Category Manager, Real Estate and Workplace Services

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Operations Management, Finance, Business, related field, or equivalent practical experience.
  
• 7 years of experience in multi-disciplined procurement, leading strategy
  development, execution and sourcing or a related function.
  
• Experience in sourcing, category management, or procurement roles, with a focus on managing indirect spend categories.

Preferred qualifications:

• Advanced degree or certifications in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.
• Experience in analyzing procurement data, generating reports, and managing KPIs for performance evaluation.
• Understanding of internal controls, procurement governance, and real estate Capex/Opex industry knowledge.
• Excellent project management skills to lead initiatives and continuous improvement efforts.
• Excellent communication and people management skills, with an interest in leveraging AI for procurement.

About the job

Like our users, Google projects span the globe, requiring managers to keep their eyes on the big picture. As a program manager at Google, you take lead on some of our most complex multidisciplinary projects. Working closely with internal customers, you determine the strategy necessary to usher projects from start to finish. You will manage project schedules, identify risks and communicate goals to your stakeholders. Often, projects will reach across offices, time zones and hemispheres, making it crucial that you be able to keep all teams and players coordinated on your goals and deadlines.

In the Google Procurement Organization (GPO), our aim is to unlock value for Google to reinvest in what matters most. We do this by bringing velocity, efficiency, and security to buying at Google, while partnering deeply across Google to deliver solutions fit for purpose. As a centralized organization operating in a high complexity environment, we represent stakeholders and suppliers to ensure the best outcomes. Our organization fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation while providing opportunities for ongoing career growth and development.
As a Category Manager, you will partner closely with key stakeholders to help shape and implement procurement strategies. In this role, you will work in a team environment that is high-growth, fast moving, and constantly changing. You will embrace ambiguity and collaborate across teams to develop new procurement approaches and solve complex business problems. You will support operational excellence while being part of an environment where team members can grow, learn, do their best work, and feel appreciated.In the Google Procurement Organization (GPO), our aim is to unlock value for Google to reinvest in what matters most. We do this by bringing velocity, efficiency, and security to buying at Google, while partnering deeply across Google to deliver solutions fit for purpose. As a centralized organization operating in a high complexity environment, we represent stakeholders and suppliers to ensure the best outcomes. Our organization fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation while providing opportunities for ongoing career growth and development.
As a Category Manager, you will partner closely with key stakeholders to help shape and implement procurement strategies. In this role, you will work in a team environment that is high-growth, fast moving, and constantly changing. You will embrace ambiguity and collaborate across teams to develop new procurement approaches and solve complex business problems. You will support operational excellence while being part of an environment where team members can grow, learn, do their best work, and feel appreciated.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive category strategies for Construction, Workplace, and Security, aligning with regional and global goals. Serve as a trusted advisor, leading cross-functional teams in RFx processes and contract negotiations.
• Cultivate supplier relationships, overseeing performance, conducting reviews, and negotiating favorable terms to ensure quality, innovation, and risk mitigation.
• Proactively leverage AI tools and analytics to identify automation opportunities, analyze spending patterns, market trends, and procurement data, generating insights for informed decision-making.
• Operate with high autonomy within EMEA, taking full ownership of categories. Collaborate globally, sharing best practices and contributing to worldwide strategies while ensuring regional alignment.
• Identify and drive process improvements and new category initiatives. Actively contribute to a positive, team culture.