Global Senior Category Manager Procurement Marketing

Role Description:

About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

The role ensures effective cost management, supplier performance, contractual compliance, and alignment with strategic objectives in a matrixed, multinational environment.

This position requires deep expertise in complex supplier ecosystems and stakeholder engagement and plays a leadership role in enabling procurement-driven transformation and value creation.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:

• Understand business needs, strategic positioning, and long-term plans
• Analyse industry trends to identify innovation, efficiency, and cost-saving opportunities
• Partner with the business to develop and maintain multi-year category strategies for brand marketing, media and communication.
• Build long-term sourcing plans aligned to business objectives and market dynamics
• Drive year-on-year cost savings by optimizing both price and demand levers, in alignment with assigned savings targets and evolving business needs
• Generate additional value beyond cost and price reduction through innovation, process efficiency, supplier collaboration, and risk mitigation
• Conduct market analysis, risk assessments, and opportunity identification to support informed decisions
• Integrate ESG principles where applicable into strategies

• Lead and execute end-to-end sourcing processes (RFPs, RFQs, supplier evaluations, negotiations, contracts)
• Design and implement negotiation strategies to secure best value
• Ensure contracts reflect performance metrics, SLAs, pricing, and IP protection
• Partner with Legal, Finance, and Compliance to ensure contracting and governance adherence

• Lead and support a high-performing, inclusive team with clear goals and regular coaching
• Balance resources across strategic and operational priorities, fostering collaboration and ownership
• Encourage continuous learning, growth, and knowledge sharing within and beyond the team

• Act as the primary procurement interface for internal functions
• Manage relationships with senior stakeholders (Senior Director and above) to align procurement initiatives with business goals
• Provide strategic counsel and support change management related to procurement processes
• Deliver regular reporting and insights on procurement KPIs and supplier performance

• Establish supplier governance frameworks and lead performance reviews
• Monitor delivery effectiveness, cost benchmarks, and service quality
• Drive supplier innovation, diversity, and compliance
• Manage escalations and enforce contractual terms as needed

• Negotiate complex commercial agreements and performance-based pricing models
• Ensure adherence to compliance, ethics, and risk mitigation requirements
• Balance commercial interests with long-term strategic relationships

• Support annual budget planning and track procurement-driven contributions to financial targets
• Deliver measurable cost savings and efficiencies without compromising service or brand standards
• Identify and mitigate contractual, delivery, and reputational risks
• Maintain dashboards for cost avoidance, value creation, and performance improvements

• Master’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business Administration, Finance, or related discipline (MBA preferred)
• 8–12 years of experience in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, or Category Management in marketing
• At least 7 years focused on complex, multi-category environments within multinational corporations
• 4+ years in people leadership roles
• Experience collaborating with executive-level stakeholders in matrixed setups
• Demonstrated ability to drive significant year-on-year cost savings
• Proven track record in delivering strategic value beyond price, including innovation, risk mitigation, and operational improvement
• Strong understanding of sourcing tools (e.g., Coupa, SAP Ariba), analytics platforms, and contract lifecycle management
• Proficiency in supplier performance and lifecycle management systems
• Knowledge of enterprise processes and global supply market dynamics
• Strategic thinking, negotiation, and relationship-building
• Strong leadership presence and influencing ability
• Collaborative, proactive, and solutions-oriented mindset
• Commitment to coaching and developing high-performing teams.

Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance:

Booking.com’s Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include:

• Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave
• Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country)
• Industry leading product discounts
• up to 1400 per year
• for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit

Inclusion at Booking.com:

Inclusion have been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.

It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.”

We ensure that colleagues with disabilities are provided the adjustments and tools they need to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Application Process:

This section should provide:

• Let’s go places together: How we Hire
• Detailed instructions on post-application requirements including any required application materials, deadlines, portfolios, coding challenges, or other assessments as defined by BU or department.

We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive.