Director, RE Governance & Strategy
About The Position
Johnson & Johnson is seeking a Director, Real Estate Governance & Strategy for DePuy Synthes, a standalone orthopedics company. This hybrid role, based in New Brunswick, NJ, will be responsible for setting the global real estate strategy, governance framework, and standards for DePuy Synthes's global real estate portfolio of approximately 110 locations. The position ensures that real estate decisions, investments, and delivery activities are strategically aligned, consistently governed, and performance-driven across regions. Operating as the enterprise strategy and control center for Global Real Estate, this role defines how real estate work is prioritized, approved, executed, and measured, while enabling Regional RE Delivery teams to execute effectively within a clear governance model. This role is critical for ensuring disciplined capital allocation, portfolio optimization, and enterprise consistency in a standalone DePuy Synthes environment, partnering closely with senior enterprise leaders to ensure consistent, disciplined, and transparent real estate decision-making aligned with business priorities.
Requirements
- 12+ years of experience in corporate real estate, portfolio strategy, governance, or large-scale real estate programs
- Experience operating at a global or enterprise level
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Demonstrated experience operating at an enterprise or global level within a complex organization.
- Strong strategic thinking and ability to translate business priorities into actionable real estate strategies.
- Proven ability to influence and partner with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Experience developing governance models, policies, and decision frameworks.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and presentation skills.
Nice To Haves
- Advanced degree preferred
- Experience supporting large-scale transformations, separations, or operating-model changes.
- Background in life sciences, medical devices, or other highly regulated industries.
- Familiarity with global real estate portfolios and multi-regional operations.
- Experience working with external real estate service providers and advisors.
- Strong change management and organizational design capabilities.
- Professional certifications in real estate, finance, or project management (e.g., MCR, PMP).
Responsibilities
- Define and maintain the global real estate strategy, aligned to DPS business priorities, footprint needs, and long-term growth objectives.
- Lead portfolio-level planning, including scenario analysis, market trends, and strategic options to inform leadership decisions.
- Ensure real estate strategy integrates workplace, site design standards, and long-range master planning.
- Own and operate the global RE governance model, including decision rights, approval thresholds, and escalation paths.
- Serve as the business case approval authority for major real estate investments, transactions, and strategic initiatives.
- Ensure consistent application of governance across regions while allowing for appropriate local flexibility.
- Lead change management efforts related to new governance models, processes, and ways of working across the enterprise.
- Define and maintain global real estate standards, best practices, and policies, including space planning, workplace design, and site planning guidelines.
- Act as the process owner for key RE workflows (e.g., LRFP, RE planning, approvals, performance management).
- Drive simplification, standardization, and continuous improvement across RE processes.
- Establish and track global RE performance metrics, KPIs, and dashboards.
- Provide leadership with data-driven insights on portfolio performance, cost, utilization, and execution effectiveness.
- Identify systemic gaps or inefficiencies and drive corrective actions.
- Monitor and report on the effectiveness of governance frameworks, portfolio performance, and real estate decision outcomes, providing insights and recommendations to senior leadership.
- Partner closely with Regional RE Delivery leaders, Property Services, Strategic Supplier Management, Finance, Procurement, Legal, and Workplace teams.
- Ensure real estate strategy and governance are fully integrated into broader enterprise planning and investment processes.
- Support enterprise transformations (e.g., separation, footprint changes, operating model shifts) by providing clear strategy, governance, and execution guardrails.
- Enable consistent adoption of new standards, tools, and ways of working across regions.
Benefits
- medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, business accident insurance, and group legal insurance.
- consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k))
- long-term incentive program.
- Vacation –120 hours per calendar year
- Sick time - 40 hours per calendar year
- Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays –13 days per calendar year
- Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar
- Parental Leave – 480 hours within one year of the birth/adoption/foster care of a child.
- Condolence Leave – 30 days for an immediate family member: 5 days for an extended family member
- Caregiver Leave – 10 days
- Volunteer Leave – 4 days
- Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
