The Category Manager role sits within our UK and Ireland (UK&I) Sourcing and Procurement Team, reporting directly to the Category Management Lead and interfacing with the EMEA Regional Category Management Lead. The role aligns with EMEA regional strategy while delivering UK and Ireland business objectives. The successful candidate will have a proven track record building deep market knowledge across service lines and sectors, and the ability to develop Category strategies that support optimal client solutions. Experience operating within matrix reporting structures and balancing regional and local priorities is essential.
Key Responsibilities and Deliverables
* Strategic Category Management: Serve as hard services category specialist and subject matter expert for allocated categories. Soft services experience also desirable. Develop and execute category strategies aligned with UK&I business needs and EMEA regional direction. Drive preferred supplier list consolidation, leverage economies of scale, and deliver measurable value.
* Procurement and Solution Development: Create strategic solutions for commodity and service requirements. Manage end‑to‑end procurement events including RFP management, bid analysis and stakeholder liaison. Lead category strategy execution and proactively identify improvement opportunities. Support new business pursuits, transitions and client renewals by defining optimal supply chain solutions.
* Financial Performance: Deliver financial targets while identifying additional value opportunities. Lead the Alliance Programme to drive supplier partnerships and achieve revenue targets. Provide monthly tracking and collaborate with finance partners. Mitigate external impacts including inflation and material shortages.
* Market Intelligence: Maintain strong facilities management market knowledge and develop category insights. Apply market intelligence to identify and qualify new suppliers. Develop comprehensive understanding of WPM UK&I self‑delivery versus subcontracting strategy and create make‑versus‑buy scenarios.
* Supply Chain Management: Utilize supply chain analytics to assess category needs. Rationalise supply base and implement strategic supplier frameworks. Develop Supplier Relationship Management and Performance Management programmes with key partners to maximise PSL value through insights into supplier capabilities, new business pipelines, responsible procurement initiatives, innovations and HSSE compliance. Engage stakeholders as relationship sponsors and promote PSL capabilities through targeted events and communications to drive business adoption.
* Business Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong relationships with Sourcing and Procurement, EMEA Category Management and key stakeholders across JLL. Establish a network of SMEs and integrate them into supply chain activities.
* Governance, Compliance & Reporting: Manage supplier onboarding and challenge new supplier requests where PSL coverage exists. Ensure compliance with Responsible Procurement and HSSE standards. Partner with specialist teams to deliver social value opportunities and maintain contractor compliance. Maintain current Buyers Guides and Category Dashboards. Serve as primary escalation point for Category Management enquiries. Apply ethical company standards consistently across all activities.
* WPM UK&I Self‑Delivery: Partner with WPM UK&I self‑delivery business to ensure the PSL effectively supports operational requirements across all business sectors (National Engineering, Hall and Kay, Integral Cooling Technologies, WPM Soft Services, etc.), working closely with sector leads to drive supplier performance, enable efficient self‑delivery operations, and deliver continuous improvement aligned to business objectives.
Key Expectations
* Serve as hard services category subject‑matter expert and primary point of contact
* Lead end‑to‑end procurement: RFPs, supplier due diligence, contract negotiation and implementation
* Deliver SRM and SPM programmes across allocated categories to maximise PSL value
* Achieve financial targets and Alliance Programme revenue goals through strategic supplier partnerships
* Develop and execute category strategies with supplier summaries, market insights and stakeholder engagement plans
* Maintain facilities management market intelligence and identify/qualify new suppliers
* Rationalise supply base and drive PSL consolidation to leverage economies of scale
* Partner with WPM UK&I self‑delivery operations to support business requirements
* Drive PSL compliance across the organization
* Ensure compliance with Responsible Procurement and HSSE standards
* Manage supplier onboarding and challenge unnecessary new supplier requests
* Maintain Buyers Guides, Category Dashboards and provide data‑driven insights
* Build strong relationships with stakeholders, functional leads, SMEs and EMEA Category Management teams
* Provide strategic thought leadership to identify cost and operational efficiencies
* Support new business pursuits, transitions and client renewals with optimal supply chain solutions
* Operate within matrix reporting structure, balancing EMEA regional and UK&I local priorities
* Proven ability to deliver results in challenging environments
Requirements & Qualifications
Education
* Bachelor's degree required; MBA or relevant Master's degree preferred.
Certifications
* Professional procurement certifications highly valued: CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply), MCIPS, or equivalent.
Previous Experience
* 5+ years progressive FM procurement / category management experience
* UK&I FM category management experience – hard services preference, soft services experience also relevant
* Ideally experience working within a hard services or an engineering discipline
Targeted Competencies
* Proven supplier management capabilities encompassing commercial performance, risk mitigation and relationship development
* Demonstrated proficiency in procurement leadership, negotiation, stakeholder influence and change management governance
* Strong written and verbal communication skills across all organisational levels
* Excellent interpersonal and organisational abilities
* Strategic supplier relationship management experience with C‑suite executives and procurement leadership, including initiative presentation and buy‑in
* Track record of delivering measurable value, insight and innovation
* Demonstrated success delivering results in complex, fast‑paced environments with competing priorities
* Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively under tight deadlines
* Advanced MS Office proficiency (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
* Experience with CAFM systems and e‑sourcing platforms preferred
* Strong analytical capabilities with expertise in data analysis, reporting and category strategy development
Location
On‑site – London, GBR
Equal Opportunity Employer
Jones Lang LaSalle is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process—including the online application and/or overall selection process—you may email us at HRSCLeaves@jll.com to request an accommodation. Please direct any other general recruiting inquiries to our Contact Us page.
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