Senior Category Manager, PDS & Projects Strategy

Cushman & Wakefield; Topeka (KS); On-site; USD 119,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking a Senior Category Manager for PDS/P&P to lead procurement category strategies across construction and capital projects, partnering with procurement partners, service line leadership, and account teams to drive value and compliant delivery.

You will own strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, governance, and analytics, leveraging spend data to realize savings while shaping playbooks and training to lift performance across projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field preferred.
• 10+ years of construction and project development services experience, including 3+ years in procurement category management.
• Knowledge of supplier risk management practices.
• Ability to train, mentor, and support internal stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Experience with contract negotiation and ongoing contract management.
• Continuous improvement mindset with a focus on efficiency and value creation.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently and drive results.
• Strong business acumen and ability to navigate a matrixed organization.
• Effective presentation, decision-making, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong active listening and interpersonal skills.
• MS Office Suite proficiency (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

• Category Strategy: Develop and execute category strategies for PDS and P&P that align with Procurement priorities, stakeholder needs, and business objectives.
• Partner with Procurement business partners, service line leadership, and account teams to translate category strategies into actionable plans that support client delivery and operational priorities.
• Identify opportunities to standardize approaches, improve category adoption, and enhance the value Procurement brings to capital projects and program delivery.
• Strategic Sourcing & Negotiation: Lead strategic sourcing activities, supplier selection, and competitive processes to support cost-effective, high-quality solutions for clients and the business.
• Negotiate commercial terms, pricing structures, and contractual arrangements that balance client needs, business objectives, and category strategy.
• Support the development of procurement playbooks, negotiation approaches, and procurement guidance that enable consistent execution across projects and teams.
• Supplier Relationship & Performance Management: Manage preferred supplier relationships and utilization strategies to strengthen program coverage, improve consistency, and support service line delivery across portfolios.
• Monitor supplier performance and collaborate with internal stakeholders and suppliers to address issues, improve outcomes, and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support supplier governance activities, including adoption of preferred supplier programs, performance oversight, and alignment to stakeholder and client expectations.
• Risk, Governance & Contract Management: Support risk mitigation through effective supplier oversight, commercial governance, and alignment with C&W policies, client requirements, and procurement standards.
• Help establish and maintain effective commercial arrangements, contract management practices, and supporting documentation that enable compliance and operational efficiency.
• Partner cross-functionally with Legal, Finance, Operations, Risk, and project teams to address contractual, compliance, and supplier-related issues as they arise.
• Analytics, Reporting & Value Realization: Leverage spend analytics, benchmarking, and market intelligence to identify opportunities, measure category performance, and support informed decision-making.
• Develop and maintain reporting that tracks supplier performance, category opportunities, and business impact, including savings and value delivery where applicable.
• Use data-driven insights and benchmarking tools to support project teams, strengthen category strategies, and demonstrate Procurement’s contribution to client and business outcomes.

Skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Contract negotiation

MS Office

Communication skills

Problem solving

Training & mentoring

Project management

Strategic thinking

Self-starter

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or related field

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking a Senior Category Manager for PDS/P&P to lead procurement category strategies across construction and capital projects, partnering with procurement partners, service line leadership, and account teams to drive value and compliant delivery.

You will own strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, governance, and analytics, leveraging spend data to realize savings while shaping playbooks and training to lift performance across projects.