Category Leader - Commercial & Market Services

Position Overview

As Category Leader - Commercial & Market Services, you are responsible for leading and executing sourcing activities across Commercial & Market Services categories, including communication and creative agencies, media buying, digital and omnichannel campaigns, market research, sales and promotional services, sales force effectiveness tools, incentives, and POS materials.

Operating in a highly competitive, cost-sensitive, and regulated generics pharmaceutical environment, the role is critical to enabling commercial performance while ensuring cost efficiency, compliance, transparency, supplier performance, and business continuity across commercial and marketing services.

You act as a key procurement partner to Global and Local Marketing, Commercial Excellence, Sales, Market Access, Portfolio, Finance, Legal, and Compliance teams.

You independently drive sourcing initiatives, supplier interactions, and contract negotiations within your scope, while supporting category strategy development and working under the direction of the Category Manager for broader strategic initiatives, preferred supplier models, and long-term category priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Category Strategy & Value Creation
• Actively support the development, updates, and periodic review of the Global Commercial & Market Services category strategy, working closely with the Category Manager and procurement leadership.
• Contribute to the execution of category strategies across: Communication and creative agencies, Media buying, digital media, and omnichannel campaigns, Market research, Promotional services, incentives, and POS materials.
• Proactively gather and consolidate business requirements, campaign needs, launch plans, market research requirements, sales support needs, supplier feedback, and demand forecasts to ensure sourcing activities are aligned with commercial priorities.
• Support the translation of commercial and marketing strategies into actionable sourcing plans aligned with the business needs.
• Contribute to value creation initiatives beyond savings, including supplier consolidation, agency model optimization, rate card standardization, improved briefing processes, better demand management, access to innovation, digital marketing efficiency, AI-enabled insights, and automation opportunities.
• Commercial & Market Services Sourcing and Procurement Execution
• Execute category plans and lead sourcing activities for assigned sub-categories, including RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, supplier evaluations, commercial assessments, procurement recommendations, and contract implementation, in line with the strategy defined by the Category Manager.
• Conduct commercial evaluations, including pricing analysis, benchmarking, total cost of ownership, rate card analysis, agency fee structures, media fee models, and performance-based remuneration mechanisms.
• Ensure structured and competitive supplier selection processes for creative agencies, media agencies, market research providers, sales support suppliers, promotional services providers, and digital partners.
• Lead contract negotiations covering commercial terms, scope of work, service levels, rate cards, intellectual property, data confidentiality, data privacy, compliance obligations, performance commitments, and contractual risk mitigation.

Support the implementation of preferred supplier models, framework agreements, local and global playbooks, and standardized commercial terms.

• Act as a key procurement contact for stakeholders, translating business and commercial needs into sourcing actions and procurement recommendations.
• Support supplier onboarding and qualification activities, ensuring required legal, compliance, insurance, data privacy, ESG, and contractual documentation is in place.
• Ensure contracts align with agreed commercial terms, internal procurement policies, pharmaceutical compliance requirements, and audit expectations.
• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)
• Manage supplier interactions and negotiations within defined scope, focusing on pricing, service quality, responsiveness, innovation, compliance, and value creation.
• Manage operational and strategic supplier relationships across Commercial & Market Services categories, together with the Category Manager where relevant.

Support the implementation and continuous improvement of the SRM framework defined by the Category Manager, including supplier segmentation, governance routines, performance reviews, and continuous improvement plans.

