Director, Occupancy Planning

Scotiabank•Toronto, ON

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the VP, Real Estate Strategy & BRM, the Director, Occupancy Planning enables enterprise-aligned, data-informed Real Estate decisions by integrating internal portfolio intelligence, global occupancy planning, and forward-looking market insight. The role optimizes Scotiabank’s workplace portfolio, supports evolving ways of working, and aligns space demand with business priorities, headcount plans, employee experience, financial discipline, and the Bank’s long-term Real Estate strategy. The Director, Occupancy Planning is accountable for leading the Bank’s occupancy planning capability, translating business strategies, workforce plans, utilization insights, portfolio data, and demand forecasts into actionable occupancy strategies and executive-ready recommendations. The role partners closely with business lines, Corporate Functions, Real Estate, Finance, HR, Technology, and regional teams to ensure workplace and occupancy decisions are integrated, feasible, cost effective, and aligned with enterprise priorities. The Director, Occupancy Planning is expected to bring strong business acumen, analytical discipline, stakeholder influence, and a deep understanding of corporate Real Estate, workplace strategy, occupancy management, and portfolio optimization. The incumbent will lead cross-functional planning activity, develop scenarios and business cases, and provide senior leaders with clear recommendations that balance business needs, employee experience, cost efficiency, risk, and long-term portfolio performance.

Requirements

A business, finance, Real Estate, engineering, planning, or related degree with 10+ years of relevant experience in corporate Real Estate, occupancy planning, workplace strategy, portfolio planning, market intelligence, or financial services operations.
Proven ability to develop occupancy strategies, scenarios, business cases, executive recommendations, and data-driven insights using analytics, financial modelling, market intelligence, and stakeholder input.
Strong facilitation, communication, and influencing skills with experience partnering with senior leaders, business lines, Corporate Functions, and cross-functional delivery teams.
Strong quantitative, analytical, financial, and strategic planning skills, with demonstrated ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable recommendations.
Experience establishing KPIs, performance metrics, data governance, reporting routines, and executive-ready materials that support occupancy, workplace efficiency, cost optimization, and portfolio decisions.
Strong leadership, coaching, and team-building capabilities with experience leading geographically dispersed teams.

Responsibilities

Lead the development of global occupancy planning frameworks, standards, KPIs, and decision support tools that align space demand with business strategy, workforce plans, regional operating models, hybrid work patterns, utilization insights, and the Bank’s Real Estate strategy.
Champion the use of occupancy data, internal portfolio intelligence, headcount forecasts, utilization metrics, market insights, scenario planning, financial modelling, and risk assessments to identify opportunities for consolidation, expansion, relocation, densification, cost reduction, and improved workplace effectiveness.
Act as a strategic advisor to senior business leaders and Corporate Functions on occupancy planning decisions, translating complex portfolio, occupancy, and market data into clear recommendations that support portfolio optimization, long-term location planning, capital planning, demand forecasting, and risk management.
Develop occupancy scenarios, options, business cases, financial models, and executive-ready recommendations to support informed Real Estate decisions.
Partner with business leaders to understand headcount plans, organizational changes, regional operating models, growth or reduction strategies, and workplace requirements.
Ensure recommendations consider cost effectiveness, capacity, utilization, employee experience, business continuity, implementation feasibility, capital implications, and risk.
Maintain senior leadership and governance forums apprised of material occupancy risks, opportunities, trade-offs, and recommended mitigation actions.
Provide leadership with occupancy options that optimize utilization within the existing global portfolio before pursuing external solutions.
Establish and oversee occupancy planning governance, reporting, demand intake, forecasting, and sustainment practices to ensure portfolio decisions remain aligned with business demand, density targets, workplace standards, and the Bank’s Real Estate strategy.
Maintain occupancy planning standards, data inputs, assumptions, KPIs, reporting routines, and planning cycles in partnership with Real Estate, Finance, HR, Technology, and business stakeholders.
Lead governance forums and stakeholder routines that support space request intake, prioritization, decision-making, issue resolution, and alignment across business lines and Corporate Functions.
Monitor occupancy, vacancy, utilization, workplace efficiency, cost optimization, headcount alignment, future demand signals, employee experience indicators, and delivery outcomes to identify continuous improvement opportunities.
Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and transparency to support executive reporting, investment decisions, and the positioning of occupancy planning as a strategic enabler.
Direct day-to-day activities in a manner consistent with the Bank’s risk culture and the relevant risk appetite statement and limits. Communicates the Bank’s risk culture and risk appetite statement throughout their teams.
Create an environment in which his/her team pursues effective and efficient operations of his/her respective areas, while ensuring the adequacy, adherence to and effectiveness of day-to-day business controls to meet obligations with respect to operational risk, regulatory compliance risk, AML/ATF risk and conduct risk, including but not limited to responsibilities under the Operational Risk Management Framework, Regulatory Compliance Risk Management Framework, AML/ATF Global Handbook and the Guidelines for Business Conduct.
Build a high-performance environment and implements a people strategy that attracts, retains, develops and motivates their team by fostering an inclusive work environment, communicating vision/values/business strategy, and managing succession and development planning for the team.