Category Manager, Marketing Services

Manager, Strategic Sourcing

At Alcon, we are driven by the meaningful work we do to help people see brilliantly. We innovate boldly, champion progress, and act with speed as the global leader in eye care. Here, you'll be recognized for your commitment and contributions and see your career like never before. Together, we go above and beyond to make an impact in the lives of our patients and customers.

We foster an inclusive culture and are looking for diverse, talented people to join Alcon. As a Manager, Strategic Sourcing supporting the Procurement Team, you will be trusted to play a critical role in shaping and executing procurement strategies across key Marketing sub-categories, including but not limited Data Insights and Analytics, Promotional Items, Print, Media, Creative Agencies, and Meetings & Events.

This role requires strong stakeholder engagement skills, expertise in category strategy development, contract management, supplier relationship management, and negotiation excellence across regional and global scopes.

You will deliver high-value procurement solutions, support strategic vendor selection, contribute to technology and performance management initiatives, and ensure best-in-class sourcing of external services. Your work enables year-over-year cost savings, risk mitigation, process improvements, and measurable business impact in close partnership with Marketing and Sales stakeholders. This role is based out of our Fort Worth, TX office.

In this role, a typical day will include

Business Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to Marketing and Sales leadership across all franchises.
• Ensure category strategies fully align with business priorities and Procurement's overarching strategy.

Category Strategy & Execution

• Develop and implement game-changing category strategies grounded in analytical insights, market intelligence, and stakeholder input.
• Translate category objectives into measurable targets and communicate them clearly across the organization.
• Assess industry dynamics-including the impact of mergers, acquisitions, and market shifts-and integrate findings into category strategies.
• Build and refine total cost of ownership (TCO) models and should-cost analyses to drive strategic decision-making.

Financial & Analytical Leadership

• Participate in key financial discussions and budgeting processes, ensuring procurement strategies reflect tax, cost, and value implications.
• Extract, cleanse, consolidate, and analyze data to generate fact-based insights, including spend analysis, demand forecasts, and competitive benchmarks.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Monitor end-to-end compliance (e.g., budget adherence, purchasing channels, contracts, invoices) and recommend corrective actions.
• Support risk assessments to ensure procurement activities meet required standards and policies.

Project & Process Management

• Plan, organize, and manage projects with clear scope, timelines, budgets, resources, and deliverables.
• Leverage tools and systems to track progress and communicate project status effectively.
• Contribute to the development and rollout of Procurement tools, processes, and best practices.

Demand Management

• Ensure optimal alignment between business needs and organizational sourcing strategies.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define the most cost-effective pathways to achieve business objectives.

Sourcing & Supplier Management

• Lead the Source-to-Contract process, including strategy creation, supplier selection, RFPs, and contract negotiation.
• Use a diverse portfolio of negotiation tactics to achieve outcomes that support both business and procurement goals.
• Manage relationships with suppliers and senior stakeholders, ensuring performance, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Analyze specifications to identify optimization opportunities and challenge requirements where appropriate.
• Communicate recommendations clearly and influence stakeholders with confidence.
• Build long-term, effective relationships through strong communication, business acumen, and organizational awareness.

What You'll Bring to Alcon

• Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent years of directly related experience (or high school +13 yrs.
• Assoc.+9 yrs.; M.S.+2 yrs.; PhD+0 yrs.)
• The ability to fluently read, write, understand, and communicate in English
• 5 Years of Relevant Experience

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with Supplier Diversity Program Management a plus.

How You Can Thrive at Alcon

• See your career like never before with focused growth and development opportunities
• Join Alcon's mission to provide outstanding, innovative products and solutions to improve sight, improve lives, and grow your career!
• Alcon provides robust benefits package including health, life, retirement, flexible time off for exempt associates, PTO for hourly associates, and much more!

Alcon Careers

See your impact at Alcon.com/careers

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