Procurement Category Lead

Procurement Category Lead - Facilities Management Job Snapshot - Role: Procurement Category Lead - Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Industry: Automotive - Function: Purchasing - Experience: 7-10 years - Job Type: Full Time - Work Arrangement: On-site

Position Overview

Al-Futtaim is seeking an experienced Procurement Category Lead to drive strategic sourcing and category management for Facilities Management services across its business units. The role oversees a third-party procurement spend portfolio of approximately AED 800 million, covering both hard facilities management services, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), and soft services such as cleaning, landscaping and security. The Procurement Category Lead will develop and execute category strategies, manage supplier relationships, lead commercial negotiations and identify opportunities to improve cost efficiency and service performance. The portfolio includes automotive-related facilities and requires close collaboration with stakeholders across the organization. The successful candidate will bring 7-10 years of procurement experience, preferably in category management or supplier management, along with strong commercial analysis, stakeholder engagement and team leadership capabilities.

Job Details

• Country: United Arab Emirates
• City: Dubai
• Industry: Automotive
• Function: Purchasing
• Salary: Not disclosed
• Gender: No Preference
• Candidate Nationality: Not specified
• Job Type: Full Time
• Work Arrangement: On-site

Key Responsibilities

• Facilities Management Category Strategy
  • Develop and implement procurement category strategies aligned with organizational objectives and business requirements.
  • Manage sourcing strategies covering hard facilities management services, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing activities.
  • Oversee procurement planning for soft facilities management services, including cleaning, landscaping and security.
  • Analyze market information, supplier capabilities, stakeholder requirements and procurement expenditure to identify strategic opportunities.
  • Establish measurable category objectives and monitor progress against agreed targets.
  • Apply scenario planning to evaluate sourcing alternatives and commercial outcomes.
  • Conduct total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis, should-cost modelling and value chain mapping to identify opportunities for optimization.
  • Support cost-effective procurement solutions while maintaining alignment with business priorities.
• Strategic Spend and Demand Management
  • Support the effective management of a third-party procurement spend portfolio of approximately AED 800 million.
  • Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand operational requirements and forecast procurement demand.
  • Balance business needs with category strategies, commercial objectives and resource considerations.
  • Identify opportunities to consolidate purchasing requirements across business units.
  • Establish preferred supplier arrangements where appropriate to improve commercial terms and procurement efficiency.
  • Evaluate opportunities to optimize the supplier base through consolidation.
  • Work with stakeholders to improve specifications and achieve appropriate value from procured services.
  • Identify cost-saving opportunities while considering operational requirements and supplier performance.
• Strategic Sourcing and Contract Negotiation
  • Lead Source-to-Contract activities, including supplier identification, evaluation, selection and negotiation.
  • Develop sourcing approaches that reflect category requirements and business objectives.
  • Evaluate supplier proposals and commercial terms to support procurement decisions.
  • Negotiate with suppliers to achieve competitive pricing and suitable contractual arrangements.
  • Apply total cost analysis and commercial modelling to support sourcing recommendations.
  • Coordinate procurement projects from planning through supplier selection and contracting.
  • Ensure sourcing activities follow applicable procurement policies, budgets and regulatory requirements.
• Supplier Relationship and Performance Management
  • Build and maintain effective relationships with key third-party facilities management suppliers.
  • Manage supplier relationships throughout the relevant supplier lifecycle.
  • Monitor supplier performance against agreed objectives and procurement KPIs.
  • Identify opportunities to improve supplier effectiveness, commercial value and service delivery.
  • Work with suppliers and internal stakeholders to address performance concerns.
  • Support supplier performance evaluations and related improveme