leads to translate business briefs into actionable procurement strategies.  

• Deliver against financial targets and other KPIs (including value delivery, media efficiency and effectiveness) as per business plan objectives.  

• Ensure portfolio fundamentals (i.e., data consistency, data insights, recurring stakeholder communications, contracts, etc.) are all put in place. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Supply Chain, or related (Marketing  preferred).

• 8+ years of procurement experience including buying media  

• Deep and proven experience in media buying channels and media value chain players, including AI  

• Strategic sourcing, portfolio strategy expertise, with experience in managing complex portfolio/categories including media

• Strategic sourcing, portfolio strategy expertise, with experience in managing complex portfolio/category 

• Demonstrated success in negotiating and securing enterprise‑wide agreements within FMCG that maximize value, transparency, and long‑term supplier performance (media experience preferred)

• Proven success leading complex cross-functional global projects creating and driving adoption and execution of a shared vision and roadmap for change 

• Experience in shaping and leading transformational business process reengineering, with experience driving Change Management initiatives. 

• Ability to travel internationally up to 20% of the time  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading enterprise‑wide global media procurement strategy, with accountability for determining optimal buying models (direct‑to‑DSP vs. agency‑led).

• Prior experience in CPG/FMCG environments, with a strong understanding of category dynamics and supply market behavior.

• Demonstrated ability to leverage technology, analytics, and AI‑driven insights to optimize procurement performance, transparency, and value delivery.

• Direct people‑leadership experience with a track record of developing talent and fostering high‑performing teams.

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