Category Manager – Hard Facilities Management - Estates

Ref Number

B28-00357

Professional Expertise

Commercial and Procurement

Department

Finance, Commercial and Estates (B28)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

£43,981-£54,019

Contract Type

Permanent

Working Type

Hybrid

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

25-Oct-2026

About us

UCL is London’s leading multidisciplinary university, with more than 18,000 staff and over 51,000 students from more than 150 countries. Alongside our global reputation for teaching and research, UCL has a significant and diverse commercial landscape, spending over £900 million each year with third-party suppliers.

Our Commercial & Procurement function plays an important role in ensuring this spend delivers value for UCL. We are focused on effective sourcing, strong supplier management and better demand management, while supporting UCL’s Sustainable Procurement Strategy and creating the financial capacity to deliver our ambitious 2034 strategic plan.

About the role

We are looking for a Category Manager – Facilities Management to join our Commercial & Procurement Services team within Estates.

Reporting to the Head of Category – Facility Operations, you will manage procurement and commercial activity across the facilities categories including procurement of furniture, cleaning and logistics services. Working closely with stakeholders to understand their requirements and deliver effective commercial solutions. You will develop category plans, manage tenders and contract negotiations, support supplier and contract management, and monitor supplier performance.

A key part of the role will be identifying opportunities to deliver efficiencies, cost savings and value for money. You will develop negotiation strategies, manage commercial arrangements and support the transition of new suppliers, while providing advice on contractual, commercial and compliance matters. You will also contribute to continuous improvement, innovation and UCL’s wider procurement and sustainability objectives.

A full job description is attached to this advert.

About you

You will be a commercially minded procurement professional with the ability to build effective relationships and work confidently with a diverse range of stakeholders. You will have experience of delivering procurement and commercial activity and be comfortable balancing multiple priorities in a busy environment.

You will bring strong planning, organisation and communication skills, excellent attention to detail and the ability to use evidence and data to inform your approach. Experience of negotiation and working within a large, complex and decentralised organisation would be particularly valuable.

Please review our job description, paying particular attention to the Essential and Desirable criteria, and ensure these are covered in your application.

What we offer

Alongside the exciting opportunity this role presents, we also offer some great benefits: • 41 Days of holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays and 6 closure days)

• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme

• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)

• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan

• Hybrid working

• Immigration loan

• Relocation scheme for certain posts

• On-Site nursery

• On-site gym

• Enhanced maternity,paternityand adoption pay

• Employeeassistanceprogramme: Staff Support Service

• Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.