Lead Marketing Category Manager

Become a part of our caring community and help us put health first
 The Marketing Category Manager is a key strategic leader responsible for optimizing Humana’s marketing procurement strategy. This role focuses on driving value and efficiency across strategic agency engagements, marketing technology, and data-driven campaign performance. By leveraging deep category expertise and market insights, this individual will collaborate with internal stakeholders to structure multi-year agreements, establish clear performance metrics, and ensure alignment with Humana’s business objectives.
We thrive on curiosity, data-driven decision-making, and an entrepreneurial spirit—seizing opportunities, solving challenges proactively, and fostering long-term partnerships that enhance Humana’s brand and marketing effectiveness

1. Agency Strategies

• Develop and execute procurement strategies for tier 1 strategic agencies, ensuring alignment with Humana’s top marketing objectives and maintaining a preferred agency roster.
• Structure and negotiate multi-year agreements, incorporating rate cards, retainers, KPIs, and project-based scopes to drive cost efficiencies and accountability.
  • Media planning, buying, and stewardship across all channels.
  • Creative services, strategy, website development, SEO, and digital experience management.
  • Performance marketing and media mix modeling across business lines (Retail, CenterWell, Humana Brand).
• Support and enable tier 2 and tier 3 subcontracted agency services with Humana’s internal agency.

2. Marketing Technology, Data, and Campaign Performance

• Partner with marketing, data, and IT stakeholders to ensure best-in-class MarTech investments, evaluating platforms, tools, and analytics capabilities.
• Drive data-driven procurement decisions, leveraging marketing analytics and media performance data to ensure efficiency and impact.
• Optimize technology and staffing models to for in-house and 3rd party agency support.

3. Category Management Execution

• Lead the end-to-end RFP and negotiation process, maximizing value creation while mitigating financial and operational risks.
• Ensure agency and vendor contracts are structured to enforce supplier accountability, performance transparency, and continuous improvement.
• Analyze spend data, total cost of ownership (TCO), and market trends to drive informed procurement decisions.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Governance

• Act as the supply and sourcing relationship champion, leading a supply sourcing council ensuring seamless integration with procurement strategies and Humana’s business objectives with marketing teams, finance, and procurement.
• Develop and implement procurement governance frameworks, ensuring compliance with internal policies and industry best practices.
• Provide strategic guidance on budget planning, cost forecasting, and ROI analysis for marketing investments.

Use your skills to make an impact
 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 6-10 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or supply chain management, with a focus on marketing, advertising, or technology procurement.
• 3+ years of project leadership experience, managing complex supplier negotiations and contracts.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, and experience with total cost performance
• Experience/understanding of utilizing KPI’s (ideally in performance marketing and media)
• Marketing experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Strategic Procurement marketing experience
• Indirect services procurement experience
• Deep understanding of marketing agency models, media buying structures, and performance-based contracting.
• Master’s degree (MBA, Supply Chain, or Marketing focus).

Additional Information-

Louisville, Ky hybrid office workstyle for those within a commutable distance.

Hirevue Statement

As part of our hiring process for this opportunity, we will be using an interviewing technology called HireVue to enhance our hiring and decision-making ability. HireVue allows us to quickly connect and gain valuable information from you pertaining to your relevant skills and experience at a time that is best for your schedule.

Work at Home Guidance

To ensure Home or Hybrid Home/Office associates’ ability to work effectively, the self-provided internet service of Home or Hybrid Home/Office associates must meet the following criteria:

• At minimum, a download speed of 25 Mbps and an upload speed of 10 Mbps is recommended; wireless, wired cable or DSL connection is suggested
• Satellite, cellular and microwave connection can be used only if approved by leadership
• Associates who live and work from Home in the state of California, Illinois, Montana, or South Dakota will be provided a bi-weekly payment for their internet expense.
• Humana will provide Home or Hybrid Home/Office associates with telephone equipment appropriate to meet the business requirements for their position/job.
• Work from a dedicated space lacking ongoing interruptions to protect member PHI / HIPAA information

SSN Alert Statement

Humana values personal identity protection. Please be aware that applicants may be asked to provide their Social Security Number, if it is not already on file. When required, an email will be sent from [email protected] with instructions on how to add the information into your official application.

Travel: While this is a remote position, occasional travel to Humana's offices for training or meetings may be required.

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Pay Range

The compensation range below reflects a good faith estimate of starting base pay for full time (40 hours per week) employment at the time of posting. The pay range may be higher or lower based on geographic location and individual pay will vary based on demonstrated job related skills, knowledge, experience, education, certifications, etc.

$104,000 - $143,000 per year

This job is eligible for a bonus incentive plan. This incentive opportunity is based upon company and/or individual performance.

Description of Benefits

Humana, Inc. and its affiliated subsidiaries (collectively, “Humana”) offers competitive benefits that support whole-person well-being. Associate benefits are designed to encourage personal wellness and smart healthcare decisions for you and your family while also knowing your life extends outside of work. Among our benefits, Humana provides medical, dental and vision benefits, 401(k) retirement savings plan, time off (including paid time off, company and personal holidays, volunteer time off, paid parental and caregiver leave), short-term and long-term disability, life insurance and many other opportunities.

Application Deadline: 04-26-2025
About us
 Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) is committed to putting health first – for our teammates, our customers and our company. Through our Humana insurance services and CenterWell healthcare services, we make it easier for the millions of people we serve to achieve their best health – delivering the care and service they need, when they need it. These efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, Medicaid, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large.

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Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of Humana not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status. It is also the policy of Humana to take affirmative action, in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and VEVRAA, to employ and to advance in employment individuals with disability or protected veteran status, and to base all employment decisions only on valid job requirements. This policy shall apply to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, upgrading, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, recall, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation and selection for training, including apprenticeship, at all levels of employment.