Category Management Lead

JLL empowers you to shape a brighter way.

Our people at JLL are shaping the future of real estate for a better world by combining world class services advisory and technology for our clients. We are committed to hiring the best most talented peopleand empowering them to thrive grow meaningful careers and to find a place where they belong. Whether youve got deep experience in commercial real estate skilled trades or technology or youre looking to apply your relevant experience to a new industry join our team as we help shape a brighter way forward.

If youre looking to step up your career JLL Workplace Management is the perfect professional home. At JLL youll have a chance to innovate with the worlds leading businesses put that expertise into action on landmark projects and work on game-changing workplace and facilities management initiatives. Youll also make long-lasting professional connections through sharing different perspectives and youll be inspired by the best. Were 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 Management Lead role sits within our UK and Ireland (UK&I) Sourcing and Procurement Team with direct reporting to the Head of Sourcing and Procurement for UK and Ireland 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.

This is a pivotal role that will provide strong leadership to our Category Management team and build the end-to-end strategy to manage our Supply Chain and Category Management related activities. Working in close collaboration with both UK&I and EMEA leadership the role holder will ensure regional alignment whilst maintaining focus on in country / local market requirements.

The successful candidate will possess a proven track record of building and leading high performing teams deep market knowledge across all service lines and sectors where we currently operate and the ability to develop a Category Management strategy which supports and facilitates the business in delivering optimal solutions and benefits. Experience operating effectively within matrix reporting structures and balancing regional and local priorities will be essential.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables:

• Team Leadership & Development:Build and lead a high-performing UK&I Category Management team. Provide strategic direction mentorship and coaching. Set clear objectives conduct regular performance reviews and develop talent through structured career development plans that foster collaboration and excellence.

• Strategic Category Management:Develop and execute comprehensive category strategies aligned with UK&I business needs and EMEA regional direction. Drive preferred Supplier list (PSL) consolidation leverage economies of scale and deliver measurable value. Maintain strong market intelligence and engage cross-functional SMEs to ensure strategies reflect operational requirements and emerging opportunities.

• Supply Chain Optimisation:Lead UK&I supply chain strategy across PSL and non-preferred suppliers. Right-size the supply chain to deliver local regional and national solutions. Develop make-vs-buy scenarios across categories and drive conversion of non-preferred spend to PSL through stakeholder influence and supplier rationalization. Support new business pursuits transitions and client renewals by defining optimal supply chain solutions.

• 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.

• Financial Performance & Value Delivery:Deliver financial targets while proactively identifying additional value opportunities. Lead the Alliance Programme to drive deeper supplier partnerships and achieve annual revenue targets. Provide monthly programme tracking and collaborate with finance partners to manage delivery and control bad debt. Mitigate external impacts including inflation and material shortages.

• Supplier Relationship Management:Execute a robust SRM programme 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.

• Strategic Planning & Alignment:Contribute to annual strategy development in alignment with EMEA Category Management team to maximize regional leverage opportunities. Develop and maintain Sourcing and Procurement Playbooks including innovation. Provide monthly reporting on Category Management activities metrics and performance to Board and EMEA S&P Leadership Team.

Key Expectations:

• Lead a high-performing UK&I Category Management team with clear objectives.
• Develop and execute market-leading category strategies aligned with UK&I and EMEA direction.
• Drive PSL consolidation supply chain optimisation and deliver financial targets.
• Execute robust SRM programmes to maximize supplier value and performance.
• Lead Alliance Programme and Responsible Sourcing initiatives.
• Build strong cross-functional stakeholder relationships and support WPM UK&I operations.
• Ensure governance and compliance with Responsible Procurement and HSSE standards.
• Provide monthly performance reporting to Board and EMEA S&P Leadership.
• Demonstrate data-driven decision making strong negotiation capability and innovation development.
• Serve as primary escalation point for Category Management matters.
• Operate within matrix reporting structure balancing EMEA regional and UK&I local priorities.
• Proven ability to deliver results in challenging environments.

Requirements & Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelors degree required; MBA or relevant Masters degree preferred.

Certifications:

• Professional procurement certifications highly valued: CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) MCIPS or equivalent.

Previous Experience:

• 10 years progressive procurement / category management experience with minimum 5 years in senior leadership roles.
• Proven track record managing and developing high-performing teams ideally 3-5 direct reports.
• Experience of working within a Hard Services or an Engineering discipline.

Targeted Competencies:

• Deep expertise in strategic sourcing category strategy development and supplier relationship management within an FM Services or engineering discipline across the UK market is essential.
• Proven track record managing $200M portfolios with expertise in category analysis market intelligence and spend analytics
• Strong commercial negotiation skills for complex high-value supplier agreements with contract law and risk management expertise.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing multi-year category strategies that deliver measurable P&L impact.
• Advanced financial acumen including TCO modelling business case development and ROI analysis.
• Proficiency with procurement technology platforms and data-driven decision-making approach.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills for board-level interactions with knowledge of UK/Ireland regulatory and commercial environment.
• Advanced knowledge of MS Office (Excel Word and PowerPoint essential).
• Experience of working with CAFM systems and e-Sourcing tools is desired.

We cant wait to see where your ambitions take you at JLL. Apply today!

Location:

If this job description resonates with you we encourage you to apply even if you dont meet all of the requirements. Were interested in getting to know you and what you bring to the table!

At JLL we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently accelerate meaningful connections between candidates and opportunities. Using AI capabilities we analyze your application for relevant skills experiences and qualifications to generate valuable insights about how your unique profile aligns with the specific requirements of the role yourepursuing.

JLL Privacy Notice

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) together with its subsidiaries and affiliates is a leading global provider of real estate and investment management services. We take our responsibility to protect the personal information provided to us seriously. Generally the personal information we collect from you are for the purposes of processing in connection with JLLs recruitment process. We endeavour to keep your personal information secure with appropriate level of security and keep for as long as we need it for legitimate business or legal reasons. We will then delete it safely and securely.

For more information about how JLL processes your personal data please view our Candidate Privacy Statement.

For additional details please see our career site pages for each country.

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) 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 . This email is only to request an accommodation. Please direct any other general recruiting inquiries to our Contact Us page > I want to work for JLL.