Job Description
Regional Category Manager, Travel is part of the Travel, Meetings, Card & Fleet organization within the Global Supplier Management Group (GSMG). This role reports to the Director, Global Procurement Strategy, Travel, Meetings & Congress and is responsible for regional category management, procurement, and program design for the Travel category. They will also support regional procurement activities related to the global card program.
The Regional Category Manager (RCM) will work with the global team to lead the development and implementation of a regional procurement and operations strategy, leveraging a Supply Strategy Council (SSC) framework and collaborating with multiple business partners as well as global procurement, regional/local TMC&F Operations professionals, and the Global Program Design team in a matrix organization. In addition, the RCM will be responsible to participate in cross-functional teams through the sourcing process and to lead strategy oversight for regional and/or local components of the category in full alignment with the global strategy.
Day to day responsibilities of this role include establishing the regional category strategy, performing procurement events, managing key metrics and analytics/BI and insights, including savings, supplier diversity and working capital delivery to established objectives in full alignment with the global strategy. The RCM will engage with business stakeholders and align procurement objectives and global sourcing strategies with their business objectives.
Additionally, the role will directly support operational excellence across the Travel and Corporate Card categories. The RCM will manage and drive the Travel strategic activities and will partner cross-functionally with the team to develop, deliver and measure agreed key deliverables.
A close partnership and working relationship with the Global Category Manager, Global Program Management, regional operations teams, stakeholders and supplier partners will be required to ensure high-quality service delivery, in full alignment with global strategies.
The RCM is responsible and accountable for coordinating internal activities across three stakeholder groups:
With Procurement Colleagues: Participates in teams of global, regional and local representatives to develop and implement strategic sourcing plans as well as to ensure alignment on key initiatives and priorities for broader Enterprise and TMC&F services categories. Act as a member of the team willing to carry out the mission and ensure that input from all members is taken into account.
With Business Partners: Identifies and engages with stakeholders to define and meet or exceed business requirements and identify and manage profit plan savings targets. Understands strategic business requirements across a 1-3-5 year horizon. Acts as a trusted advisor to a wide range of business partners in the business organization with a keen ear for needs and wants, and the ability to influence and guide strategic decision making, but also the courage to appropriately challenge the status quo.
With Suppliers: Responsible for building relationships with regional suppliers and managing key supplier performance against business requirements using proven processes; ensures adequate inclusion of diverse suppliers in RFPs and contracts as applicable. Supports Global and Enterprise wide supplier relationships.
Strategy Creation
Target: Definition and planning of high-level objectives targeted to long term results that will impact the way our company views and purchases this category. This is the "big picture" creation and it entails active engagement with senior stakeholders as well as critical members of the business in the category during the course of the Sourcing Excellence Process (SEP).
Typical Activities: Meetings with stakeholders to discuss SEP approach; participation in workshops and meetings during SEP; dialogue and meetings with Global Procurement in connection with Target; participation in Market Intelligence activities in connection with Target; data gathering and analysis in connection with Target, leveraging regional and local operations teams and others that contribute to fundamentally change or effect the status quo in pursuit of a long term competitive advantage to the company.
Strategy Execution
Target: Implementation of tactical plans or projects directly linked to a strategy created during the course of Sourcing.
Typical Activities: Development, rollout and execution of RFIs/RFPs and direct negotiations pursuant to supplier selection aligned with strategic goals; process re-engineering in cooperation with the business pursuant to modify or create processes in connection with strategic goals; dialogue and meetings with GP (Global Procurement), Regional/Local Operations, Global Program Design, Director of Payment Strategy and TMC&F Integration in connection with execution of strategic goals.
Procurement Operations
Target: Drive ongoing procurement activities pursuant to transactions and projects not in connection with SEP or strategy creation/execution. This is the "keep the lights on" and it is normally driven by daily/weekly requests from the business and procurement.
Typical Activities: Contract review/negotiations; PO issue resolution; creation of new vendors; supplier issue resolution; technology/process execution; dialogues and meetings with GP in connection with supplier and stakeholder resolution; data gathering and analysis leading to short/medium term insights not in connection with SEP or strategy creation/execution; all transactions not in connection with SEP or strategy creation/execution which ensure continuity of the business function and sustainability of the procurement function.
Supplier Relationship Management
Target: Design, planning and implementation of actions and projects in connection with SEP or strategic goals pursuant to develop, improve, sustain or reposition our company's relationship with critical/strategic suppliers.
