Senior Category Buyer – Facilities Management & Utilities

The Role

Join Imperial Brands as a Senior Category Buyer and play a key role in our Global Supply Chain Procurement function. This is a truly global position within the Facilities Management & Utilities (FMU) category team, responsible for sourcing and managing strategic supplier relationships to deliver maximum value to the business.

You will work closely with stakeholders across factories, markets, and central functions, supporting the development and deployment of category strategies and driving strategic and tactical sourcing activities. This is a high-impact role with direct engagement with senior stakeholders and the opportunity to influence a global FMU spend of over £110m across 1,900 suppliers.

Principle Accountabilities

• Develop and deliver FMU sub-category strategies and strategic commercial agreements that maximise value and minimise risk.

• Lead strategic and tactical sourcing activities for FM and utilities, including RFx preparation, execution, and evaluation, ensuring compliance with Imperial’s financial and procurement policies.

• Negotiate, implement, renew, and manage FMU supplier contracts, ensuring they are accessible and adhered to regionally.

• Monitor supplier performance and act on insights to drive continuous improvement in service levels and cost efficiency.

• Collaborate with Procurement Business Partners, Global Business Services (GBS), and governance teams to ensure smooth deployment of FMU category strategies, compliance, and issue resolution.

• Contribute to strategic transformation projects, supporting Imperial’s operational excellence journey across global sites.

Skills and Experience Required

• Experience in procurement or category management specifically within Facilities Management and/or Utilities (hard/soft FM, building services, energy management).

• Proven ability to negotiate, influence, and build strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders at multiple levels.

• Highly organised, analytical, and commercially aware, with a proven track record of driving cost optimisation and value creation in FMU spend.

• Strong communication skills, capable of collaborating effectively in a multicultural and global setting.

• Ambitious, results-driven, and proactive, with a continuous improvement mindset.

• Fluency in spoken and written English is essential; cross-cultural or international experience and a university degree are preferred (MCIPS qualification desirable but not required).

What We Offer

In return for playing your part in building our future, you will receive a comprehensive compensation package with salary, bonus scheme and further benefits as well inspiring places to work and collaborate with purpose. Here at Imperial we will give you the opportunity to grow and learn, innovate at pace and be a part of our purpose to forge a path to a healthier future for moments of relaxation and pleasure for our consumers.

Everyone Belongs

Everyone belongs in Imperial. We are proud of being a truly inclusive organisation. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, disabilities, sexual orientation, religions or beliefs and of neuro divergence. We give fair and equal consideration to all our applicants. Please contact us at recruitment@impbrands.com to let us know if we can provide support in helping you complete an application and/or attend an interview.

About Us

We're a truly international company, fourth largest in our industry and operating across 120 markets. An inclusive, innovative global FMCG business supported by 25,000 employees. As we embrace a new era of growth, we are transforming. Our ways of working and culture are driven by a challenger mindset, constantly questioning the status quo where people can bring their best selves to work. Our agility and collaboration are driving our ambitions, innovation and success all supported by our award-winning development programmes that creates exciting and rewarding career opportunities for all.  Encouraging inclusion at local levels and supporting a developing and robust diversity agenda globally, we’re fully committed to creating and maintaining an environment that celebrates and respects difference.

As a matter of policy, Imperial Tobacco or its subsidiaries never requests or requires payment as part of any recruitment process.

Everyone Belongs