European Category Director in London

Greystar is a leading, fully integrated global real estate platform offering expertise in property management, investment management, development, and construction services in institutional-quality rental housing. Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, Greystar manages and operates over $350 billion of real estate in more than 260 markets globally with offices throughout North America, Europe, South America, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The European Category Director will create the strategy for each category assigned to them. They will lead on benefits identification – utilizing business and market knowledge to build a pipeline of procurement activity that will deliver commercial value and service benefits across Europe. The European Category Director will determine a set of sourcing priorities each year – personally executing EU-wide / strategic tenders and directing the Procurement Managers in the delivery of market-specific procurement activity. The European Category Director will be responsible for the management and performance of up to 3 direct reports located in the UK. The Category Director must also ensure the effective co-ordination of EU-wide sourcing initiatives by working closely with the procurement managers located outside of the UK. The European Category Manager will act as a business partner to senior stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the category strategy and sourcing activity for major spend categories
• Negotiate group-wide / strategic supplier deals and frameworks
• Manage and develop the Procurement Managers embedded in each market
• Oversee and approve the procurement activity executed by the Procurement Managers
• Track and report benefits delivery and project status (personal and team activity)
• Drive adoption of procurement best practice across markets
• Identify and drive ESG initiatives
• Support the implementation of procurement policies, processes, systems and tools across all markets
• Proactive engagement of senior stakeholders – demonstrate the value of procurement, build confidence and trust
• Shape an SRM program and manage the performance of strategic and preferred suppliers
• Support the onboarding of new assets and third party business
• Assist with the development of the procurement value proposition
• Perform other duties as assigned or as necessary for the effective performance of the role

Knowledge & Qualifications:

• University Degree in a relevant field is preferred, but not essential
• MCIPS certified
• Procurement experience (10 years minimum)
• Excellent written, numerical and communication skills
• Fluent in English, a second European language would be beneficial
• IT literate and proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook (advanced level)

Experience & Skills:

• Experience of working in Real Estate / Facilities Management / Hospitality or related industry
• At least 3 years operating at Director level - European or Global remit
• Broad category experience with deep and narrow expertise in at least one relevant category e.g. IT / indirects, FM or Capital Projects
• European sourcing experience – demonstrable knowledge of Greystar’s European markets and associated supply chains
• Proven track record delivering EBITDA-impacting procurement savings at scale
• The ability to balance commercial rigour with service outcomes
• Capable of building and developing procurement capability in an operations-led organization
• Comfortable operating through influence across a complex, multi-market business
• The ability to lead in a fast-paced environment where priorities and demand is subject to change
• Identification and delivery of ESG initiatives – reducing environmental impact, responsible procurement practices and delivering social value via the supply chain