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Ipsen Global

Global biopharma focused on specialty care

Global Category Leader - Media Planning & Buying Services

Procurement & SourcingConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeNo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

  • The role requires 8–10+ years of procurement experience, including significant experience in media and communication procurement and global category leadership.
  • Experience in pharmaceutical or healthcare industries, or in other highly regulated, brand-driven environments such as cosmetics or beauty, is required.
  • Deep knowledge of agency models, strategic sourcing, supplier management, commercial contracting, and negotiation is required.
  • Understanding of the pharmaceutical commercial model, including launches, congresses, and compliance, and of consumer healthcare industry dynamics is required.
  • Experience partnering with senior stakeholders and working in global, matrix organizations is required.
  • A bachelor’s degree is required.
  • Fluent English is required.

Responsibilities

  • Own end-to-end category management for Media Planning & Buying Services, including strategy, sourcing, supplier performance, governance, and value delivery at global and regional levels.
  • Define and lead global and regional sourcing strategies for media strategy and planning, media buying, digital media, content, and publishing services in partnership with global and affiliate brand teams and relevant leadership.
  • Determine the appropriate global or regional strategy to support brand ambitions, agency models, and market needs.
  • Ensure strategies deliver value at affiliate level, scale across markets, and balance global consistency with local relevance.
  • Align strategies with brand lifecycle stages and therapeutic priorities, including neuroscience.
  • Monitor external market trends and emerging innovations, translating them into recommendations to evolve category strategy.
  • Lead strategic sourcing and negotiations for major engagements above €300,000, including global framework agreements, rate cards, pricing models, and performance-based contracts.
  • Design and improve the supplier ecosystem, scopes of work, and commercial frameworks to enable innovation, speed, and consistency across markets.
  • Deploy global and regional frameworks across affiliates and monitor value realization and performance across regions.
  • Use spend analytics, supplier benchmarking, and market intelligence to identify value creation, innovation, and risk mitigation opportunities across the communication category.
  • Enable the International and North America Procurement Business Partner community through category updates, best-practice sharing, and structured communication.
  • Partner strategically with Media Services Leaders to influence investment strategies, agency ecosystems, and omnichannel execution.
  • Build and lead a global Media Services Procurement Affiliate Network across North America, EMEA, JAPAC, and LATAM to influence agency selection and working methods and ensure adoption of strategies and models.
  • Engage the affiliate network by gathering feedback, sharing best practices, and helping resolve challenges related to agency services.
  • Lead a global Supplier Relationship Management and ecosystem strategy across Communication Services.
  • Establish strategic supplier partnerships with performance management, innovation roadmaps, and continuous improvement in service quality, cost efficiency, and innovation.
  • Develop scalable supplier models, including standard service packages, rate cards, benchmarking tools, and volume-based commercial frameworks.
  • Align global category strategies with Shared Service Center execution models and deploy standard playbooks, RFP templates, and sourcing frameworks.
  • Improve execution efficiency and end-user experience to support reliable delivery across markets.
  • Ensure compliance with procurement policies, sourcing thresholds, governance frameworks, and ESG commitments, embedding responsible sourcing and sustainability principles in category strategies and execution.
  • Monitor performance and value delivery, including savings realization, service-level agreement compliance, and stakeholder satisfaction.
  • Serve as the escalation point for supplier issues, adoption challenges, and service delivery risks, ensuring timely resolution and continuity of service.

Desired Qualifications

  • French language proficiency is preferred.
  • An MBA or other advanced degree is preferred.

About the Company

Ipsen Global

Global biopharma focused on specialty care

Ipsen is a global biopharmaceutical company that concentrates on specialty care, developing and marketing medicines for oncology, neuroscience, and rare diseases. Its products work by treating specific high-need conditions, ranging from historical diarrhea treatment Smecta to modern targeted therapies in cancer and neurological disorders. The company differentiates itself through a focused portfolio in niche therapeutic areas, growth via strategic acquisitions, and a long-standing family heritage that shaped its international expansion and IPO-driven capital for expansion. Its goal is to address unmet medical needs worldwide by providing effective therapies for patients with serious or rare conditions.

Company size
5,001-10,000
Company stage
IPO
Headquarters
Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Founded
2005

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