In the Google Procurement Organization (GPO), our aim is to unlock value for Google to reinvest in what matters most. We do this by bringing velocity, efficiency, and security to buying at Google, while partnering across Google to deliver solutions fit for purpose. As a centralized organization operating in a high complexity environment, we bring "one voice" to stakeholders and suppliers to ensure the best outcomes. Our organization fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation while providing opportunities for ongoing career growth and development.
The Category Management team partners closely with stakeholders to help shape and implement procurement strategies. The team is responsible for developing and driving holistic category strategies, managing stakeholder relationships, and bringing excellence to Google-wide sourcing, supplier, and contract management.
As a Senior Category Manager you will serve as a strategic regional business partner and execution owner for Google’s marketing organization. Operating with high autonomy, you will act as a recognized thought leader and own the strategic direction for large, complex spend categories—seamlessly aligning regional execution with global initiatives while elevating local insights to shape overarching strategies. You will pioneer innovative marketing category strategies and cultivate strategic buy-side partnerships that unlock measurable enterprise value. Leveraging deep expertise in marketing verticals, you will design long-term roadmaps, navigate decentralized networks, and advise senior executives. Crucially, you will advocate an AI-first transformation across our domain. By leading new AI approaches, you will maintain thought leadership on the impact to our supplier base and ensure robust category governance, to mitigate risk, and evolve commercial model frameworks to drive a competitive advantage for Google.
Responsibilities
- Act as the strategic regional business partner to the marketing executive team in the region, aligning procurement priorities directly with marketing stakeholder goals, market needs, and regional growth vectors.
- Advocate an AI-first mentality in the transformation of the procurement practice area, replacing fragmented manual processes with structured AI operationalization, clean data taxonomies, and scalable digital workflows.
- Oversee the local alignment and execution of global procurement strategies, translating overarching Global Procurement Organization (GPO) frameworks and category playbooks into impactful regional actions.
- Serve as the regional strategy leader and execution overseer, directing high-volume tactical buying, regional sourcing operations, and compliance across APAC country groups.
- Develop and execute category strategies aligned with organizational objectives for assigned indirect spend categories.
Minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Advertising, Marketing or equivalent practical experience.
- 10 years of experience in sourcing, category management, or procurement roles, with a focus on managing indirect spend categories.
- Ability to communicate in English and Japanese fluently as this is a customer-facing role that requires communicating with clients and stakeholders locally and internationally.
Preferred qualifications:
- Advanced degree (e.g., MBA) or certifications in Marketing, Business, Finance, Procurement, or a related field.
- Professional background within a strategic partnerships group, with the ability to translate sell-side marketing dynamics into highly effective buy-side procurement strategies.
- Experience assessing and structuring commercial frameworks around generative AI, specifically regarding its impact on supplier pricing models, deliverables, and intellectual property.
- Advanced proficiency in analyzing complex market data and financial metrics, developing nuanced Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and generating executive-level insights to track category health.
- Strong systems-thinking, with experience re-architecting workflows, policies, and Source-to-Pay pipelines to create streamlined, autonomous user experiences.