Global Head of Facilities & Corporate Real Estate

Global Head of Facilities & Corporate Real Estate

Company Overview

• Our client is a large, global investment management organization with a sophisticated institutional platform and a growing international workforce. Continued expansion has increased the importance of having a scalable, consistent approach to workplace operations and corporate real estate across its office portfolio.


• The organization is seeking a senior executive to lead its global facilities function and establish the long-term strategy for how its physical workplaces support employees, business operations, and future growth.

Location, Compensation & Benefits

• Chicago, IL (3 days per week on-site)


• $300,000–$350,000 base salary + 10% target annual bonus


• Domestic and international travel required (~30%)

Why This Opportunity

• Serve as the senior leader in the firm responsible for facilities and workplace operations across a global financial-services organization


• Lead an established team of approximately 10 professionals while shaping the future structure and capabilities of the function


• Advise executive leadership on major workplace, real estate, capital investment, and operational decisions


• Take ownership of a geographically diverse office portfolio spanning domestic and international markets


• Influence how the organization plans for future office requirements as its workforce and global presence continue to evolve


• Lead significant office construction, renovation, expansion, and relocation initiatives


• Establish a more standardized global approach to facilities operations, service delivery, governance, and performance measurement


• Own a mandate extending well beyond traditional building maintenance into corporate real estate, workplace strategy, employee experience, risk, and business continuity


• Manage significant operating and capital expenditures associated with the firm's physical workplace infrastructure


• Build scalable processes and operating standards that can support continued organizational growth


• Partner with senior leaders across the business to understand changing workforce requirements and translate them into effective workplace solutions


• High-impact opportunity for an experienced facilities or corporate real estate executive who wants both strategic influence and direct operational ownership

Position Overview

• The Global Head of Facilities & Corporate Real Estate will have enterprise responsibility for the strategy, operation, and continued development of the organization's physical workplace environment.


• This executive will oversee facilities operations, corporate real estate planning, space utilization, workplace projects, vendor relationships, financial management, safety, emergency preparedness, and the overall employee workplace experience across multiple domestic and international locations.


• The position requires a leader who can operate at both the strategic and execution levels—advising senior executives on long-term portfolio decisions while ensuring that offices consistently provide safe, efficient, professional, and high-quality working environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish the long-term vision for the organization's global workplace and facilities function and translate that strategy into executable operating plans


• Evaluate current and future office requirements by analyzing workforce growth, utilization patterns, business needs, and geographic expansion plans


• Provide senior leadership with clear recommendations regarding real estate commitments, workplace investments, space requirements, and major capital projects


• Direct day-to-day facilities performance across the office portfolio while establishing consistent expectations for service quality across locations


• Lead the planning and execution of office openings, expansions, renovations, relocations, and other significant workplace initiatives


• Coordinate architects, contractors, landlords, consultants, and internal stakeholders throughout major construction and real estate projects


• Develop workplace planning approaches that balance employee experience, operational requirements, efficiency, and responsible use of real estate


• Establish measurable standards for space utilization and use workplace data to inform future portfolio decisions


• Oversee third-party providers supporting building operations, maintenance, workplace services, construction, and other facilities-related activities


• Develop vendor-management practices that improve accountability, service consistency, cost effectiveness, and overall performance


• Own facilities-related operating and capital budgets and provide leadership with visibility into spending, forecasts, upcoming commitments, and investment priorities


• Assess opportunities to improve the economics and efficiency of the organization's workplace portfolio without compromising service or employee experience


• Create consistent policies, procedures, and governance practices that can be applied appropriately across domestic and international offices


• Strengthen workplace safety, emergency-response, and preparedness programs across the organization


• Partner with appropriate internal stakeholders to maintain facilities-related business continuity plans and prepare offices for potential operational disruptions


• Identify physical workplace risks and ensure appropriate mitigation plans, controls, and escalation procedures are established


• Develop meaningful performance indicators that allow leadership to evaluate service quality, utilization, vendor performance, project execution, and financial results


• Work closely with business leaders to understand how organizational changes may affect future workplace requirements


• Lead, develop, and establish clear accountability across an approximately 10-person facilities organization


• Build an operating culture centered on responsiveness, professionalism, consistent execution, and high-quality employee service


• Regularly assess the effectiveness of the facilities operating model and implement improvements as the organization grows


• Travel to domestic and international locations as needed to oversee major initiatives, evaluate office environments, and maintain consistency across the global portfolio

Qualifications

• Significant progressive leadership experience in facilities management, corporate real estate, workplace strategy, or a closely related function


• Demonstrated experience leading facilities or workplace operations across a large, sophisticated, multi-office organization


• Previous responsibility for geographically dispersed locations; international facilities exposure strongly preferred


• Proven ability to establish enterprise-level facilities strategy while remaining accountable for day-to-day operational performance


• Experience leading and developing a sizable facilities, workplace, or corporate real estate team


• Strong background overseeing office construction, renovations, relocations, expansions, and other complex capital projects


• Experience developing long-term space plans and evaluating office requirements against workforce and business growth


• Strong understanding of corporate real estate, lease-related considerations, workplace utilization, and portfolio planning


• Demonstrated ability to manage significant operating and capital budgets and communicate financial considerations to executive stakeholders


• Extensive experience selecting, negotiating with, and holding external service providers accountable for performance


• Strong understanding of workplace safety, emergency preparedness, operational risk, and business continuity considerations


• Experience developing standardized procedures, service expectations, governance structures, and performance metrics across multiple offices


• Executive-level communication skills with the ability to distill complicated facilities and real estate matters into concise recommendations


• Strong judgment and confidence interacting with senior executives and influencing high-value workplace decisions


• Ability to balance employee experience, operational effectiveness, financial discipline, and risk when evaluating workplace initiatives


• Strategic and analytical mindset combined with a willingness to remain closely involved in execution


• Strong people leadership skills with demonstrated success developing teams and establishing accountability


• Comfortable operating within a fast-growing, high-performance professional-services or financial-services environment


• Willing and able to travel domestically and internationally as business needs require