Director - Real Estate Services

American Express•New York, NY

About The Position

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express. About Global Real Estate & Workplace Experience (GREWE) Global Real Estate and Workplace Experience (GREWE) is a global team at American Express (Amex) responsible for the full lifecycle of planning, execution, and operations of Amex real estate. GREWE supports over 75,000 Amex colleagues and contractors in over eight million square feet of property located in 59 countries. Our real estate portfolio consists of large full-service campuses, office buildings, sales offices, airport lounges, and data centers. The global GREWE team is comprised of ~100 Amex full time staff that leverage ~5,000 contractors and is part of the broader Global Servicing Group organization which delivers shared business services to colleagues across the enterprise. GREWE’s key priorities include: GREWE Purpose: Provide the world’s best workplace experience at a competitive cost for every colleague, at every site, every day GREWE Strategic Priorities: Portfolio: The right buildings, in the right places, at the right cost Design & Build: Inspiring spaces that bring together colleagues, customers, and our brand Operations: Operational excellence that drives performance, speed, and reliability while minimizing disruption and risk Hospitality: Seamless, high-quality services for colleagues across every site and every moment that matters Project Management Director Responsibilities: Lead the end-to-end delivery of American Express’s new Global Headquarters, with full accountability for the execution of the Interiors including design, procurement, permitting and construction delivery. Along with the seamless integration with the base building development. This role serves as the senior project leader responsible for aligning design vision, construction execution, stakeholder priorities, and developer coordination to deliver a world-class workplace environment. The Project Director will oversee all phases of the project lifecycle—from design development through construction, commissioning, and handover—while ensuring strong integration with the base building team, adherence to cost and schedule targets, and delivery of the highest standards in quality, safety, and user experience. The candidate will have strong technical knowledge, leadership, and team development skills. They must have strong contract and stakeholder management skills and proficiency in collaborating across large complex project teams of engineers, architects, and other professions to ensure the project is designed and executed effectively.

Requirements

15+ years’ experience in construction management for major commercial or corporate real estate projects
15+ years’ experience managing major CM’s, GC’s, and construction trades as third-party vendors to major corporations
Proven experience delivering large-scale headquarters or flagship corporate projects
Deep expertise in interior fit-out delivery within complex base building environments
Strong understanding of developer-led projects and landlord/tenant coordination models
Experience managing design-led projects with high brand and workplace experience expectations
Ability to operate at both strategic (executive) and technical (delivery) levels
Deep knowledge of cost, schedule, and risk management on major capital projects.
Lead constructability reviews and establish robust approach to construction quality.
Ability to translate complex project data into and compelling business cases, analyses and program plans, tailored various stakeholder groups
Proactive critical thinking and qualitative/quantitative problem-solving skills (issue identification, problem structuring, analysis, development of recommendations)
Exceptional organizational skills and ability to focus on details while not losing sight of the big picture
Ability to easily partner with and influence senior leaders across the AXP organization. Strong team player, ability to take direction and remain flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
University/Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Construction Management or equivalent. Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent
10+ years’ work experience construction management supporting commercial or corporate real estate portfolios, with a clear understanding of the project process.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Project Management Director for the Global HQ, leading all aspects of interior design, fit-out construction, and delivery strategy
Act as the Interiors interface with the base building developer/landlord team, ensuring alignment on schedule, design interfaces, logistics, and dependencies
Provide full lifecycle leadership across design, procurement, construction, and handover phases for Interiors aspect of the project
Lead coordination between interior design teams, interior consultants, interior construction management, and base building stakeholders to ensure seamless integration
Drive decision-making across design, cost, schedule, and risk, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities
Establish and enforce governance, reporting, and escalation protocols for a high-visibility, executive-level project
Champion innovation in workplace design, construction methodologies, and delivery strategies
Foster a collaborative, accountable culture across project teams and external partners.
Promotes proactive communication, problem-solving, and ownership at all levels.
Manages the coordination and logistics between interior fit-out and base building to deliver world class facilities for American Express
Provides thought leadership and direction on construction means, methods, concepts

Benefits

Competitive base salaries
Bonus incentives
6%25 Company Match on retirement savings plan
Free financial coaching and financial well-being support
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits
Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy
Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
Career development and training opportunities