UCL
Senior Category Manager (Infrastructure)

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
About us
UCL is London's leading multidisciplinary university and one of the world's most successful research institutions, with more than 18,000 staff and over 51,000 students from more than 150 countries.
Our Commercial & Procurement function manages more than £900 million of third-party expenditure each year and plays an important role in ensuring UCL achieves excellent commercial outcomes while supporting our wider strategic and sustainability ambitions.
Within Estates Development, we support the continued investment, development and improvement of UCL's diverse and complex estate. Effective infrastructure is fundamental to the operation of the university, supporting the environments in which our students learn, our researchers undertake world-leading work.
We are strengthening our commercial capability and are looking for an experienced Senior Category Manager - Infrastructure to help shape how UCL procures and manages strategically important infrastructure requirements.
About the role
As Senior Category Manager - Infrastructure, you will take ownership of developing and delivering commercial strategies across our maintenance and infrastructure category.
Reporting to the Head of Category - Estate Infrastructure, you will work closely with senior stakeholders to understand their priorities and commercial challenges, translating these into effective commercial solutions.
You will act as the framework manager for the maintenance and infrastructure contracts, working to ensure suppliers deliver performance and value for our Hard FM category. You will provide contract advice, while managing risk and supplier innovation
You will lead complex procurement activity from initial strategy and market engagement through to competition, negotiation and contract award. This will include determining appropriate routes to market, developing contracting and negotiation strategies and leading the delivery of frameworks, competitions and other commercial solutions.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
You will take a strategic view of the category, using commercial insight and data to identify opportunities to improve value, drive efficiencies and deliver cost savings.
You will also act as a trusted commercial adviser to senior stakeholders, providing guidance on procurement, contractual, commercial and compliance matters and ensuring commercial considerations are embedded into infrastructure planning.
This is an opportunity to influence how a major organisation approaches infrastructure procurement and to help develop commercial solutions that balance value, quality, risk, sustainability and long-term operational requirements.
A full job description is attached to this advert.
About you
You will be an experienced procurement and commercial professional with experience of leading complex procurement activity and delivering commercial outcomes.
Ideally, your experience will include maintenance, infrastructure, engineering, utilities, or another technically complex environment, although we are particularly interested in the commercial capability and transferable experience you can bring.
You will have experience developing and implementing robust procurements and contracts and be a confident negotiator who has delivered complex, large-scale commercial solutions.
You will be comfortable operating within a large and complex organisation and working with a broad range of stakeholders. You will have the credibility to influence senior colleagues, constructively challenge requirements and build strong relationships.
Strong analytical skills and commercial judgement will be important.
You will be educated to degree level or have equivalent professional experience. Further professional development and accredited membership of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) would be advantageous.


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
If you are looking for an opportunity to combine strategic procurement expertise with the challenge of supporting a large, complex and evolving estate, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Please read our job description, paying particular attention to the Essential and Desirable criteria, and ensure these are covered in your application.
What we offer
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:
- 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
- Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Immigration loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On-Site nursery
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance
Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent.
We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location