Sr. Category Leader, Marketing & Communications

Kohler, WI (On-site)

$136K/yr – $211K/yrSenior Level8+ years expFull time

Posted 7 days ago

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Job Summary

Own and execute Kohler’s media procurement and supplier governance, shaping sourcing strategies across paid media, programmatic, agency services, and related marketing technology, while driving value and ROAS through supplier performance and risk management.

Lead end-to-end media procurement lifecycle and category strategy
Negotiate, evaluate bids, and manage contracts with agencies and platforms

Job Description

Responsibilities

Lead media procurement strategy and sourcing execution for Kohler’s marketing organization, including paid media, digital, programmatic, social, search, retail media, agency services, measurement, and related marketing technology.
Partner with marketing, brand, finance, legal, privacy, analytics, and agency stakeholders to translate business needs into sourcing strategies, scopes of work, contract requirements, performance expectations, and supplier governance plans.
Lead competitive sourcing events, supplier evaluations, bid analysis, negotiations, award recommendations, renewals, and contract changes for media agencies, platforms, and related suppliers.
Analyze spend, supplier proposals, rate cards, agency fees, media pricing models, contract terms, market dynamics, and performance data to support fact-based decisions and total value recommendations.
Manage supplier relationships and governance routines, including scorecards, business reviews, issue resolution, escalation paths, performance commitments, renewal planning, and continuous improvement actions.
Deliver category value through cost avoidance, savings, risk reduction, improved transparency, supplier accountability, and stronger return on marketing investment including Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
Provide media procurement expertise on agency models, fee structures, commercial terms, brand safety, content rights and evolving media market trends.
Communicate sourcing activity, supplier performance, risks, value delivered, and recommended improvements to procurement, marketing, and senior business leaders.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, supply chain, business, finance, communications, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 8+ years of combined experience in strategic sourcing focused on marketing categories, category management, media procurement, media agency management, marketing operations, or related roles.
Experience managing media, marketing, agency, communications, or technology-related contracts and sourcing projects with $1M-10M+ in annual spend
Proficiency with supplier management, contract management, eSourcing, spend analytics, Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Microsoft Copilot, and related procurement or analytics tools.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

Benefits

Kohler offers day 1 benefits. This means you’ll have access to your applicable benefit programs from your first day on the job, with no waiting period.
We believe in supporting you from the moment you join us, which is why Kohler offers day 1 benefits. This means you’ll have access to your applicable benefit programs from your first day on the job, with no waiting period.
We empower each associate to #BecomeMoreAtKohler with a competitive total rewards package to support your health and wellbeing, access to career growth and development opportunities, a diverse and inclusive workplace, and a strong culture of innovation.

Kohler Co.

We’re a community of creators. Status quo busters. Difference makers. For more than 150 years, we’ve built our business on a singular mission—helping people live gracious, healthy, and sustainable lives. Thanks to the passion, craftsmanship, and ingenuity of our associates around the world, our business has expanded across the globe with a diverse portfolio of brands. Today, we’re one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies. We manufacture smart kitchen & bath products and host world-class hospitality experiences. At 30,000 strong, we’re the driving force behind so much meaningful progress as we strive to #BecomeMoreAtKohler—individually and together. We’re unafraid of bold action and inspired to design better tomorrows. Here’s to the next 150 years. Learn more about Kohler's hiring practices to help you avoid recruitment fraud: https://www.kohlercompany.com/careers/how-we-hire/recruitment-fraud/

Kohler, Wisconsin, USA

14K employees (1,126 in marketing)

www.kohlercompany.com/careers