Sr. Category Manager – Digital

As the category and procurement leader for Ace’s Mar Tech ecosystem, this role will oversee category management and optimization of marketing‑technology platforms that support digital engagement, analytics, personalization, and customer experience. The Manager will partner closely with Marketing, Digital, and IT teams to evaluate emerging technologies, negotiate contracts, ensure privacy‑compliant data handling, and maximize ROI across the Mar Tech stack.

What You’ll Do

• Provide indirect leadership and cross‑functional influence, building trusted‑advisor relationships across Marketing, Digital, IT, Finance, Data Privacy, and Security teams.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to establish YOY targets and strategies to grow Mar Tech spend under management; track savings, avoidance, and rebates to ensure alignment with organizational goals
• Develop and manage governance structures and reporting frameworks for indirect Mar Tech spend
• Lead category initiatives with a defined strategy for the assigned categories. Ability to manage and develop team members, duties include: prioritizing projects based on influence, relationships, cost containment, and alignment with organizational objectives, while fostering their professional growth and development.
• Lead risk management activities for the assigned categories by identifying, assessing, and mitigating threats to Ace’s capital and operational stability. Develop supplier risk profiles using market intelligence, competitive analysis, and supplier performance metrics to ensure proactive risk mitigation.
• Demonstrates the ability to adopt and apply AI‑enabled tools and intelligent agents to improve operational efficiency, productivity, and scalability across Mar Tech procurement activities.
• Develop performance metrics for suppliers within the assigned categories, accurately forecast, measure, and report ongoing program cost savings. Proactively refresh agreements mid-contract to leverage changing market conditions, align with performance SLAs and KPIs, and incorporate evolving corporate requirements.
• Consolidate diverse stakeholder requirements and develop market Request for Information (RFI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) events for the assigned categories. Design category-specific communication strategies, collaborate with stakeholders to create grading systems, and analyze results to make final recommendations that strengthen supplier relationships.
• Oversee end-to-end category management activities for the assigned categories, including conducting Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with suppliers to evaluate performance and identify areas for improvement. Create contract management matrices and design performance scorecards to monitor critical elements such as savings, avoidance, and supplier expertise.
• Communicate the effectiveness of governance performance, trends, benefits, and future directions for the assigned categories to both local and executive-level stakeholders. Develop and deliver corporate-wide updates and supplier communications to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and performance standards.
• Engage with internal customers to gather feedback on supplier performance, program delivery, and areas for improvement for the assigned categories. Refine deliverables and align supplier actions to meet evolving customer needs and performance expectations.

Who You Are

You bring deep experience in procurement and digital technology categories, with strong ability to influence, anticipate supplier and market dynamics, and manage high‑complexity projects with minimal oversight. You thrive in fast‑moving, cross‑functional environments and enjoy partnering across Marketing, Digital, and IT teams to drive measurable results.

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, or a related field is required; an MBA is preferred. Professional certifications such as CIPS or APICS are strongly encouraged.
• Minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in category management, procurement, or related roles, with a proven track record of leadership in managing complex categories.
• Demonstrated experience in people management, with the ability to develop…