Category Lead Europe - Marketing & Communication Procurement

Neuilly-sur-Seine (France) or Budapest (Hungary)

Opella is the self-care challenger with the purest and third-largest portfolio in the Over-The-Counter (OTC) & Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS) market globally.

Our mission is to bring health in people's hands by making self-care as simple as it should be. For half a billion consumers worldwide - and counting.

At the core of this mission is our 100 loved brands, our 11,000-strong global team, our 13 best-in-class manufacturing sites and 4 specialized science and innovation development centers. Headquartered in France, Opella is the proud maker of many of the world's most loved brands, including Allegra, Buscopan, Doliprane, Dulcolax, Enterogermina, Essentiale and Mucosolvan.

As a globally certified B Corp company, we are active players in the journey towards healthier people and planet. Find out more about our mission at www.opella.com.

About the job:

This strategic and executional role leads the Communication Agencies & Medical Communications Category Lead within Europe, Marketing & Sales Procurement, at Opella. Reporting directly to the EULA Marketing & Sales Procurement Head, the role operates at the Europe level to support and implement global strategies.

You will be responsible for shaping, executing, and delivering the procurement strategy across Europe, driving innovation, optimizing agency ecosystems, and delivering measurable business impact. This role is pivotal in enabling Opella transformation toward integrated marketing and omni-channel excellence.

The key focus of this role is to create, support, and influence procurement category strategy for regional/local Agencies and Medical Communications initiatives, ideate and drive key projects jointly with the business, and ensure consistent execution across Europe affiliates to deliver Opella strategic priorities.

The role requires demonstrating:

• Strong partnering internally with Marketing/Brand & Innovations and HCP stakeholders by simplifying collaboration and assisting them in our shift to a further integrated marketing agency & omni-channels solutions
• Strong capabilities in integrated agency eco-system management, content & digital knowledge to manage complex omni-channels environment. Proven experience in Advertising, Content/Digital, HCP, Influencers/PR, Event, Agency models (hybrid, in-house) to enhance our capabilities and deliver substantial values and added values
• Innovation driven for conducting strategic sourcing, agency portfolio optimization & management, analytics, SoWs set-up& negotiations, and projects management driving measurable Net P&L impact across Europe.

This mission is aligned with the values, the ethical charter, and the code of conduct of Opella.

Main responsabilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement forward-thinking, competitive procurement strategies for communication and medical agency categories across Europe region.
• Leverage market intelligence to identify risks, opportunities, and innovation potential (e.g., new suppliers, digital tools, technologies).
• Align procurement strategies with business priorities to deliver cost savings, value creation, and sustainability goals.
• Translate regional marketing vision into actionable procurement plans and ensure successful execution across Europe affiliates.

Agency Ecosystem & Innovation

• Lead agency portfolio optimization, strategic sourcing, and supplier innovation programs.
• Drive excellence in integrated agency management across Advertising, Digital Content, HCP, PR/Influencers, Events, and hybrid/in-house models.
• Lead performance reviews locally & at regional level- in line with global process.
• Negotiate and manage Statements of Work (SoWs), contracts, and performance metrics to ensure delivery and compliance.

Business Partnering & Collaboration

• Act as a trusted partner to Marketing, Brand & Innovation, and HCP teams, simplifying collaboration and enabling agile execution.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and suppliers to co-create solutions and accelerate growth.
• Support the Growth Hub and global teams in aligning procurement with business needs and strategic priorities.
• Partner with local markets to leverage IA internal team opportunities and to leverage opportunities to optimize SOW and agencies efficiencies.

Performance & Value Delivery

• Drive measurable Net P&L impact through demand management, cost optimization, and supplier performance.
• Monitor KPIs and supplier performance, ensuring continuous improvement in service levels, quality, and delivery.
• Ensure timely and effective execution of procurement initiatives across Europe affiliates, with strong focus on operational excellence and compliance.
• Champion sustainability and B-Corp commitments across procurement initiatives.

Contract & Relationship Management

• Oversee supplier relationship management program (QBR, other) and negotiations for strategic suppliers on local sourcing cases. Interface directly with local supplier leadership to assure objectives are met.
• Oversee supplier innovation program for the category.
• Oversee KPIs and monitor supplier performance. Continuously drive for improvements in performance of the suppliers in all relevant areas of service level, costs, delivery, quality.
• Ensure compliance with master service agreements.
• Escalate and manage issues that may impact the global Marketing and Sales procurement.
• Ensure that risk management assessment and risk mitigation strategies are in place at the region in close collaboration with the business

About you:

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in marketing procurement, agency management, or business operations, ideally within a regional or multi-country scope.
• Proven expertise in marketing procurement, agency management, and business operations.
• Deep understanding of digital, content, advertising, omni-channel marketing ecosystems.
• High business and financial acumen with the ability to influence stakeholders.
• Strong track record in delivering savings and value through strategic sourcing and demand management.
• Excellent negotiation, project management, and analytical skills.

Mindset & Attributes

• Results-oriented and customer-centric.
• Autonomous, energetic, and able to thrive in complex environments.
• Strong communicator with effective interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Agile, collaborative, and committed to continuous improvement.

Digital & Sustainability

• Proficient in leveraging digital tools and analytics for market intelligence and decision-making.
• Passionate about embedding sustainability into procurement strategies and operations.

Language & Culture

• Fluent in English (written and spoken); additional European languages are a plus.
• International mindset with experience in multicultural environments.

Why us?

At Opella, you will enjoy doing challenging, purposeful work, empowered to develop consumer brands with passion and creativity. This is your chance to grow new skills and be part of a bold, collaborative, and inclusive culture where people can thrive and be at their best every day.

We Are Challengers.

We are dedicated to making self-care as simple as it should be. That starts with our culture. We are challengers by nature, and this is how we do things:

All In Together: We keep each other honest and have each other's backs.

Courageous: We break boundaries and take thoughtful risks with creativity.

Outcome-Obsessed: We are personally accountable, driving sustainable impact and results with integrity.

Radically Simple: We strive to make things simple for us and simple for consumers, as it should be.

Join us on our mission. Health. In your hands.

www.opella.com/en/careers