About the Role
CLIENT is seeking a highly experienced and immediately available Interim Category Manager Events & Sponsorships to join the Global Marketing Procurement team on a freelancer / C-User assignment basis for a minimum period of six months, with the possibility of extension. The role is available immediately and has arisen due to an urgent business need within a critical and high-profile procurement category.
CLIENT is currently in the middle of running global RFPs across the Events & third-party Sponsorships categories. The incoming interim resource will be required to take up this active programme without delay, drive it through to completion, and deliver on a board-level cost optimisation programme. This includes finalising ongoing supplier negotiations, managing supplier selection processes, and executing all required contracting activities to secure the targeted commercial outcomes.
Beyond the immediate programme delivery, the role carries a strategic mandate. The successful candidate will develop and execute a forward-looking vendor ecosystem strategy for Events & Sponsorships within CLIENT, bringing structure, transparency, and rigour to a category with a spend in excess of 300 million EUR. The category is characterised by a high degree of complexity across both the supplier landscape and the internal requester community, and demands a seasoned professional who can navigate this environment with confidence.
In close partnership with senior Marketing and Business stakeholders, the interim Category Manager will act as a catalyst for change providing strategic leadership, driving a future operating model and governance model for the entire Events & Sponsorships category, and positioning Procurement as a trusted strategic partner to the business.
What You'll Do
Immediate RFP Programme Delivery & Contracting
Take immediate ownership of active global RFPs within Events & third-party Sponsorships and drive them to completion
Finalise supplier negotiations and lead supplier selection processes in line with commercial targets
Execute contracting for selected suppliers, ensuring legal compliance and alignment with CLIENT procurement standards
Deliver measurable savings outcomes as part of the board-level cost optimisation programme
Provide regular status updates and executive-level reporting on programme progress and commercial outcomes
Strategic Category Management & Vendor Ecosystem
Develop and execute a comprehensive category strategy for Events & Sponsorships, covering both short-term delivery and long-term strategic direction
Design and implement the future vendor ecosystem for Events & Sponsorships within CLIENT, rationalising the supply base and establishing strategic partnerships
Bring structure and clarity to a highly complex category (> 300m EUR spend) with a large and diverse supplier and requester landscape
Lead complex global sourcing initiatives including high-value eRFX processes, multi-year agreements, and regional event frameworks
Harmonise Source-to-Pay, contracting, and vendor management processes across regions to ensure consistency, compliance, and agility
Operating Model, Governance & Organisational Change
Define and implement a future operating model and governance framework for the Events & Sponsorships category globally
Establish governance structures that drive accountability, transparency, and sustainable performance across the category
Lead change management initiatives to embed new ways of working, tools, and governance frameworks within the team and across stakeholder communities
Develop knowledge-sharing frameworks, metrics, and performance tracking mechanisms to ensure continuous improvement
Support the definition of a future-proof organisational design and team structure for category management within Marketing Procurement
Senior Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnering
Act as a strategic advisor and trusted business partner to senior Marketing and Business stakeholders across CLIENT
Engage, challenge, and align senior stakeholders across functions and geographies to ensure procurement objectives are understood and supported
Influence decision-making at senior and executive level through well-structured analysis, clear communication, and authoritative subject-matter expertise
Build strong relationships with key internal requesters to understand business needs and deliver tailored, value-driven procurement solutions
Supplier & Performance Management
Build and manage strategic partnerships with key vendors across Events & Sponsorships, leveraging SRM best practices
Oversee supplier performance management across value, quality, risk, and ESG dimensions noting that a comprehensive supplier management model, including SLAs and a KPI framework, still needs to be developed and implemented
Design and establish a robust supplier management model for the Events & Sponsorships category, including the definition of appropriate SLAs, a structured KPI framework, and performance review cadences that enable proactive vendor management and continuous value delivery
Drive innovation, sustainability, and diversity across the supplier base in support of CLIENT corporate ESG goals
Data, Analytics & Digital Enablement
Leverage data, analytics, and digital tools to generate actionable insights and drive evidence-based decision-making
Drive adoption of digital procurement and event management solutions to increase operational efficiency, transparency, and scalability
Apply AI-enabled capabilities where relevant to enhance category intelligence and procurement performance
What You Bring
Required Experience & Qualifications
Professional Experience
10+ years of strategic procurement experience, with a strong focus on Events & Sponsorships category management within complex, multinational environments
Demonstrable experience in Events Procurement and Events Category Management at a senior level, with the ability to take up active programmes immediately
Proven track record of successfully running and closing complex global RFP / eRFX processes, including supplier negotiations and supplier selections
Solid experience in executing procurement contracting for Events and/or Sponsorships categories at scale
Demonstrated success in managing multi-million or multi-hundred-million EUR spend portfolios and delivering measurable cost optimisation outcomes
Background in defining and executing global or regional category strategies, including the design of vendor ecosystem and operating models
Experience working within or closely with an event agency, experiential marketing agency, or sponsorship agency is a strong advantage
Change Leadership & Transformation
Proven experience leading organisational or category change including implementing new governance frameworks, operating models, and procurement processes
Comfortable operating in dynamic, fast-paced environments and capable of delivering results under time pressure
Experience driving procurement transformation and managing stakeholder change in large, matrixed organisations
Ability to lead without authority, steering cross-functional and geographically dispersed teams towards shared outcomes
Skills & Competencies
High analytical capability: ability to collect, interpret, and synthesise complex data to support category decisions and business cases
High communication skills: ability to convey complex topics clearly and concisely at all levels, including senior and executive leadership
High influencing skills: able to shape and guide decisions across functions, hierarchies, and geographies without direct authority
Strong business partnering skills: ability to build trust-based relationships with senior stakeholders and act as a credible strategic advisor
Structured approach to complexity: ability to bring order, clarity, and rigour to a highly fragmented and complex category environment
Strong project management skills: capable of managing multiple concurrent workstreams, priorities, and stakeholders in a global environment
Deep understanding of supply markets, commercial drivers, and value levers within the Events & Sponsorships space
Proficiency in digital procurement tools, analytics platforms, and willingness to leverage AI-enabled capabilities
Qualifications
University degree in Business, Economics, Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Communications or a related field
Professional procurement certification (e.g., CIPS, CPM) or equivalent practical experience
Fluency in English, written and spoken; additional languages are an advantage
Assignment Details
Assignment type: Freelancer / C-User (external contractor)
Duration: Minimum 6 months, with option to extend
Reporting: Global Head of Marketing Procurement
About CLIENT Global Marketing Procurement
CLIENT's Global Marketing Procurement function is responsible for managing one of the company's largest and most strategically significant spend areas. The Events & Sponsorships category is a cornerstone of CLIENT's brand and customer engagement strategy, spanning a global portfolio with a spend volume in excess of 300 million EUR. The team is on a transformative journey towards becoming a truly agile, data-driven, and strategically valued procurement organisation and this interim assignment plays a pivotal role in that journey.
We welcome applications from senior procurement professionals who bring deep expertise, immediate availability, and a drive to deliver exceptional results in a high-visibility, high-impact environment.
EEO:
Mindlance is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of Minority/Gender/Disability/Religion/LGBTQI/Age/Veterans.