• Monitor supplier performance through KPIs, scorecards, service reviews, and business feedback, covering areas such as: service quality, delivery timelines, campaign responsiveness, cost competitiveness, compliance adherence, innovation contribution, stakeholder satisfaction.
• Coordinate corrective action plans and improvement initiatives with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Identify supplier risks related to dependency, data confidentiality, intellectual property, regulatory exposure, capacity, service continuity, and commercial performance, escalating material risks to the Category Manager when required.
• Budget Ownership & LRP
• Deliver targeted savings and cost-control initiatives identified within the category plan and ensure appropriate documentation and validation of results.
• Support Procurement Co E and Finance in monitoring savings delivery, budget adherence, and spend evolution across Commercial & Market Services categories.
• Contribute to demand management initiatives, including campaign scope challenge, agency workload optimization, rate card usage, supplier consolidation, media spend transparency, and specification rationalization.
• Participate in annual Budget and Long-Range Planning exercises by providing category insights, cost evolution assumptions, supplier market trends, and sourcing opportunities.
• Support budget governance, spend visibility, variance analysis, and financial transparency across marketing, commercial, and promotional spend.
• Cross Functional Business Partnership
• Act as a key procurement partner to: Global and Local Marketing, Commercial Excellence, Sales teams, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Procurement Co E…
• Support commercial projects, product launches, portfolio transitions, promotional campaigns, market entries, and sales excellence initiatives by ensuring sourcing solutions are agile, cost-efficient, and compliant.
• Drive alignment between global category strategies and local execution requirements, ensuring that procurement processes remain practical and responsive to business needs.
• Collaborate with Legal and Compliance to ensure that supplier contracts, promotional activities, market research engagements, and data-related services comply with pharmaceutical industry requirements.
• Support procurement transformation initiatives, including supplier database improvement, spend visibility, sourcing process standardization, contract repository discipline, and use of digital procurement tools.
• Mentor and provide practical guidance to Buyers supporting Commercial & Market Services categories.
• Governance, Compliance & Risk Management
• Ensure full compliance with internal procurement policies, labor, mobility, and ethical standards and pharmaceutical industry requirements
• Maintain accurate documentation, contracts, and supplier records.
• Support audit readiness and continuous improvement of procurement governance.
• Required Qualifications & Skills
• Master’s degree in Procurement, Business Administration, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, or related discipline.
• Typically 5-8 years of procurement experience with hands-on responsibility for sourcing, supplier management, and contract administration in indirect procurement categories.
• Experience within one or more Commercial & Market Services categories such as marketing agencies, media buying, digital marketing, market research, sales support, promotional services, sales excellence tools, or professional services.
• Good understanding of commercial and marketing operations, ideally within pharmaceutical, healthcare, FMCG, or another regulated environment.
• Strong ability to run sourcing events, evaluate proposals, conduct commercial analyses, and lead supplier negotiations.
• Solid understanding of cost drivers and pricing models in marketing and commercial services, including agency fees, rate cards, project-based pricing, retainers, media fees, and performance-based models.
• Experience with supplier onboarding, contract management, supplier performance management, and procurement systems.
• Understanding of contractual, legal, compliance, data privacy, intellectual property, and ethical promotion considerations relevant to Commercial & Market Services procurement.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with marketing, commercial, sales, finance, legal, and compliance stakeholders.
• Ability to operate effectively in international, matrix, and cross-functional environments.
• Strong analytical, project management, and negotiation skills.
• Fluent English, written and spoken; additional languages are an advantage.
• Our Recruitment Process

To be considered for this role, please apply in our Applicant tracking system and refrain from sending your CV via email.

Upon the completion of sourcing (CV collection) period, all received application will be reviewed by our Recruitment experts and evaluated against the needs of the open role.

Successful candidates will be contacted by our Recruiting experts for an initial screening interview during which further details about the selection process will be shared.

Successful candidates will progress to interviews with line managers, while not selected candidates will be informed in a written form as soon as possible.

Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is an act @Zentiva

At Zentiva, we are a team of 5000 unique talents bonded together by our purpose to provide health and well-being for all generations.

We strive daily to create a work culture where everyone feels appreciated, can be their true selves, and contribute to the best of their ability.

Seeking for a balanced team across the company, we welcome applications from all qualified candidates with various educational and industry experiences, cultural or ethnical backgrounds, and different life experiences or abilities, regardless of their religious or philosophical beliefs or whomever they choose to love.

Join our winning team! Be a part of our winning culture! Be Zentiva!

Minimum Gross Annual Salary in Italy: 58,000 EUR