Category Manager Procurement Facilities and Operations

A prestigious international law firm is seeking a highly experienced Category Manager to join their Procurement team, focusing on Facilities and Operations. This role offers the opportunity to shape procurement strategies that directly impact operational excellence and commercial value across the organisation.

What you'll do:

As a Category Manager Procurement Facilities and Operations, you will play a pivotal role in developing sourcing strategies tailored to the needs of the Facilities & Operations department. Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve analysing spend data to uncover optimisation opportunities, monitoring supplier performance metrics for continuous improvement, and keeping up-to-date with market trends to maintain competitive advantage. You will lead sourcing activities from start to finish-building supply chains that meet departmental goals-and take charge of negotiations with suppliers while ensuring compliance throughout the contracting process. Supplier management will be central to your remit; you'll conduct regular reviews, implement risk mitigation plans across various time horizons, segment suppliers for long-term relationship building, and work collaboratively with cross-functional teams. Additionally, you'll provide procurement partnering support services within your dedicated category as well as others when needed. Your ability to manage supply chain performance issues effectively will be crucial in maintaining operational excellence. You'll also leverage data analytics by building dashboards that highlight trends, risks, and opportunities within procurement-providing regular reports on category performance metrics. Success in this role requires not only technical proficiency but also strong interpersonal skills as you collaborate across departments to ensure alignment with organisational objectives.

• Develop and execute category-specific sourcing strategies that align with departmental objectives and overall business goals within Facilities and Operations.
• Perform detailed spend analysis to identify optimisation opportunities and maximise return on investment across procurement activities.
• Monitor supplier performance data rigorously to assess value for money and identify areas for improvement in supplier relationships.
• Stay abreast of market trends and benchmarks to ensure competitiveness and introduce market-leading innovation into procurement processes.
• Lead end-to-end category sourcing activity, building fit-for-purpose supply chains that deliver departmental objectives efficiently.
• Support or lead negotiations with suppliers as required, ensuring robust supplier approval processes are consistently applied.
• Draft, review, and agree all relevant third-party contracts to secure favourable terms while maintaining compliance with internal policies.
• Conduct supplier performance reviews regularly and spearhead development initiatives aimed at mitigating risk over short-, medium-, and long-term horizons.
• Segment suppliers strategically to develop long-term relationships and supply plans executed through cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate closely with finance, operations, legal, and other departments to align procurement goals with broader organisational priorities.

What you bring:

To excel as a Category Manager Procurement Facilities and Operations you will bring deep expertise in strategic sourcing within facilities or operations settings. Your proven track record includes developing tailored sourcing strategies that support both departmental objectives and wider business goals. You are adept at performing spend analysis-identifying areas where optimisation can yield significant returns-and have substantial experience monitoring supplier performance data for ongoing improvement. Your familiarity with current market trends ensures your approach remains competitive while introducing innovative solutions into procurement processes. End-to-end sourcing activity is second nature; you have built supply chains that deliver results efficiently while supporting or leading negotiations backed by robust approval protocols. Contract management forms part of your skillset-you are comfortable drafting agreements that uphold compliance standards. Supplier management is another area where you shine: conducting reviews regularly, implementing risk mitigation plans across multiple timeframes, segmenting suppliers strategically for relationship-building purposes-all executed through collaborative teamwork. Your interpersonal abilities enable you to work seamlessly across departments such as finance or legal ensuring procurement goals are aligned organisation-wide. Analytical acumen allows you to build dashboards highlighting key trends or risks within procurement; reporting regularly on performance metrics comes naturally. These combined skills position you as an invaluable asset capable of delivering operational excellence through thoughtful procurement leadership.

• Demonstrated experience in developing category-specific sourcing strategies that align with departmental business objectives within facilities or operations environments.
• Proven ability to perform comprehensive spend analysis aimed at identifying optimisation opportunities and maximising return on investment.
• Expertise in monitoring supplier performance data to assess value for money while driving supplier improvement initiatives.
• Up-to-date knowledge of market trends and benchmarks relevant to procurement within facilities management or operations sectors.
• Track record of leading end-to-end category sourcing activities including building effective supply chains tailored to departmental needs.
• Strong negotiation skills supported by experience in applying robust supplier approval processes during contract discussions.
• Ability to draft, review, and agree third-party contracts ensuring compliance with internal policies as well as ethical standards.
• Experience conducting supplier performance reviews coupled with implementing risk mitigation plans across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons.
• Skill in segmenting suppliers strategically for developing long-term relationships executed through cross-functional teams.
• Excellent collaboration skills demonstrated by working closely with finance, operations, legal teams or other stakeholders to align procurement goals.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates