Category Manager, Non Media Marketing

India is among the top ten priority markets for General Mills, and hosts our Global Shared Services Centre. This is the Global Shared Services arm of General Mills Inc., which supports its operations worldwide. With over 1,300 employees in Mumbai, the center has capabilities in the areas of Supply Chain, Finance, HR, Digital and Technology, Sales Capabilities, Consumer Insights, ITQ (R&D & Quality), and Enterprise Business Services. Learning and capacity-building is a key ingredient of our success.

About General Mills

We make food the world loves: 100 brands. In 100 countries. Across six continents. With iconic brands like Cheerios, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Nature Valley, and Haagen-Dazs, we have been serving up food the world loves for 155 years (and counting). Each of our brands has a unique story to tell.

How we make our food is as important as the food we make. Our values are baked into our legacy and continue to accelerate.

us into the future as an innovative force for good. General Mills was founded in 1866 when Cadwallader Washburn boldly bought the largest flour mill west of the Mississippi. That pioneering spirit lives on today through our leadership team who upholds a vision of relentless innovation while being a force for good. For more details check out http://www.generalmills.com

General Mills India Center (GIC) is our global capability center in Mumbai that works as an extension of our global organization delivering business value, service excellence and growth while standing for good for our planet and people.

With our team of 1800+ professionals, we deliver superior value across the areas of Supply chain (SC), Digital & Technology (D&T)  Innovation, Technology & Quality (ITQ), Consumer and Market Intelligence (CMI), Sales Strategy & Intelligence (SSI), Global Shared Services (GSS), Finance Shared Services (FSS) and Human Resources Shared Services (HRSS). For more details check out https://www.generalmills.co.in

We advocate for advancing equity and inclusion to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow.

Job Overview

Function Overview

The GIC Supply Chain team manages end-to-end operations, encompassing planning, sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, and analytics. They strategically plan to meet market demands, optimize sourcing, ensure efficient production, and oversee the seamless movement of goods from production to delivery. The team employs advanced analytics throughout these processes, fostering adaptability and operational excellence. This collaborative approach ensures a well-coordinated supply chain that aligns with both organizational goals and dynamic market conditions. Link

Purpose of the role

Indirect Sourcing is looking for the next great Category Manager to join our team! As the Category Manager, Non-Media Marketing you will be a strategic category leader responsible for developing and executing strategies across complex marketing categories, which may include Creative, Production, Coupons, Promotions, Package Design, Licensing and more!

This role drives enterprise value through supplier strategy, commercial negotiations, stakeholder partnership and risk management.

This Category Manager leads high-impact, cross-functional initiatives and is expected to influence senior marketing stakeholders while delivering measurable savings, innovation and risk mitigation. This role will own non-media categories from strategy to delivery, including savings target delivery.

The role requires strong analytical, communication, and project management skills, as well as the ability to collaborate effectively with North America cross-functional teams and stakeholders across various levels.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead the development and execution of multi-year holistic category strategies aligned to brand and enterprise objectives, identifying opportunities for consolidation, innovation, cost optimization and capability expansion.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing events (RFI/RFP) for assigned categories, structuring commercial models, negotiating terms and driving measurable savings, value creation and risk reduction.
• Build HMM (Holistic Margin Management) and Total Value pipelines in accordance to category targets; track savings and execute value-delivery initiatives.
• Stakeholder leadership - serve as strategic advisor to business and brand leaders, translating marketing strategy into sourcing strategy and facilitating alignment between legal, finance, marketing and suppliers.
• Supplier Relationship Management – supplier relationship owner, driving performance management discussions and continuous improvement/innovation from suppliers.
• Ensure compliance to General Mills’ Sourcing Policies and GMI’s Code of Conduct and Ethics policies are foremost in all supplier interactions and comply with corporate and regulatory policies and accounting practices. 

Minimum Qualifications

• 10 - 15+ years in Indirect Sourcing or Marketing Procurement
• Experience managing buying teams in indirect categories
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, Economics or related field
• Direct experience leading complex RFPs, commercial negotiations and contract development.
• Experience managing marketing categories (agency, media, production, digital, etc)
• Demonstrated ownership of high-spend or high-complexity enterprise-wide categories

Specific Job Experience or Skills Needed

• Advanced negotiation and commercial structuring capabilities
• Strong financial acumen (cost modeling, rate benchmarking, ROI analysis)
• Strong project management, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Strong senior-level communication and interpersonal effectiveness working with key business stakeholders
• Experience managing Buying team in Indirect categories
• Experience working with global stakeholders and global markets outside of India

Competencies/Behaviors required for the job

Communication

• Ability to effectively communicate ideas (via written & verbal English communication) with stakeholders from different functions within the organization. Engages in cross-functional collaboration to identify innovative solutions.
• Interpersonal Effectiveness: ability to collaborate, communicate, influence and motivate others. Build and maintain strong relationships up and across Supply Chain, Marketing, Operating Units, Finance and Legal.

Problem Solving / Analytical skills

• Ability to understand the business requirements and convert them into solution development needs.
• Ability and confidence to identify and recommend creative solutions. Identifies both opportunities and needs for change. Adapts quickly and responds effectively to change. Identifies issues or problems and provides a respective solution. Explores and shares innovative best practices with others.
• Strong financial acumen: analytical, problem solving, and project management skills
• Broad Perspective: has ability to "connect the dots" and utilize strategic thinking; demonstrates curiosity
• Decision Making: learns where and how to get information. Asks for help when needed.

Functional Skills

• Ability to deliver outstanding results.
• Completes tasks, activities, and projects autonomously and in a timely and effective manner.
• Communicates progress on projects with others to ensure overall alignment.
• Provides ideas and input to help the team achieve greater results.
• Assumes personal initiative and accountability for results, performance, and behaviors.
• Bias for action with the ability to deliver outstanding results through task prioritization and time management.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity and during times of significant change

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred Degree Requirements: Master’s degree (MBA other advanced degree in Business, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, Economics or related field)
• Preferred years of related experience: 10-15 Years experience in Marketing, Marketing Sourcing or other Indirect Sourcing categories, with exposure to marketing operations and agency ecosystem models.
• Experience working with global stakeholders and global markets, preferably in North America
• Demonstrated people management/coaching experience.

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.