Procurement Category Manager – Marketing (12-month FTC, Maternity Cover)

Marketing Category Manager

Because we strive to put people first. Culture, our way.

Procurement at Primark

What’s a career at Primark all about? The positive impact you’re making, the experiences you’re having and the people you’re with. You’re our inspiration. Embrace what sets you apart, own your career and develop in ways you never expected. Leave your mark. And do it your way.

What You’ll Do

Please note: This is a fixed-term contract oppotunity.

We want you to feel challenged and inspired. Here, you’ll develop your skills across a range of responsibilities:

• You will be responsible for developing and executing strategic category management to drive spend under management and value, specifically across Marketing & Communications (media, creative, digital, content, PR, production), supporting both business-as-usual activity and strategic brand and customer initiatives
• You will be accountable for developing and executing a comprehensive, multi-year category strategy and procurement plan aligned to business goals, marketing strategy, campaign cycles, market dynamics, and internal demand, ensuring optimal performance, cost efficiency, innovation, and brand integrity
• You will lead the creation and implementation of go-to-market, agency and sourcing strategies (including agency models, roster strategy, media buying approaches), with robust negotiation strategies embedded into the category plan
• You will identify, assess and manage supplier and category risk including agency dependency, media transparency, IP ownership, usage rights, and regulatory compliance (e.g. advertising standards), ensuring resiliency and governance
• You will monitor market trends across marketing, media, digital and technology (AdTech, MarTech, AI) to continuously evolve category strategies and unlock competitive advantage
• You will be responsible for leading a multi-year cost efficiency and value optimisation programme, balancing cost control with creative excellence, brand impact and marketing ROI
• Using insights, analytics and marketing performance metrics (ROI, ROAS, CPM, CPA, brand metrics), you will create data-driven sourcing strategies aligned to business and marketing goals
• You will ensure benefits tracking is robust, incorporating both financial savings and marketing effectiveness/value outcomes from category and sourcing activities
• Beyond price, you will drive continuous improvement, supplier innovation, and sustainability across marketing services, including responsible media buying and sustainable production practices
• You will lead the negotiation of high-value, complex marketing and agency contracts (e.g. retainers, SOWs, production, media commitments), ensuring alignment with broader strategy
• You are accountable for ensuring execution of sourcing strategies through Category Specialists and GBS, including agency engagements and marketing suppliers, to the required quality and timelines
• You will ensure appropriate negotiation strategies are applied to marketing sourcing, supporting teams in complex agency and media negotiations where required
• Working closely with marketing, brand and digital stakeholders, you will build strategic supplier partnerships with agencies and partners, driving both performance and innovation
• Strong leadership and influencing is required to partner with senior marketing stakeholders, aligning procurement approaches with brand vision, customer strategy and campaign priorities
• You will act as a subject matter expert for Marketing & Communications procurement, advising senior leaders on market trends, agency models and commercial strategies
• You will lead change across marketing procurement ways of working, embedding governance while enabling agility required in a fast-paced campaign environment
• You will nurture strong collaboration with GBS partners ensuring alignment to marketing category needs and integration into ways of working
• Promote and adopt digital tools and analytics to drive insights, transparency and performance across marketing spend

What You’ll Get 

This role is a hybrid opportunity, with 3 days Working from Office.

People are at the heart of what we do here, so it’s essential we provide you with the right environment to perform at your very best.

Let’s talk lifestyle: Healthcare, pension, and potential bonus. 27 days of leave, plus bank holidays and if you want, you can buy 5 more. Because Primark is all about tailoring to you, we offer Tax Saver Tickets, fitness centre, and a subsidised cafeteria. 

What You’ll Bring  

Here at Primark, we want everyone to feel valued – so please bring your authentic self to work, of course with some other key experience and abilities for this role in particular:

• 5+ years’ experience in category management, with strong exposure to Marketing & Communications procurement or close partnership with marketing teams
• Proven ability to lead complex sourcing initiatives, including agency selection, media sourcing, and multi-market marketing engagements
• Demonstrated success in developing and delivering multi-year category strategies aligned to marketing and business objectives
• Strong commercial and negotiation expertise across agency contracts, media agreements, and intellectual property considerations
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with a track record of partnering with senior marketing and brand teams in fast-paced, creative environments
• Highly analytical and strategic thinker with strong business acumen, able to drive innovation, manage risk, and deliver measurable value while aligning with company values and culture

Excited? Good. Because it’s energising to put your skills to work, in a growing global business committed to encouraging people to express themselves – and feel a sense of belonging. Apply to be part of Primark’s future, today… and enjoy career growth, our way.

About Primark 

At Primark, people matter. They’re the beating heart of our business and the reason we’ve grown from our first store in Dublin in 1969 to a £9bn+ turnover business a over 80,000 colleagues and over 440 stores in 17 countries today. Our values run through everything we do. In essence, we're Caring and always strive to put people first. We're also Dynamic, bravely pushing the boundaries to stay ahead. And finally, we succeed Together.

If you need any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request, during your recruitment journey, such as extended time or breaks between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, mobility access, or assistive technology please contact your talent acquisition specialist. 

All offers of employment are subject to background checks, including right to work, reference education and for some roles criminal, and financial checks. If you have any concerns, please reach out to our talent acquisition team to discuss. 

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