Global Category Manager – Meetings, Conferences, Events

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POSITION SUMMARY:

This role manages the Global Meetings Conferences and Events category an area that supports scientific exchange business engagement employee connectivity and external stakeholder interactions. The role will develop and execute category plans that balance experience service quality compliance sustainability resilience and total cost while working within the global direction established by the Global Category Lead.

Working within the strategy and governance established by the Global Category Lead this role owns category execution from end to end. The Global Category Manager converts enterprise priorities into actionable plans engages stakeholders before requirements and suppliers are finalized leads complex sourcing and contracting work manages supplier performance and delivers measurable value across financial performance business outcomes quality sustainability resilience and risk.

OBJECTIVES:

• Develop and execute the Global Meetings Conferences and Events category plan in alignment with enterprise priorities and the strategy set by the Global Category Lead.
• Partner with business and program stakeholders to shape requirements service models demand supplier choices and commercial decisions before commitments are made.
• Build and manage a competitive supplier ecosystem supported by effective governance preferred buying channels and measurable performance outcomes.
• Deliver an actionable sourcing and value pipeline across cost service innovation compliance sustainability risk and stakeholder experience.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Analyze spend demand event types attendee needs supplier performance market dynamics risk and sustainability data to identify category priorities and opportunities.
• Create and maintain category plans covering meetings management event agencies venue sourcing production attendee technology group travel and related services.
• Partner with stakeholders to define fit for purpose specifications planning standards service levels buying channels and supplier engagement approaches.
• Lead complex global and regional sourcing initiatives negotiations supplier selections transitions and contract implementations.
• Manage master agreements and commercial frameworks including pricing fees service levels incentives performance guarantees data requirements and escalation provisions.
• Reduce supplier fragmentation and leakage by directing demand to the right preferred suppliers commercial frameworks competitive processes and buying channels.
• Integrate third party risk confidentiality conflicts information security privacy business continuity responsible sourcing and knowledge retention requirements into category decisions.
• Translate the global category strategy into an executable category plan initiative pipeline sourcing calendar supplier roadmap and stakeholder engagement plan.
• Operate within global strategies decision rights preferred supplier models commercial frameworks and buying channels while adapting execution to legitimate regional market and functional requirements.
• Engage upstream before specifications statements of work supplier selections and budgets are finalized to shape demand and improve business outcomes.
• Maintain an end-to-end view of assigned spend demand pipeline contracts supplier performance risk tail spend and value realization. Escalate portfolio choices and exceptions to the Global Category Lead.
• Deliver assigned targets and KPIs across P&L impact P&L protection cash improvement innovation quality sustainability risk and business performance.
• Use market intelligence advanced analytics automation and responsible AI solutions to improve decisions execution speed transparency and stakeholder experience.
• Lead cross functional project teams without direct authority and create clarity on decisions actions owners milestones and value outcomes.
• Provide the Global Category Lead with clear insights recommendations risks decisions required and progress against the category plan.

EDUCATION:

• Bachelors degree in business supply chain finance economics or a related field required.
• Masters degree or MBA preferred.

EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES:

• 8 years of experience in procurement category management strategic sourcing supplier management or a related commercial function within complex global organizations.
• Subject matter expertise across relevant categories such as meetings management conferences congresses event agencies venue sourcing production audiovisual services attendee technology virtual or hybrid events group travel and related services.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing category plans and complex sourcing initiatives that deliver measurable enterprise value.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen including sourcing negotiation supplier economics total cost of ownership contract management and value realization.
• Ability to influence and constructively challenge senior stakeholders across functions business units and geographies.
• Experience leading cross functional initiatives in a highly matrixed and regulated environment.
• Strong supplier relationship management capabilities including segmentation governance performance management issue resolution risk mitigation and continuous improvement.
• Strong analytical and communication skills with the ability to turn market supplier spend and performance data into clear recommendations and decisions.
• Experience with digital procurement tools automation analytics and AI enabled approaches.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in the pharmaceutical biotechnology healthcare financial services or another highly regulated global industry.
• Experience sourcing and managing meetings and events services across multiple countries or regions.
• Knowledge of event technology data payment compliance sustainability and attendee experience considerations.
• Experience working with global strategies that require thoughtful regional and local adaptation.

Takeda Compensation and Benefits Summary

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. We are committed to equitable pay for all employees and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices.

For Location:

U.S. Base Salary Range:

The estimated salary range reflects an anticipated range for this position. The actual base salary offered may depend on a variety of factors including the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position years of relevant experience specific and unique skills level of education attained certifications or other professional licenses held and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the actual base salary offered will be in accordance with state or local minimum wage requirements for the job location.

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