Group Category Manager, Marketing & Professional Services

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and ambitious Marketing and Professional Services Procurement specialist to join the Group Procurement function at Royal Unibrew. A bit about the role This is a newly created group position, reporting to the Chief Procurement Officer, with an exciting remit to business partner Marketing, Commercial and Corporate Functions with responsibility for some of our most creative and least controlled spend areas. The preferred location for this position is at our Head Office in Faxe, Denmark. Category scope:

• Weighted largely towards Marketing Services to include Creative agencies and Content Production, Media and Influencer marketing, Sponsorship, Consumer activations, Experiential marketing, Promotional merchandise, Point of Sale, Coolers and dispense equipment, etc.,

Professional Services to include consulting, legal, HR services, Travel, FMRE, etc., - Key responsibilities:

• Category Strategy: Develop and execute category strategies aligned with business objectives and procurement objectives.
• Sourcing Excellence: Lead sourcing events (RFI/RFP), contract negotiation, supplier segmentation, supplier relationship management & performance management. Use analytics/insights to drive category opportunities, benchmark performance., etc.
• Spend Management and Value Creation: Challenge demand and support investment decisions to improve the effectiveness and return on marketing spend whilst protecting brand objectives. Deliver and report relevant financial and non-financial KPIs
• Collaboration and Influence: Partner with internal stakeholders such as Marketing, Commercial, Finance, Legal, HR, etc. Translate business needs into category requirements. Coordinate category priorities with the market procurement teams and strengthen the category communities across the markets.
• Procurement control: Develop and introduce greater procurement oversight in key areas of spend, with the goal of increasing spend under procurement control. Ensure compliance, risk management, governance across suppliers and contracts (both group and local) across a decentralized spend landscape.
• Externally orientated: Leverage your external radar and knowledge of the external supplier landscape, industry best practices, digitalization and automation to drive optimization.

We hope you are… Are a strategic thinker with a hands-on approach. Someone who combines analytical insights with commercial instinct. You are comfortable embracing new challenges, leading change, influencing senior stakeholders, and building trusted supplier partnerships that deliver long term value. Your background most likely includes:

• 8+ years’ experience in procurement or consultancy within an agency, CPG, or beverage environment.
• A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field (CIPS qualification or similar is a plus).
• Strong knowledge of procurement processes, such as strategy development, financial and business needs analysis, complex negotiations, etc.,
• Comfortable working autonomously in a fast-moving and ambiguous environment; with the ability to prioritize and balance competing demands effectively.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels and across cultures.
• A collaborative, curious, and results oriented mindset. You are comfortable driving digitalization and continuous improvement.

Success in the role Success in this role means becoming a trusted strategic partner to Marketing, Commercial and Corporate Functions, helping the business maximise the impact of its investments while delivering measurable value, innovation and supplier performance. The successful candidate will establish category strategies and governance across a diverse portfolio including media, creative, content, sponsorship, point-of-sale, cooler and dispense equipment, travel and professional services. They will build strong stakeholder relationships, develop strategic supplier partnerships, increase spend transparency and procurement maturity, and continuously improve the effectiveness, efficiency and return on Royal Unibrew's investments in marketing and business services. Why Join Royal Unibrew? At Royal Unibrew, you will join a dynamic, people driven culture where innovation, sustainability, and collaboration go hand in hand. You will have the freedom to shape your category strategy, build impactful partnerships, and see your work contribute directly to our growth and sustainability goals. You will be based at our headquarters in Faxe, surrounded by supportive colleagues in a department that is constantly evolving. We value collaboration and make time for sparring and looking out for one another. At Royal Unibrew, you will enjoy a wide range of employee benefits designed to ensure a safe and fulfilling workday, with a strong focus on well-being and personal development. How to Apply If this sounds like your next career move, please apply today or no later than 28 October. If you have any questions regarding this exiting position, please reach out to HR Business Partner, Maja Raun at maja.raun@royalunibrew.com. At Royal Unibrew, you'll find the industry's most dedicated, energetic, and experienced colleagues. Together, we build the best framework for a job that precisely matches your everyday life and career aspirations. Royal Unibrew produces, markets, sells, and distributes quality beverages. We are a consortium of more than 35 breweries and beverage producers from across Denmark, known especially for our traditional, locally-rooted brands such as Faxe Kondi, Egekilde, Royal Beer, Ceres, and Odense Pilsner, as well as partner brands like Pepsi MAX and Heineken. Today, we are the second-largest beverage company in Denmark. Our journey began in 1856, and we still maintain a strong commercial focus, a clear growth strategy, and an ambitious sustainability strategy - both domestically and internationally. You'll have over 1500 colleagues in Denmark and more than 2700 colleagues outside the country, including in Finland, Italy, France, Norway, Canada, the Netherlands, and the Baltic countries.