Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing - Marketing - job 4 of 24

The Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing at Visa is responsible for leading various key categories such as Media, Digital, Marketing Technologies, and Events & Sponsorships. This includes developing and executing sourcing strategies, managing agency and vendor relationships, and ensuring that marketing needs align with sourcing objectives. The role involves analyzing market trends, overseeing category management, and mitigating risks associated with the marketing supply base.

To excel as the Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing at Visa, candidates should have extensive experience in marketing procurement along with strong leadership capabilities and a proven track record in delivering cost savings. A deep understanding of digital marketing, media planning, and supplier management is crucial. Excellent negotiation skills and the ability to make data-driven decisions are also necessary for this role.

In the role of Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing at Visa, cross-functional collaboration is essential. This position involves working closely with marketing, finance, legal, and various internal stakeholders to ensure that the sourcing strategies align seamlessly with business requirements. This collaborative effort helps facilitate smooth execution of marketing strategies and optimizes the overall supply chain.

The Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing at Visa is expected to work in a hybrid setting. The specific expectations regarding days in the office will be confirmed by the Hiring Manager, providing flexibility while also ensuring essential collaboration and meetings can take place effectively.

For the Senior Director, Strategic Sourcing at Visa, strong leadership qualities are paramount. The ideal candidate should be able to lead, mentor, and develop a team of sourcing professionals effectively. They should foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation while providing strategic consultation and guidance to agency owners, ensuring that best practices and conflict resolution mechanisms are well established.

When answering this question, focus on specific examples from your past experiences where you successfully developed and executed sourcing strategies. Highlight the results achieved, such as cost savings or improved agency performance.

Discuss the importance of communication, regular performance evaluations, and establishing mutual goals. Providing examples of successful vendor negotiations can also illustrate your point.

Identify key performance indicators like cost savings, supplier performance, compliance rates, and overall satisfaction of internal stakeholders. Discuss how you track these metrics to ensure successful outcomes.

Explain your methodology for identifying potential risks, developing mitigation strategies, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Include examples where you successfully alleviated risks in past roles.

Be prepared to share a specific case where you achieved significant cost savings through strategic sourcing efforts. Detail the steps you took and the outcomes achieved, emphasizing your strategic approach.

Discuss your negotiation tactics such as building rapport, performing market research, and preparing alternative options. Share examples of successful negotiations to strengthen your response.

Highlight your approach to understanding the broader business landscape and how you engage with various business units to align sourcing initiatives with strategic objectives.

Share a specific example of leading a team, detailing the challenges faced, your management approach, and the positive results achieved through the transition.

Discuss your vision for promoting continuous evaluation of processes, encouraging team input for improvements, and sharing best practices across teams.

Be knowledgeable about current trends, such as digital transformation in procurement, shifts towards transparency, and the increasing importance of sustainability. Provide insights into how you would leverage these trends in your role.