Operations – Category Manager

JLL • Charlotte, NC

3d • $100,000 - $130,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Category Manager leads a team responsible for the operational oversight of facilities service categories such as janitorial, landscaping, pest control, and soft assets. This operations-focused role monitors day-to-day service delivery, performance, and compliance; manages escalations; tracks KPIs; and leads projects to improve service quality and operational efficiency. The Category Manager works with site teams, Facility Managers, the Operational Lead, the Operation Project Manager, and senior leadership to ensure categories meet service-level expectations. The role calls for a hands-on, process-driven leader who can identify operational gaps and develop processes to address them.

The position oversees category performance across sites, serves as a subject matter expert on service scope and vendor obligations, and partners with Facility Managers to resolve category-specific issues. It owns escalation handling, investigates root causes, coordinates resolutions, tracks trends, and documents outcomes and lessons learned. The role defines and reports KPIs, maintains dashboards, conducts performance reviews, and reports trends to senior leadership.

The Category Manager also manages category-related projects, including service transitions, remediation, vendor onboarding, and site rollouts, from initiation through close-out. The role coordinates cross-functional resources, communicates project status and risks, and ensures projects meet scope, timelines, and budgets. It identifies and addresses operational inefficiencies, establishes and standardizes processes and tools across sites, and evaluates and refines those processes over time.

This position is remote, with the listed location of Charlotte, North Carolina. The expected compensation is $100,000–$130,000 per year. Visa sponsorship is not provided; candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in commercial real estate.
• Ability to communicate effectively with senior-level stakeholders, site teams, and vendors, including conflict resolution and negotiation.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, including root-cause analysis, trend identification, and translating data into actionable process improvements.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize competing demands.
• Demonstrated ability to define, track, and report on KPIs.
• Strong project-management skills and ability to manage multiple projects across categories and sites.
• Ability to work effectively in a demanding, fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Excel and Microsoft Office.
• Experience with dashboard or reporting tools.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

• Experience leading or managing a team.
• Corporate real estate, facility management, or engineering experience.

Responsibilities

• Monitor day-to-day operational performance of assigned facilities service categories.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for assigned categories, including service scope, standards, and vendor obligations.
• Track service delivery across portfolio sites and ensure consistency with contracted scope and operational expectations.
• Partner with site-level Facility Managers to identify and resolve category-specific issues.
• Own the escalation process for assigned categories, triage service issues, coordinate timely resolutions, and document outcomes and lessons learned.
• Track escalation trends to identify recurring issues and systemic gaps.
• Define and maintain category KPIs for service quality, responsiveness, compliance, and cost efficiency.
• Build and maintain dashboards and reports to track performance against KPIs.
• Conduct vendor and internal stakeholder performance reviews and use KPI data to drive accountability.
• Report category performance trends to senior leadership on a regular cadence.
• Manage category-related projects, including service transitions, remediation initiatives, vendor onboarding, and site-level rollouts.
• Define project scope, timelines, and success metrics, and manage execution through close-out.
• Coordinate cross-functional resources and communicate project status, risks, and outcomes to stakeholders.
• Identify operational gaps and inefficiencies, and design and implement processes, procedures, and tools to improve service consistency, escalation handling, and KPI tracking.
• Standardize best practices across sites, promote consistent adoption, and evaluate and refine processes.
• Lead a team responsible for ongoing operational oversight of assigned categories.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with matching company contributions.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision care.
• Paid parental leave at 100% of salary.
• Paid time off and company holidays.
• Early access to earned wages through Daily Pay.
• Supportive culture and comprehensive benefits package focused on mental, physical, and emotional health.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed