Job Description

If you're looking to step up your career, JLL Workplace Management is the perfect professional home. At JLL, you'll have a chance to innovate with the world's leading businesses, put that expertise into action on landmark projects, and work on game-changing workplace and facilities management initiatives. You'll also make long-lasting professional connections through sharing different perspectives, and you'll be inspired by the best. We're focused on opportunity and want to help you make the most of yours. Achieve your ambitions – join us at JLL Workplace Management!

Role Summary:

The Category Manager role sits within our UK and Ireland (UK&I) Sourcing and Procurement Team, with direct reporting to the Category Management Lead and a matrix reporting line to the EMEA Regional Category Management Lead. Operating within this dual reporting structure, the role holder will align closely with EMEA regional strategy while delivering UK and Ireland business objectives.

The successful candidate will possess a proven track record of building deep market knowledge across all service lines and sectors where we currently operate, and the ability to develop Category strategies which support and facilitate the business in delivering optimal Client solutions and benefits. Additionally, this position involves developing and managing preferred suppliers while identifying opportunities to balance self-performance versus delivery through preferred supplier partners. Experience operating effectively within matrix reporting structures and balancing regional and local priorities will be 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. Rationalize supply base and implement strategic supplier frameworks. Develop Supplier Relationship Management and Performance Management programmes with key partners to maximize 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.