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Diageo

Global premium spirits and beer producer

Global Category Specialist - Global Marketing

Full-TimeDeadline 10/28/26
No salary listed
Senior
London, UK+2 moreMore locations: Edinburgh, UK | Dublin, Ireland
In Person
Operations & LogisticsProcurement & Sourcing

About the job

Requirements
  • A dynamic, globally minded procurement professional with 5–7 years’ global or multi-market experience across A&P; additional experience across other Procurement categories (e.g. Supply, Indirects or related areas) is an advantage.
  • Proven expertise in shaping and managing integrated agency ecosystems end-to-end, from strategy, sourcing and negotiation through to performance optimisation and continuous improvement.
  • Experience delivering cross-market and multi-regional programmes, connecting GBT and market requirements to drive greater scale, consistency and value.
  • Experience leading multi-market Procurement workstreams, with responsibility for coordinating Regional Procurement teams and driving aligned delivery against shared outcomes.
  • Strong strategic and commercial acumen, with the ability to translate investment data, benchmarks, cost models and supplier performance into smarter investment decisions, commercial outcomes and value opportunities.
  • Strong business partnering and influencing skills, building trusted relationships across GBTs, Regional Procurement, Marketing, Finance, agencies and suppliers to align priorities and deliver shared outcomes.
  • Ability to lead through influence across global and regional teams, including cross-regional briefing, scoping and the development of consolidated workplans spanning multiple markets.
  • Strong track record in procurement and category strategy, leading complex initiatives, negotiations and supplier programmes that deliver measurable business impact.
  • Financially astute and outcome-focused, with experience across marketing planning and implementation planning processes, investment planning and value levers, and the ability to translate strategic priorities into actionable Procurement pipelines.
  • Strong leadership presence and communication skills, with the confidence, resilience and pace to challenge constructively, influence senior stakeholders and deliver in complex, fast-moving environments.
  • Strong digital and systems capability, including SAP, CLM, Salesforce, Microsoft Office, Copilot and other AI-enabled or workflow technologies.
Responsibilities
  • Build influential relationships across the Global Brand Teams, shape strategic and investment decisions, and partner with GBT brand leads to drive delivery through to markets; maintain a deep understanding of GBT priorities and ensure Procurement remains aligned to critical brand requirements.
  • Act as the bridge between GBTs and Regional Procurement, connecting global priorities with market needs to create greater scale, consistency and value; identify where GBT and regional requirements can be brought together to strengthen investment and execution.
  • Co-lead connected briefing and scoping across GBTs and regions, moving from fragmented project-by-project briefs towards consolidated demand and pipeline planning; bring global and market requirements together into larger, more strategic workplans that maximise agency capability and commercial leverage.
  • Lead the development and optimisation of integrated GBT agency ecosystems, ensuring the right capabilities are aligned to brand ambitions; partner with Regional Procurement to simplify agency structures, connect global and local partners, and strengthen operating models.
  • Shift agency engagement towards integrated half-year and full-year pipelines, creating stronger forward visibility, more strategic agency conversations and consolidated workplans across brands and markets.
  • Drive best-in-class sourcing across critical spend categories, leading negotiations, agency selection, strategic workplans and contracting; consolidate demand where appropriate to strengthen negotiating leverage and commercial consistency.
  • Identify and activate cross-regional and enterprise opportunities through connected GBT and market investment plans, partnering with Regional Procurement and Global Category teams to deliver scalable value programmes.
  • Partner with Global Category teams to co-create and activate category strategies, ensuring seamless execution against GBT priorities and broader regional and enterprise opportunities.
  • Lead the Relationship Collaboration Programme across designated brands, creating a two-way flow of insight between GBTs, Regions and Global Marketing Procurement to strengthen partner strategies and long-term agency relationships.
  • Coordinate Global and Regional Procurement teams around shared priorities, ensuring global strategies translate into connected market execution and cross-regional opportunities are identified, prioritised and delivered.
  • Use AOP and MIP outputs to improve investment visibility, shape budget decisions, identify value opportunities and build Procurement delivery pipelines; support the evolution of connected global and regional planning processes.
  • Accelerate adoption of digital procurement tools, workflow technologies and AI-enabled productivity platforms, improving ways of working across the ecosystem.
  • Maintain strong governance across risk management, spend monitoring, segmentation, savings tracking, performance reporting, contracting and benchmarking.
  • Use investment, supplier, performance and market data to challenge the status quo, identify opportunities and influence high-quality commercial decisions.
  • Demonstrate deep expertise across A&P categories, leading initiatives that maximise value and performance in partnership with GBT and regional stakeholders.
  • Contribute to Global CoE strategies, ensuring GBT priorities, market realities and local requirements are reflected in global category approaches.
  • Partner across categories and Procurement teams to support enterprise programmes and broader cross-functional value creation.
Desired Qualifications
  • Additional experience across other Procurement categories, such as Supply, Indirects or related areas, would be an advantage.

