Asia Category Manager

Manulife Financial; Hong Kong; Hybrid; HKD 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife Financial Corporation is seeking an experienced Category Manager to lead Facility Management category strategies within its Asia Procurement team. You will develop sourcing strategies, manage vendor relationships, and ensure compliance across the region while supporting related Technology Professional Services initiatives. Strong negotiation, leadership and analytical skills are essential for driving cost savings and process improvements across a matrix organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business or related field; advanced degree or professional cert (CIPS/CPSM) is a plus.
• 10+ years in end-to-end sourcing and negotiations of indirect categories, preferably in financial services.
• Experience working in regional teams and collaborating with local country teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category and sourcing strategies for Facility Management in Asia and other Professional Services.
• Manage vendor relationships, negotiate contracts, ensure compliance with policies and standards.
• Monitor IFM vendor performance and realize negotiated benefits on labor and third-party spend.
• Drive cost savings through total spend optimization and reporting of accrued savings.
• Lead cross-functional teams to drive procurement initiatives aligned with business needs.
• Stay updated on industry trends to improve procurement processes.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Team leadership

Analytical skills

English proficiency

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Procurement degree

Tools

ERP systems

Spend analytics tools

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Category Manager to join our Asia Procurement team, focusing primarily on Real Estate & Facility Management developing and implementing category strategies, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring the efficient procurement of facility management services. The role will also support selected initiatives under Technology Professional Services (TPS) category.

This role requires a strategic thinker with strong analytical skills and the ability to drive cost savings and operational efficiencies. Experience leading and coaching Local country procurement teams in a matrix organization will be a plus.

Position Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute category & sourcing strategies for Facility Management categories in Asia, along with other Professional Services categories

• Manage vendor relationships, negotiate contracts, and ensure compliance with company policies and standards

  • IFM – Integrated Facility Management

    • Monitoring and governing IFM vendor to realize negotiated benefits on labour and third-party spend

    • Managing third-party vendor spend and ensuring that proper procurement processes are followed to achieve total savings negotiated across all relevant contracts

    • Ensuring all data is accurately documented, reported, and aligned with Manulife's savings methodology

  • Transaction Management

    • Monitoring negotiation performance form preferred vendor on our new lease negotiations to ensure expected savings on the total new lease spend are realized

    • Developing necessary reporting capability with the vendor account manager, Asia CRE, and Finance to help report accrued savings not yet captured

• Conduct market analysis and benchmarking to identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure alignment with procurement strategies and business needs

• Lead cross-functional teams to drive procurement initiatives and achieve business objectives

• Stay updated on industry trends and best practices to continuously improve procurement processes

Required Qualifications:

• University graduate in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business, or a related field. Relevant advanced degree or professional certification such as CIPS/CPSM would be of advantage.

• Over 10 years of experience in managing end-to-end sourcing, and spend negotiations of Indirect categories, in large multinational company, financial service industry experiences is preferred

• Experiences on working in a regional team and collaborating with local country teams

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills. Ability to present and influence top level internal and external parties.

• Strong negotiation and contract management skills

• Self-motivated team player, who has energy and drive, is also able to motivate and get the best out of a multi-functional team and matrix organization.

• Proven track record of driving cost savings and operational efficiencies

• Excellent English verbal and written communication skills. Asian language skills would be an advantage.

When you join our team:

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.

• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.

• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [e-mail].

Working Arrangement

Hybrid