Director, Category Management

Job Title

Director, Category Management

Job Description Summary

We are seeking a highly knowledgeable and experienced Director, Category Management to lead our Facilities Category Management team. This is a senior enterprise leader role in the Procurement organization globally and will report to VP, Category Management, The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in procurement of Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) services and products such as janitorial, HVAC, landscaping & fleet management services along with maintenance, repair & operations (MRO) supplies. The Director will have deep knowledge including pricing strategies (to ensure cost-effective solutions without compromising quality) and knowledge of industry best practices and emerging trends to continuously improve delivery to C&W’s clients. This role involves providing guidance and strategy to a team of Category Managers to develop and execute category strategies across IFM scope, incl. developing Category Management program materials, and leading the development of a robust preferred supplier program to deliver client value. This role requires strong leadership, excellent organizational skills, the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and the ability to consult and understand C&W business units and our client’s needs. This role builds strong partnerships and relationships with leadership across functions & service lines, and within the procurement function, to drive operating margin improvement, service quality & consistency, risk mitigation, create C&W and client value, and achieve Procurement category management excellence.
This role is instrumental in delivering value to Cushman & Wakefield’s clients through leveraging the Company’s aggregated spend across the client base in order to negotiate best in class rates and contractual terms. Procurement is a cornerstone of Cushman & Wakefield’s value proposition to clients and the Director, Category Management or members of the team may accompany Cushman & Wakefield executives on new client pitches and existing client quarterly business reviews to highlight the bottom-line benefits that our group delivers. As such, the Director will also work with Marketing to develop methods to highlight capabilities and category accomplishments to clients by leading development of white papers / case studies and updating internal and external Cushman & Wakefield website platforms.

Job Description

Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Leads a multi-level Category Management team while creating a working environment that encourages high performance and innovation.
• Provides coaching and direction to enable creation and delivery of dynamic category strategies & the associated preferred suppliers to enable high-value service delivery.
• Flexibility, adaptability & conflict resolution to enable the delivery of client, procurement C&W goals.
• Promotes compliance with C&W’s code of conduct and DRIVE Values.
• Navigates a matrixed organization where stakeholders are in different business lines, functions or projects.

Category Management Excellence

• Lead Category Management staff to own/execute global and regional category strategies across IFM scope (janitorial, HVAC, landscaping & fleet management services along with maintenance, repair & operations (MRO) supplies, etc.), applying advanced category management methodologies, including focus on spend analytics, supply market intelligence, benchmarking and should-cost analysis where applicable, incorporating  industry best practices into category spend optimization delivery.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing global category management organization; define operating rhythms, decision frameworks, and capability development for category leaders.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, and commercial rigor, and serve as a visible, credible advisor across corporate and field organizations.
• Spearhead IFM Category Management strategic collaboration with other arms in Procurement to drive Category Management analytics, Agentic AI for Category Management explorations, and other corporate initiatives (incl. but not limited to Sustainability).
• Drive IFM portfolio-level cost optimization through sourcing leverage, scope standardization, demand management, and TCO-based decision-making across the global Procurement operating parameters.
• Responsible for working with procurement business partners and service line leadership to align category management vision with service line and procurement priorities, balancing margin targets, client commitments, and category management excellence outcome; collaborates well with account facing procurement to materialize client value from category management.
• Drives quantified EBITDA growth through C&W’s preferred suppliers.
• Analyze current Category Management & preferred supplier program to identify areas for improvement, innovation & efficiency, increased client experience and cost reduction opportunities. Incorporates industry best practices into category delivery.

• Develops, monitors & communicates program metrics; has enterprise ownership of IFM Preferred Supplier Program upleveling and expansion to accommodate business and client needs as they evolve over time; monitors preferred supplier utilization, strengthens roster to ensure capability and footprint match to deliver across the service line portfolios with consistently high performance quality; collaborates closely with Preferred Supplier partners to continuously drive performance consistency, cost predictability, process efficiency, and joint innovation.

• Ability to develop and understand data analytics to drive in depth analysis of client 3rd party spend; spearhead IFM Category Management strategic collaboration with other arms in Procurement to drive Category Management analytics, Agentic AI for Category Management explorations, and other corporate initiatives (incl. but not limited to Sustainability).
• Establish clear governance, compliance, and performance management models across categories and suppliers; partner with Legal to structure scalable, enforceable contracts that protect C&W and its clients.

Business Influence

• Leads a team that reinforces and maintains standards, processes and templates that enable sourcing delivery.
• Develops and maintains strong relationships with corporate functions, business lines and procurement teams. Works with business leaders to align Category Management strategies and potential suppliers to client needs and infuses our preferred supplier relationships into the way we work.
• Develops and delivers comprehensive training programs for C&W and our clients, covering best practices, market trends and innovation.
• Encourages creation and brings best in class ideas and approaches to the table for developing and executing category strategies and working within the supply market to ensure Cushman & Wakefield meets or exceeds their objectives.
• Working with C&W Legal Counsel and Risk Management to ensure language to enable effective negotiations and risk mitigation.

Continuous Improvement/Change Management

• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to utilize continuous improvement techniques.
• Utilizes change management techniques to drive the development and utilization of a preferred supplier program.
• Develops tools and templates to ensure robust category and communication planning and delivery to drive usage of our preferred supplier program and the procurement toolkit/solutions.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field preferred
• 10-15 years of category management or procurement experience, preferably in Facilities or Real Estate.
• 7+ years of experience leading and developed high‑performing teams through coaching, performance management, and clear goal-setting to drive consistent results and employee growth
• Professional certifications preferred e.g., CPM/CPSM, CSCP/CTSC, CSP/CSMP, PMP or evidence of continued professional growth
• In depth knowledge of Procurement and IFM categories
• Knowledge of effective supplier risk management techniques
• Training and Instructional Skills: Ability to effectively train and mentor others.
• Problem-Solving and Analytical Skills: Ability to identify and creatively resolve issues related to service delivery.
• Communication Skills: Ability to communicate effectively at all levels of an organization.
• Organization and Time Management: Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines effectively.
• Leadership: Ability to lead & manage others to achieve successful outcomes.
• Continuous improvement & Innovativeness
• Self-starter
• Effective Communication & presentation skills
• Business Influence, interviewing and active listening
• C&W DRIVE Values: Driven, Resilient, Inclusive Visionary and Entrepreneurial

Key Success Metrics for First 12 Months:

• Establishes enterprise-wide category strategies for IFM scope, and works with client-facing Procurement team to cascade such category strategies to create client value/impact in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.
• Establish scalable, consistent, and efficient collaboration/support model to work seamlessly with client-facing Procurement teams across GOS, Asset Services, CWS, etc..
• Deliver quantified target EBITDA improvements, cost savings/avoidance benefits.
• Strengthen preferred supplier framework & governance in priority IFM categories, to meet/exceed business stakeholder footprint & capability expectations.
• Improve stakeholder engagement scores and procurement service adoption across property and portfolio teams.
• Build a clear talent development model and operating framework for the IFM category management team, to ensure IFM Category Management is future-ready and can become “trusted advisors” to key stakeholder groups.

Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

The compensation that will be offered to the successful candidate will depend on factors such as whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the geographic area in which the work will be performed, market pay rates in that area, and the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

The company will not pay less than minimum wage for this role.

The compensation for the position is: $ 153,000.00 - $180,000.00

Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email [email protected]. Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.

INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”