Category Manager, Global Real Estate & Construction Procurement

Partner with a leading global investment management organization dedicated to helping clients achieve their long-term financial goals. This organization is renowned for its deep research, long-term perspective, and commitment to delivering exceptional value. Joining this team means contributing to a stable and impactful environment where strategic decisions drive global success.

Are you a seasoned procurement leader passionate about shaping the physical infrastructure of a dynamic global enterprise? As a key player, you will spearhead strategic sourcing and procurement for our global real estate portfolio, directly influencing how our organization designs, builds, and operates its workplaces worldwide. Your expertise will be critical in optimizing costs, ensuring quality, and driving innovation across all capital projects, from architectural design to construction and workplace technology. This is an exciting opportunity to leverage your commercial acumen and strategic vision to deliver best-in-class procurement practices, making a tangible impact on our global presence and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Category Leadership: Develop and execute comprehensive global category strategies for design, construction, project management, furniture, workplace technology, and facilities services. Conduct in-depth spend analysis, market intelligence, and risk assessments to identify significant sourcing opportunities and drive optimization initiatives.
• Global Project Procurement: Lead all sourcing activities for capital projects across the globe, including consultant selection, design services, owner's representative services, furniture procurement, general contractors, and specialty vendors. Manage competitive processes (RFIs, RFQs, RFPs) with clear evaluation criteria, ensuring optimal balance of cost, quality, schedule, and risk.
• Commercial Negotiation & Contract Management: Drive commercial negotiations and execute contracts for all design and construction-related agreements. Partner closely with legal and risk management teams to establish robust contract standards, negotiate favorable terms, and ensure appropriate risk allocation, insurance, and performance obligations.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Establish and oversee governance programs for strategic design, construction, and workplace vendors. Conduct regular performance reviews, develop comprehensive scorecards, and collaborate with suppliers to foster continuous improvement, innovation, and efficient issue resolution.
• Capital Project Partnership: Act as a trusted commercial advisor to Global Real Estate project managers, workplace planning teams, design leaders, and business stakeholders throughout the entire project lifecycle. Provide critical guidance on budgeting, forecasting, change orders, and claims management, ensuring procurement activities align with approved capital plans.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance: Ensure strict adherence to corporate procurement policies, delegated authority, and financial controls. Champion ethical sourcing, transparency, and contribute to initiatives around supplier diversity, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. Utilize enterprise procurement and sourcing technology platforms and related systems of record to manage sourcing pipeline visibility, event execution, approvals, supplier records, and audit-ready documentation.
• Leadership & Stakeholder Influence: Build strong, trusted partnerships with senior business leaders, project sponsors, and cross-functional stakeholders. Influence strategic sourcing decisions through data-driven analysis and expert commercial judgment. Mentor team members and contribute to the evolution of procurement best practices within a complex, global matrixed organization.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Real Estate, or 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 comparable enterprise systems.

Bonus Points

• Experience within asset management, banking, insurance, private equity, or other highly regulated financial services organizations.
• Experience supporting global office portfolios and enterprise workplace programs.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CIPS, PMP, MRICS, CCM, or LEED.
• Familiarity with construction delivery methods including Design-Bid-Build, CMAR, Design-Build, and Integrated Project Delivery.
• Experience working across North America, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America.

About Aquent Talent:

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.