Typical Activities: Development/participation in supplier forums, market organizations and conferences; dialogues and meetings with business partners and suppliers in connection with Target; review, analysis and negotiation of contracts pursuant to Target; data gathering/analysis pursuant to generation of insights in connection with Target. Drive supplier performance management in the identification and collection of SLAs, and discussion with suppliers, in conjunction with stakeholders, of those SLAs and joint identification of continuous performance improvement.
Specific activities include:
Support the Supply Strategy Councils (SSCs) for Travel with responsibility for the development, execution and management of the regional category strategy, in collaboration with global procurement leads, TMC&F Operations, Program Design, Director of Payment Strategy and stakeholder teams. Optimize and execute strategy aligned to the SSC
Regional Category Management - Drive category management for all subcategories and suppliers in the Travel category, including development of annual objectives and management thereof across regional teams, in full alignment with global strategy.
Regional Supplier Management - Build relationships, lead team to manage supplier performance against business requirements using proven processes to drive the realization of the full value of the key relationships. Liaise with Supplier Performance Management Team and team members to ensure team meets and exceeds all supplier management expectations.
Establishing and leading cross-functional teams of business partners and stakeholders through sourcing management as a structured process to develop and deliver global procurement strategies that create real value for the organization.
Delivering strong results in innovation, savings and other departmental objectives, such as attaining / exceeding supplier rationalization and supplier diversity targets.
Stakeholder management and alignment - Ensure buy-in and collaboration with our business partners and other business functions (Sales, Marketing, Business Operations, Divisional Leadership, Compliance, Audit, Finance, etc.) for initiatives, developing and supporting stakeholder initiatives, supporting profit planning process, facilitating achievement of business goals. Work in a way that positively engages the support of stakeholders using problem solving and proactive communication skills.
Overall support of GSMG through execution of diverse category initiatives; spend analyses, strategy development, etc.
Data Analytics, Reporting and Actionable Insights – Work closely with the Process Excellence team to deliver meaningful data and insights that drive the development of sourcing strategies and continuous improvement activities. Actively participate in relevant industry events.
Sourcing and Contracting - Personally lead sourcing initiatives including RFX, RFP, and negotiations and contracting to put in place the right suppliers. Provide Global Category Manger with regional category subject matter expertise and business requirement as they execute sourcing initiatives or contracts within the Travel Category.
Strategy Implementation - Proactively manage all aspects of implementation including entry and exit of suppliers and the resulting complex change management.
Results and Performance - Strong analytical skills and experience and be results-oriented.
Project and Change Management - Strong project management skills and a proven ability to manage change both internally and externally through to successful completion.
Extent of Travel
- 10% - 15%
Qualifications, Skills & Experience
A minimum of five (5) years in strategic procurement or related role
Fluent Spanish and English
Relevant experience/expertise in Travel Procurement
Strong analytical skills, ability to analyze large complex data sets to derive relevant intelligence in developing category and sourcing strategies or supporting negotiations
Proven success in developing and executing global or regional sourcing strategies
Proven success in leading organizations through change management
Strong communications and influencing skills at senior levels
Proven ability to lead and collaborate with a wide variety of individuals, including senior management, stakeholders, team members, other departments and suppliers
Proven ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a dynamic environment
Bachelors Degree required.
Preferred:
Experience in implementing and managing Global Travel and Strategic Meetings Management programs
Broad base of indirect procurement category knowledge
MBA or advanced degree and / or relevant certifications desirable
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U.S. Hybrid Work Model
Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.
The salary range for this role is
$126,500.00 - $199,100.00
This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.
The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits .
You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.
San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance
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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.
Employee Status:
Regular
Relocation:
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship:
Yes
Travel Requirements:
10%
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Remote
Shift:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
No
Hazardous Material(s):
N/A
Required Skills:
Business Continuity, Business Process Standardization, Business Support, Collection Processes, Customer Centric Focus, Dashboard Reporting, Data Quality Management, Direct Marketing, Global Sourcing, Global Strategy, Identifying Customer Needs, International Procurement, Market Research, Operational Procurement, Process Optimization, Product Management, Quantitative Analytics, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Procurement, Supplier Management, Supplier Negotiations, Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) Software, Supply Change Management, Vendor Management
Preferred Skills:
Job Posting End Date:
06/25/2025
*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
Requisition ID: R353092