About the company

Diageo is a global leader in premium drinks, with a portfolio of more than 200 brands across spirits and beer that are sold in about 180 countries. Its products are alcoholic beverages from centuries-old names to new brands, distributed worldwide to reach a diverse consumer base. The company manages a wide range of brands rather than focusing on a single product, and it uses its scale, global presence, and portfolio breadth to reach customers wherever they are. Diageo differentiates itself through its large, diverse brand mix, its international reach, and its ongoing focus on shaping the future of the business while considering its social and environmental impact. The company's goal is to raise the bar for people and the planet by investing in the future and acting with responsibility toward communities and the environment.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Founded

1997

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Europe, LAC, and Africa grew in fiscal 2026, offsetting U.S. weakness.
  • Diageo expects c.$1 billion annual savings from its 2026 restructuring.
  • Guinness demand stays strong; fiscal 2026 Europe sales rose 3.4%.

What critics are saying

  • North America organic sales fell 8.4% in FY2026; recovery runs through 2028.
  • Greater China sales dropped 34.9% in FY2026, crushing Diageo's Asia Pacific growth.
  • The August 2026 restructuring cuts staff and costs; execution misses threaten leverage.

What makes Diageo unique

  • Guinness, Johnnie Walker, and Tanqueray give Diageo unmatched global premium brand breadth.
  • Dave Lewis launched an August 2026 restructuring to reset North America competitiveness.
  • Ritual Zero Proof and RTD launches extend Diageo beyond classic spirits.

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Benefits

  • Flexible Work Hours

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

7%

1 year growth

7%

2 year growth

7%
Yahoo Finance
Aug 15th, 2026
Diageo struggles while Constellation gains hedge fund favour despite sector headwinds

Jim Cramer has shifted his stance on the alcoholic beverage sector, showing cautious optimism for Constellation Brands whilst remaining bearish on Diageo. He highlighted Constellation's new CEO, Ned Fink, as a potential catalyst for growth, noting Fink's successful track record at Jim Beam. Diageo faces multiple headwinds, including a 34.9% sales decline in China and an 8.4% drop in North American net sales. The stock has fallen 52% over five years. Constellation grew beer sales 2% to $2.28 billion in fiscal Q1, beating earnings expectations. However, beer depletion fell 0.3%, whilst wine and spirit sales dropped 10%. Hedge funds appear to favour Constellation, with 56 funds holding stakes versus 35 for Diageo. However, Diageo trades at a higher forward P/E ratio of 14.41 compared to Constellation's 11.36.

Yahoo Finance
Jun 4th, 2026
Diageo vs Brown-Forman: Which spirits stock offers better value in 2026?

Diageo and Brown-Forman represent contrasting strategies in the spirits industry, with Diageo offering global diversification and Brown-Forman focusing on American whiskey brands. Diageo operates over 200 brands including Johnnie Walker and Guinness across 180 countries. In FY 2025, revenue reached $20.2 billion with net income of $2.4 billion, though net margin declined to 11.6% from 19.1% the prior year. The company maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.2x and free cash flow of $2.7 billion. Brown-Forman, producing Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve across 170 markets, generated $4.0 billion revenue in FY 2025, down 4.9% year-over-year. Net income was $869 million with a 21.9% net margin. The company shows stronger financial metrics with a 0.7x debt-to-equity ratio, 3.9x current ratio and free cash flow of $431 million.

The Hindu BusinessLine
May 25th, 2026
How Diageo’s doubled investment is scaling up Sober

Diageo's increased investment in Sober highlights the growing demand for premium non-alcoholic beverages in India's evolving market.

Yahoo Finance
Jan 21st, 2026
Global spirits giants sit on $22B unsold inventory amid demand slowdown

Major spirits companies are grappling with a $22 billion inventory glut, the largest in a decade, according to the Financial Times. Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Campari, Brown-Forman and Remy Cointreau are sitting on unprecedented amounts of unsold aged spirits, including whisky, Cognac, tequila and rum. The surplus stems from pandemic-era over-production when home consumption surged. However, consumer demand has since declined due to health concerns and shifts towards THC beverages. Companies have responded by pausing production at distilleries, reducing workforces and closing facilities. Cognac faces particularly severe challenges, with slowing exports and trade issues with China forcing price cuts. Even tequila, which recently outsold American whiskey in the US, is experiencing slowdown. Industry analysts warn that production cuts risk future shortages if demand rebounds unexpectedly.

Diageo
Sep 26th, 2024
Diageo Acquires Ritual Zero Proof

Diageo North America has acquired Ritual Zero Proof Non-Alcoholic Spirits, the leading non-alc spirit brand in the U.S. since its 2019 launch. This move aligns with Diageo’s Growth Ambition for sustainable growth. Ritual offers non-alc alternatives to whiskey, tequila, gin, rum, and aperitif. The U.S. non-alc category has grown +31% CAGR over five years, with non-alc spirits as the fastest-growing segment. Diageo is the top non-alc spirits player globally, holding leading market shares in major markets.