Category Manager, Hard Services

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with matching

Medical, Dental & Vision coverage

Paid parental leave

Paid Time Off

Daily Pay

Job summary

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated is seeking a Category Manager – Hard Services to lead category strategies for MEP, mechanical, electrical, and life-safety services across multiple US locations. You will build strategic supplier relationships, drive cost savings, and ensure compliant procurement practices.

The role requires 5–7 years of procurement experience, strong analytical skills, and the ability to work across time zones and regions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in procurement or supply chain preferred.
• 5-7 years procurement-related technical category management experience.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, organization skills, strong analytical ability.
• Ability to work on a regional scale and across different time zones.
• Excellent communication skills – oral and written.
• Proven ability to facilitate strategic supplier relationships and work with senior business executives and across procurement leadership.
• Collaborative and influencing style with a focus on team work.
• Proven ability to deliver results in challenging environments.
• Expertise in sourcing with demonstrated ability to manage change.
• Ability to sell and present initiatives and/or new ideas.
• Experience in sourcing indirect corporate services and products.
• Excellent PC skills, proficient in MS applications with ability to work with large data and build reports.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with strict timelines.
• Ability to work with the senior leadership and global team.

Responsibilities

• Develop category strategies and manage performance across all related activities.
• Deliver financial targets in line with business expectations.
• Drive category opportunity agenda and execute projects independently.
• Create strategic solutions for specific commodities and services, manage RFPs, bids and contract approvals.
• Utilize data analytics to assess current needs and enable strategic thinking.
• Rationalize the supply base and maintain senior-level supplier relationships.
• Identify and qualify new suppliers using market intelligence.
• Assess risks and implement mitigation strategies.
• Manage supplier performance and contract compliance.
• Lead internal issue resolution and provide leadership where needed.
• Identify policy improvement opportunities and ensure policy compliance.
• Prepare high-quality reports and presentations for stakeholders.

Skills

Bachelor’s degree preferred

5-7 years procurement experience

Interpersonal skills

Regional work experience

Oral and written communication

Supplier relationship management

Collaborative and influencing style

Delivery of results under pressure

Sourcing expertise

MS Office / data analysis

Fast-paced environment

Leadership with global teams

Education

Bachelor’s Degree / Degree in Procurement or Supply Chain preferred

Job description

Category Manager – Hard Services

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 people and empowering them to thrive, grow meaningful careers and to find a place where they belong. Whether you’ve got deep experience in commercial real estate, skilled trades or technology, or you’re looking to apply your relevant experience to a new industry, join our team as we help shape a brighter way forward.

Develop and manage hard service categories (technical categories for example: MEP, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, critical environment, fire and life safety, etc.) to achieve organizational goals by: develop category strategies, leverage scale, build supplier relationships, identify and bring forward market innovations, support client solutions and providing overall value to stakeholders in support of all JLL client managed spend.

Summary Develops and regularly maintains short, mid and long-term category strategies aligned with overall business strategy and objectives and departmental stakeholders Forges key strategic relationships with strategic suppliers and industry leaders and develops those relationships, being mindful of long-term mutually beneficial and ethical objectives as well as providing the business with access to supplier innovation Manages category-specific segmentation of service providers and supply partners to ensure that we have the best service provision available across the category to deliver value to our internal and external clients Shares market intelligence, best practices and provides category expertise in improving cost, performance and overall value to end users

