DS Smith
EMEA Category Specialist - Construction, Facilities & Property (EMEA) DS Smith Here at DS Smith, we are looking for a proactive and delivery-focused EMEA Procurement Category Specialist to support the procurement of Construction, Facilities & Property services across our EMEA operations. About the role Reporting to the EMEA Category Manager for Construction, Facilities and Property, you will play a key role in delivering sourcing activity, supporting site and project teams, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring procurement processes are followed effectively across the Construction, Facilities & Property category. This category covers a wide range of services including Property Rental, Office & Site Costs, Hard & Soft FM services, and Construction-related labour, materials, contractors, equipment, and project resources. You will help drive value, ensure compliance, support sustainability objectives, and work closely with stakeholders to meet operational and project needs. Key Responsibilities Category Delivery & Sourcing Execution Support the delivery of procurement activities across Construction, Facilities & Property, including running tenders, e-auctions, negotiations, and supplier onboarding. Conduct market research and cost analysis to inform sourcing decisions and ensure competitive pricing. Assist in identifying opportunities for cost optimisation, supplier consolidation, and specification standardisation. Support the implementation of category plans and procurement initiatives defined by the Category Manager or Head of Procurement. Stakeholder Support & Collaboration Work closely with site teams, property groups, engineers, project managers, and other business stakeholders to capture requirements and deliver timely procurement support. Help ensure compliance with preferred suppliers, procurement policies, and governance requirements. Communicate category updates, contract details, and supplier information to regional procurement teams and business functions. Markets, Risk & Supplier Insights Monitor market trends, supplier capabilities, and key cost drivers within Construction, Facilities & Property. Support risk management activities such as assessing supplier financial health, capacity, and compliance with standards including modern slavery and information security. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant suppliers and industry developments across EMEA. Contracting Support Partner with Legal and project stakeholders to help prepare, review, and administer framework agreements and project-specific contracts (e.g., JCT, NEC, FIDIC where applicable). Ensure key performance indicators and technical requirements are clearly embedded in contracts. Support contract management, including documentation upkeep and adherence to contract governance processes. Initiative & Project Support Provide operational support on procurement initiatives, ensuring timely execution of sourcing events and contract finalisation. Assist with tender documentation, bid evaluation, commercial analysis, and award recommendations. Track progress on cost-saving and value initiatives, providing reporting as needed. Procure-to-Pay & Systems Communicate preferred supplier arrangements to the business and help maintain catalogues and system content for compliant buying. Collaborate with Shared Services and Procurement Excellence to resolve issues and ensure accurate system data. Supplier Management Help coordinate supplier performance reviews with stakeholders and regional teams in line with the agreed segmentation model. Support continuous improvement activities with key suppliers. Maintain supplier records, performance data, and contract documentation. About You Experience in procurement roles within Construction, Facilities or Property categories Familiarity with UK/EU construction contract forms (JCT, NEC, FIDIC) is an advantage. Experience supporting the procurement of outsourced Facilities Management or construction contracts. Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, cost structures, and supplier proposals. Ability to work effectively with multiple stakeholders in a matrix environment. Comfortable delivering against value and cost-saving targets. Fluent in English-additional European languages welcome. Experience in a manufacturing setting beneficial but not essential. Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Business, or a related field (CIPS/RICS or EU equivalent desirable) would be a nice to have This role can be based UK wide but there will be an expectation of 30/40% travel. About us We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 60,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us! "To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria."
EMEA Category Specialist - Construction, Facilities & Property (EMEA) DS Smith Here at DS Smith, we are looking for a proactive and delivery-focused EMEA Procurement Category Specialist to support the procurement of Construction, Facilities & Property services across our EMEA operations. About the role Reporting to the EMEA Category Manager for Construction, Facilities and Property, you will play a key role in delivering sourcing activity, supporting site and project teams, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring procurement processes are followed effectively across the Construction, Facilities & Property category. This category covers a wide range of services including Property Rental, Office & Site Costs, Hard & Soft FM services, and Construction-related labour, materials, contractors, equipment, and project resources. You will help drive value, ensure compliance, support sustainability objectives, and work closely with stakeholders to meet operational and project needs. Key Responsibilities Category Delivery & Sourcing Execution Support the delivery of procurement activities across Construction, Facilities & Property, including running tenders, e-auctions, negotiations, and supplier onboarding. Conduct market research and cost analysis to inform sourcing decisions and ensure competitive pricing. Assist in identifying opportunities for cost optimisation, supplier consolidation, and specification standardisation. Support the implementation of category plans and procurement initiatives defined by the Category Manager or Head of Procurement. Stakeholder Support & Collaboration Work closely with site teams, property groups, engineers, project managers, and other business stakeholders to capture requirements and deliver timely procurement support. Help ensure compliance with preferred suppliers, procurement policies, and governance requirements. Communicate category updates, contract details, and supplier information to regional procurement teams and business functions. Markets, Risk & Supplier Insights Monitor market trends, supplier capabilities, and key cost drivers within Construction, Facilities & Property. Support risk management activities such as assessing supplier financial health, capacity, and compliance with standards including modern slavery and information security. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant suppliers and industry developments across EMEA. Contracting Support Partner with Legal and project stakeholders to help prepare, review, and administer framework agreements and project-specific contracts (e.g., JCT, NEC, FIDIC where applicable). Ensure key performance indicators and technical requirements are clearly embedded in contracts. Support contract management, including documentation upkeep and adherence to contract governance processes. Initiative & Project Support Provide operational support on procurement initiatives, ensuring timely execution of sourcing events and contract finalisation. Assist with tender documentation, bid evaluation, commercial analysis, and award recommendations. Track progress on cost-saving and value initiatives, providing reporting as needed. Procure-to-Pay & Systems Communicate preferred supplier arrangements to the business and help maintain catalogues and system content for compliant buying. Collaborate with Shared Services and Procurement Excellence to resolve issues and ensure accurate system data. Supplier Management Help coordinate supplier performance reviews with stakeholders and regional teams in line with the agreed segmentation model. Support continuous improvement activities with key suppliers. Maintain supplier records, performance data, and contract documentation. About You Experience in procurement roles within Construction, Facilities or Property categories Familiarity with UK/EU construction contract forms (JCT, NEC, FIDIC) is an advantage. Experience supporting the procurement of outsourced Facilities Management or construction contracts. Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, cost structures, and supplier proposals. Ability to work effectively with multiple stakeholders in a matrix environment. Comfortable delivering against value and cost-saving targets. Fluent in English-additional European languages welcome. Experience in a manufacturing setting beneficial but not essential. Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Business, or a related field (CIPS/RICS or EU equivalent desirable) would be a nice to have This role can be based UK wide but there will be an expectation of 30/40% travel. About us We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 60,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us! "To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria."
