Director, Business Operations Support – Data Center IFM

Cushman & Wakefield•Austin, TX

7d•$161,500 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting into the Head of Global Data Centers – IFM, this role is accountable for supporting the strategy, operating model, governance, and business management infrastructure required to scale the firm’s data center platform. Serving as a strategic support to leadership, this role converts growth ambitions into disciplined priorities into measurable business outcomes. This role supports cross-functional planning across operations, finance, people, technology, compliance, business intelligence, solutioning, transitions, communications, and pursuits. The role supports platform success, measures performance, and enables execution across a complex matrix organization.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive experience in strategy, business operations, enterprise PMO, platform management, management consulting, or complex operational leadership, including significant experience influencing senior executives.
Demonstrated success building or transforming operating models in complex, matrixed, multi-account, multi-client, or rapidly scaling environments.
Strategic planning and business management capability, including portfolio prioritization, resource allocation, performance management, governance design, organizational alignment, and executive decision support.
Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to connect operating choices to growth, profitability, investment, risk, client value, and long-term enterprise performance.
Experience within data centers, mission-critical facilities, integrated facilities management, engineering operations, or another highly regulated and operationally complex environment strongly preferred.
Working knowledge of asset management, maintenance strategy, CMMS platforms, safety, quality, compliance, ISO frameworks, and operational risk; deep technical engineering expertise is not required, but credibility with technical leaders is essential.
Exceptional executive communication and influence skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information, challenge assumptions, create alignment, and drive decisions across stakeholders with competing priorities.
Proven ability to lead through ambiguity, establish structure where none exists, and move an organization from concept to repeatable enterprise capability.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and substantial relevant leadership experience required; advanced degree preferred.
Ability to travel 25%

Responsibilities

Support data center platform leadership to define strategic priorities, annual goals, operating objectives, and platform maturity milestones.
Support the development of the Data Center IFM roadmap, including near-term operational needs, long-term scalability requirements, growth priorities, and account support models.
Convert strategy into actionable workstreams, governance routines, deliverables, timelines, and ownership structures.
Support the development of current-state and the future-state assessments of Data Center vision, including operating model, reporting, technology, staffing, and business enablement needs; define the interventions required to close material gaps.
Support the collaboration with cross-functional teams (Finance, HR, Sourcing, Account Management, Technical Services, etc) to align strategic planning with pursuit activity, transition planning, account mobilization, client expectations, and operational readiness.
Track progress against strategic initiatives and provide leadership with clear updates on status, barriers, risks, and recommended next steps.
Support the development and evolution of the data center platform operating model, including governance routines, account support structure, roles and responsibilities, escalation pathways, and standard ways of working.
Support accounts to ensure they meet expectations, client commitments, compliance requirements, reporting standards, and internal business processes.
Create visibility into platform health through executive reporting, management insights, risk indicators, maturity measures, and forward-looking analysis that support timely intervention.
Support collaboration across Global Occupier Services and enterprise functions, resolving ownership gaps, surfacing systemic barriers, and aligning stakeholders around common business outcomes.
Support strategic initiatives that improve platform maturity, scalability, account consistency, and operational readiness.
Track workstreams, risks, owners, deadlines, and dependencies across platform priorities.
Drive execution across matrixed teams by removing barriers, resolving dependencies, escalating material risks, and maintaining focus on intended business outcomes.
Assess whether programs are delivering measurable value and recommend acceleration, redesign, consolidation, or termination when results do not justify continued investment.
Ensure audit readiness, contractual discipline, policy alignment, and operational controls are embedded into the operating model rather than managed as disconnected administrative activities.
Support Standards & Compliance, Transition and operational leaders to define the controls, evidence, reporting, and escalation mechanisms required for responsible growth and execution.
Provide senior-level strategic content and operational substantiation for pursuits, client presentations, diligence, and executive discussions; this role is not a proposal-writing or coordination function.
Support the platform’s growth narrative by articulating the operating model, governance, capabilities, proof points, differentiators, and enterprise support structure that strengthen market credibility.
Capture lessons from wins, losses, transitions, and account performance to refine the platform strategy, value proposition, and future investment priorities.
Support the build out of alignment among senior leaders and account teams by translating strategy into a compelling case for change, clear expectations, and practical implications for the business.
Develop executive-level narratives, board-quality materials, leadership briefings, and strategic communications that clarify direction, performance, decisions, and organizational priorities.
Act as a trusted advisor and support across diverse technical, operational, commercial, and corporate functions, influencing outcomes without relying on direct authority.