Category Sourcing Manager, Marketing at Okta

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Okta’s Strategic Sourcing and Procurement (SS&P) team is looking for an experienced Category Manager to support and lead sourcing activities for our Marketing spend globally. The primary objective of this position is to maximize value, minimize risk, and ensure our marketing team has the supplier support it needs to succeed.

In this role, you will be a trusted partner to our Marketing stakeholders, helping to standardize and streamline procurement processes. You will be responsible for developing and executing the sourcing strategy for the Marketing category, leading complex negotiations, and driving cost-saving initiatives while maintaining service quality.

We are looking for a proactive, organized, and collaborative individual who works well in a fast-paced environment. This role will report to the Manager, Strategic Sourcing - Marketing. The is a hybrid role (2 days a week in office) and must be based in either Bellevue, WA, or the San Francisco Bay Area.

Key Responsibilities:

Responsibility	Description
Category Strategy & Planning	Develop and execute proactive sourcing strategies for the Marketing category, working closely with functional groups to understand their long-term needs and deliver tangible value.
Sourcing & Project Management	Manage the entire lifecycle of sourcing projects from end-to-end, including conducting RFIs, RFPs, and market assessments to lead supplier selection activities.
Contract Negotiation	Lead commercial term negotiations for project-level agreements (Statements of Work, Order Forms) and partner with Legal on Master Service Agreements (MSAs), ensuring favorable terms and compliance.
Cost Optimization	Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities through strategic negotiations and process improvements. Develop and track KPIs to measure savings and value.
Stakeholder Partnership	Build strong relationships with Marketing stakeholders to understand their objectives and align procurement initiatives with their business requirements, guiding them through the entire sourcing process.
Supplier Relationship Management	Build and maintain strong relationships with key Marketing suppliers, ensuring they meet performance expectations, quality standards, and contractual agreements.
Process, Governance & Compliance	Ensure adherence to Okta’s SS&P policies and procedures. Help develop and implement governance to drive performance, mitigate risk, and improve operational efficiency.
Data Analysis & Reporting	Conduct internal and external data analysis to provide clear, actionable insights. Regularly update leadership on strategy progress, savings, and market trends.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, or a related field.

Minimum of 3+ years of experience in strategic sourcing and procurement, with experience in Marketing including Creative & Brand, PR/Communications, Swag, Paid Media, Web Marketing and Events

Proven ability to lead contract and commercial term negotiations independently.

Experience managing multiple projects in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

Familiarity with the procure-to-pay process and proficiency in tools like Google Workspace and MS Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint).

Preferred Qualifications:

Professional certifications such as CSCP, CPSM, or CPIM.

Strong negotiation skills and experience in leading negotiations across various services and indirect categories

Independently run and manage RFPs

Ability to be responsible for multiple projects with tight target dates

Familiarity with the procure-to-pay process and vendor management principles

Excellent project management and time management skills

Proficiency with analytics and reporting

Experience with ERP and financial systems. Familiarity with Coupa, Workday/ScoutRFP is a plus

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The annual base salary range for this position for candidates located in the San Francisco Bay area is between:

$100,000—$137,500 USD

Below is the annual base salary range for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York and Washington. Your actual base salary will depend on factors such as your skills, qualifications, experience, and work location. In addition, Okta offers equity (where applicable), bonus, and benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), flexible spending account, and paid leave (including PTO and parental leave) in accordance with our applicable plans and policies. To learn more about our Total Rewards program please visit: https://rewards.okta.com/us.

The annual base salary range for this position for candidates located in California (excluding San Francisco Bay Area), Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Washington is between:

$90,000—$123,200 USD

What you can look forward to as a Full-Time Okta employee!

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Okta cultivates a dynamic work environment, providing the best tools, technology and benefits to empower our employees to work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs. Each organization is unique in the degree of flexibility and mobility in which they work so that all employees are enabled to be their most creative and successful versions of themselves, regardless of where they live. Find your place at Okta today! https://www.okta.com/company/careers/.

Some roles may require travel to one of our office locations for in-person onboarding.

Okta is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, or status as a protected veteran. We also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and convictions records, consistent with applicable laws.

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Category Sourcing Manager, Marketing

Job Description

Key Responsibilities: