Role Purpose:

We are seeking a commercially driven Associate Director Marketing Procurement to lead end-to-end strategic sourcing across the organizations Marketing, Brand, and Communications spend. You will act as a strategic business partner to executive leadership (CMO, Brand, Digital, Finance, Legal) to optimize commercial terms, drive agency consolidation, establish governance, and maximize ROI without compromising creative quality or growth velocity.

Key Responsibilities:

- Category Strategy & Sourcing: Develop and execute strategic sourcing roadmaps across Media Buying, Creative & Ad Agencies, Performance/Digital Marketing, MarTech, Experiential & Events, Market Research, Influencer Marketing, and PR.

- Commercial Negotiation & Savings: Lead end-to-end RFI/RFP/RFQ cycles. Negotiate agency retainers, media rate cards, technology subscriptions, and production costs to deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, and commercial efficiencies.

- Agency & Vendor Governance: Manage preferred agency panels and strategic suppliers. Establish performance KPIs/SLAs, conduct quarterly business reviews (QBRs), and ensure total transparency regarding agency rebates, mark-ups, and commissions.

- Stakeholder Alignment: Embed procurement directly into early-stage campaign and strategy planning alongside Marketing, Brand, Finance, and Legal teams.

- Governance & Risk Mitigation: Establish robust procurement controls, contract lifecycle management, and approval frameworks to mitigate operational, legal, and financial risks.

- Transformation & Analytics: Build spend analytics dashboards, automate e-sourcing processes, and leverage benchmarking data to drive continuous procurement digitization.

Required Experience & Qualifications:

- Experience: 12-16 years in Strategic Sourcing / Indirect Procurement, with dedicated, heavy emphasis on complex Marketing Procurement categories.

- Industry Focus: Prior experience within FinTech, BFSI, E-commerce, Consumer Internet, or Tech-first ecosystems is highly desirable.

- Track Record: Proven ability to manage large-scale marketing budgets, complex agency commercial models, and senior leadership alignment.

- Education: Bachelors degree in Business, Finance, Commerce, or Engineering. MBA / Masters in Supply Chain, Finance, or Management strongly preferred.

- Certifications: CIPS, CPSM, or equivalent procurement credentials are an added advantage.

Success Metrics:

- Total marketing spend brought under procurement management.

- Annual realized cost savings and cost avoidance.

- Agency panel consolidation and performance compliance.

- Procurement cycle-time reduction and stakeholder alignment.