Global Real Estate and Workplace Operations Lead
About The Position
The Global Real Estate Operations Lead will build and lead DeployCo’s global workplace operations function, setting its long-term direction, shaping the team and provider model, and owning delivery across an international portfolio. As a partner to senior leadership, this role guides decisions about workplace investment, capacity, and the organization needed to support growth. This is a strategic, hands-on leadership role with substantial autonomy. The focus is workplace and facilities operations, with enough real estate and project expertise to oversee environmental health and safety, outsourced leasing, design, and construction. The role is accountable for dependable services while building the capability to scale. The Lead will partner with business Site Leads for local insight while retaining accountability for operational delivery, coordinate with OpenAI’s Real Estate and Workplace team where relevant, and build DeployCo’s own delivery capability. The role spans global operating plans, provider management, facilities issues, workplace budgets, team leadership, and office openings and transitions.
Requirements
- Progressive experience leading workplace and facilities operations across multiple countries, with a record of building reliable services in a fast-moving environment.
- Ability to set an operating strategy, build scalable systems, and make sound decisions independently when information or resources are incomplete.
- Strong people leadership, including hiring, coaching, delegation, and performance management across geographically dispersed teams.
- Depth in provider and landlord management, financial planning, and operational performance, combined with practical understanding of facilities and health and safety requirements.
- Fluency in leasing, real estate transactions, design, and construction sufficient to question advice, recognize risks, and oversee specialist delivery.
- Experience opening offices or managing significant workplace transitions, and clear communication with senior leaders, employees, and external partners.
Nice To Haves
- Experience at a third-party facilities or real estate firm followed by in-house leadership at a fast-growing technology company, or equivalent paths demonstrating operational depth and the ability to build.
- Experience integrating acquired offices or supporting a distributed professional-services business.
- Experience establishing and managing regional office sites globally while taking regional work practices and operational nuances into consideration.
Responsibilities
- Set and execute the global workplace operations strategy, translating business growth into service models, staffing, budgets, and operating standards.
- Own workplace and facilities services across the portfolio, including maintenance, landlord relationships, health and safety coordination, employee services, and issue resolution.
- Build and lead the global workplace operations team, initially with strong local site operations staff; define responsibilities, develop leaders, and evolve the organization as the portfolio grows.
- Set consistent service expectations while adapting to local requirements, office size, and working patterns; partner with business Site Leads on local context and priorities while retaining ownership of delivery and workplace communications.
- Establish a global workplace operations standard for DeployCo to provide a consistent, high-value working experience.
- Manage workplace and facilities providers by setting scopes, performance measures, commercial expectations, and escalation paths; resolve recurring problems and hold partners accountable.
- Lead workplace integration of acquired businesses and readiness for new offices, moves, and expansions while maintaining service continuity.
- Oversee outsourced leasing, design, construction, and office projects; assess specialist recommendations, coordinate approvals, and manage dependencies, budgets, risks, and operational handover.
- Own workplace budget planning, forecasting, and reporting; use utilization, service, and cost data to guide space and investment recommendations.
- Build processes, tools, and playbooks that improve visibility and prevent recurring issues.
- Coordinate with cross-functional partners on safety readiness, office services, employee experiences, and onsite gatherings.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