Duties and Responsibilities Responsible for category strategy development, execution and category performance of all category related activities Delivery of financial targets in line with business expectations. CM continuously drives the category opportunity agenda and self-sufficiently identifies, agrees and executes these projects Accountable for creating strategic solution for specific commodity and service requirements, procurement event planning, RFP/quotation management, bid analysis and recommendations, liaison with internal stakeholders for contract approvals, savings reporting, documentation and compliance Utilize and enhance supply chain data analytics to assess current state needs and portfolio and enable more strategic thought leadership Rationalizes supply base and develops clear strategic supply partner framework and maintains this framework at senior supplier level Use market and industry intelligence to identify and qualify new suppliers and use data to support the business and delivery of services Identify risk, threats and provide solutions for mitigation Utilize supplier relationship management tools to manage relationship with JLL preferred supply base Act as the internal issue resolution point and review performance regularly Provide functional leadership and peer group alignment, where appropriate and needed Identify opportunities to develop and implement new policies and procedures, including rationalization of legacy policies and procedures Prepare high quality reports and presentations for use with internal and external stakeholders and/or teams as required Apply ethical company standards and ensure Global Procurement policy is applied at all times

Sourcing Process Expectations

Develop category strategies with the ability to provide visibility such as supplier summaries, stakeholder engagement plans, contract summaries, and market insights that lead to both short and long-term strategies Ability to negotiate and have proven strategies within areas of responsible spend Lead development and execution of all sourcing-related functions- performing due diligence and assessment of prospective suppliers, executing RFPs/bids, negotiating contracts and ensuring effective transition to operations during implementation Partner with functional leads and the business to drive both immediate and sustained benefits to JLL and its clients Bring strategic thought leadership to identify additional cost and operational efficiencies Proactively manage internal stakeholder expectations and accelerate at appropriate times Manage savings tracking and work with sourcing managers and key suppliers, ensure that savings initiatives ideas are being driven to maximize savings impacts Conduct supplier performance review meetings, manage supplier scorecards, contract compliance and service obligations Incorporate Responsible Procurement Subject matter expert for category and main point of contact within JLL

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree / Degree in Procurement or Supply Chain preferred
• 5-7 years procurement-related technical category management experience
• Excellent interpersonal skills, organization skills, strong analytical ability
• Ability work on a regional scale and across different time zones
• Excellent communication skills – oral and written
• Proven ability to facilitate strategic supplier relationships and work with senior business executives and across procurement leadership
• Collaborative and influencing style with a focus on team work
• Proven ability to deliver results in challenging environments
• Expertise in sourcing with demonstrated ability to manage change
• Ability to sell and present initiatives and/or new ideas
• Experience in sourcing indirect corporate services and products
• Excellent PC skills, proficient in MS applications with excellent ability to work with large amounts of data and build reports
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with strict timelines
• Ability to work with the senior leadership and global team

This position does not provide visa sponsorship. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Expected compensation for this position: 110,000.00 – 150,000.00 USD per year Final compensation packages are determined by various considerations including but not limited to candidate qualifications, location, market conditions, and internal considerations.

Location: Remote –Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, Houston, TX, Philadelphia, PA

Benefits

Personalized benefits that support personal well-being and growth: JLL recognizes the impact that the workplace can have on your wellness, so we offer a supportive culture and comprehensive benefits package that prioritizes mental, physical and emotional health. Some of these benefits include:

• 401(k) plan with matching company contributions
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision Care
• Paid parental leave at 100% of salary
• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
• Early access to earned wages through Daily Pay

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 you're pursuing.

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 JLL’s 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. For candidates in the United States, please see a full copy of our Equal Employment Opportunity policy here. 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 – … Please direct any other general recruiting inquiries to our Contact Us page > I want to work for JLL.

Pursuant to the Arizona Civil Rights Act, criminal convictions are not an absolute bar to employment. Pursuant to Illinois Law, applicants are not obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest. Pursuant to Columbia, SC ordinance, this position is subject to a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. Only job-related convictions will be considered and will not automatically disqualify the candidate. California Residents only If you are a California resident as defined in the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) please view our Supplemental Privacy Statement which describes your rights and disclosures about your personal information. If you are viewing this on a mobile device you may want to view the CCPA version on a larger device. Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, JLL will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with Criminal Histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Company

We help our people thrive, grow meaningful careers and find a place where they belong. Together, we strive to be exceptional and shape a better world. For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500 company with operations in over 80 countries around the world, our employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAYSM. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.