Global Real Estate & Construction Sourcing Leader

Aquent; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent seeks a Category Manager, Global Real Estate (Design & Construction) to lead strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, and contract activities for our global real estate portfolio. You will collaborate with Finance, Legal, and business stakeholders to optimize cost, quality, schedule, and risk on capital projects.

The role drives category strategies across architecture, engineering, project management, construction, and workplace services, ensuring governance and sustainable

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• 10+ years of strategic sourcing, procurement, or commercial management experience.
• Minimum 5 years of direct experience supporting corporate real estate, workplace, design, or construction programs.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex RFPs and global sourcing initiatives.
• Experience negotiating professional services agreements, construction contracts, consulting agreements, and master service agreements.
• Strong financial acumen, contract management expertise, and commercial negotiation skills.
• Strong stakeholder management capabilities within a matrixed global organization.
• Proficiency with sourcing intake, contract lifecycle, procurement workflow, and supplier management technology platforms, including Zip, Ariba, or comparable enterprise systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute global category strategies for design, construction, project management, furniture, workplace technology, facilities services, and related real estate spend categories.
• Lead sourcing activities for capital projects globally, including consultant selection, design services, owner’s representative services, furniture procurement, general contractors, and specialty vendors.
• Define structured RFx evaluation criteria, scoring methodology, decision documentation, and defensible award recommendations based on price, quality, delivery, risk, and stakeholder requirements.
• Lead commercial negotiations and contract execution activities for design and construction-related agreements.
• Establish supplier governance programs for strategic design, construction, and workplace vendors.
• Support project budgeting and forecasting activities through market pricing, benchmarking, and procurement planning.
• Build trusted partnerships with senior business leaders, project sponsors, and cross-functional stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Procurement

Contract negotiation

Stakeholder management

RFPs / RFx

Global sourcing

Sourcing tools (Zip, Ariba)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Real Estate, or related field

Tools

Zip

Ariba

Job description

Aquent seeks a Category Manager, Global Real Estate (Design & Construction) to lead strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, and contract activities for our global real estate portfolio. You will collaborate with Finance, Legal, and business stakeholders to optimize cost, quality, schedule, and risk on capital projects.

The role drives category strategies across architecture, engineering, project management, construction, and workplace services, ensuring governance and sustainable