Managing Director, Global Workplace, Administrative Services & Real Estate

Grant Thornton • Chicago, IL

7d • $243,000 - $467,326 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Managing Director, Global Workplace, Administrative Services & Real Estate is the firm’s most senior leader responsible for the end-to-end strategy, governance, and performance of the global workplace, corporate real estate, administrative support, travel, meetings & events, and corporate card programs across 20 countries. This role ensures the workplace and administrative ecosystem enables the firm’s client delivery model, supports talent attraction and retention, reinforces brand consistency, and drives disciplined financial outcomes.

The Managing Director owns a $150M annual budget and leads a global operating model spanning portfolio strategy, capital investment, workplace experience, service delivery, vendor ecosystem, administrative support, travel and meetings, and data and analytics. The role partners directly with the Global COO and enterprise leaders (CFO, CHRO, CIO, Risk, and Regional COOs/Managing Partners) to align corporate real estate, administrative, and travel decisions to the firm’s growth agenda and operating targets.

Requirements

• 15+ years progressive leadership in global workplace, corporate real estate, administrative services, enterprise operations, or comparable functions in professional services or similarly complex client-facing environments.
• Demonstrated success driving measurable outcomes through portfolio optimization, utilization improvements, operating model redesign and standardization, vendor ecosystem optimization, and enterprise change leadership across regions.
• Proven ability to operate credibly with senior leaders and partner groups; strong governance and influencing capability in a matrixed, multi-country model.

Nice To Haves

• Experience leading flagship programs and/or client experience center strategies preferred.
• Relevant industry credentials a plus.

Responsibilities

• Global Workplace and Corporate Real Estate Strategy Set the global workplace and corporate real estate vision aligned to firm strategy, including hub-and-spoke, flexible space, and market entry/exit decisions.
• Lead multi-year portfolio planning, scenario modeling, and capacity strategy tied to hybrid work patterns, growth in priority service lines, and evolving client delivery needs.
• Establish global standards while enabling regional execution appropriate to local cultures, regulations, and market economics.
• Deliver quantifiable outcomes through portfolio rationalization, utilization improvement, and cost-to-revenue discipline.
• Executive Assistance and Administrative Support Define and deliver firmwide administrative support standards, including executive business assistance for senior leadership, partners, and managing directors.
• Lead shared service center delivery of administrative assistance, ensuring scalable, high-quality support across regions.
• Oversee “white glove” meeting and event services for senior executives and client-facing teams, ensuring seamless, brand-aligned experiences.
• Drive continuous improvement in administrative processes, technology enablement, and service delivery.
• Travel, Meetings and Events Develop and execute the firmwide travel and meetings strategy, approval processes, balancing cost discipline, compliance, and experience optimization.
• Lead vendor governance for travel, meetings, and events, ensuring robust policy enablement and regulatory compliance.
• Optimize travel and event experiences for employees and clients, leveraging technology and data to enhance satisfaction and efficiency.
• Oversee global meeting and event logistics, including high-profile executive and client engagements.
• Corporate Card Administration Own program governance and controls for the firm’s corporate card program, ensuring compliance with regulatory and tax requirements.
• Manage vendor relationships, cardholder experience, and support, driving high satisfaction and operational reliability.
• Ensure data visibility, reporting, and analytics for spend management, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Finance and Risk to maintain robust controls and audit readiness.
• Financial Stewardship and Capital Allocation Own the $150M annual operating and capital budget; lead forecasting, planning, and governance for operating and capital expenses across regions.
• Create and manage a multi-year capital roadmap that prioritizes investments in client experience, employee experience, technology enablement, and modernization with clear return-on-investment thresholds.
• Drive enterprise value through lease actions, footprint rightsizing, vendor optimization, and reinvestment strategies.
• Operating Model, Global Governance and Service Delivery Design and run a scalable operating model—global standards, shared services where appropriate, and regionally optimized delivery.
• Build a high-performing organization and vendor ecosystem, including performance management (service level agreements and key performance indicators), procurement leverage, and continuous improvement.
• Lead transformation programs across workplace operations, administrative services, travel, meetings, procurement alignment, and related enterprise functions.
• Workplace Experience and Brand Consistency Define global workplace experience principles and standards to support client-facing collaboration, confidential work, team-based delivery, learning and training, and community.
• Ensure the workplace and administrative services support utilization efficiency without eroding service quality, culture, or talent outcomes.
• Sponsor global experience modernization programs that reinvest productivity gains into high-impact improvements.
• Hybrid Work Enablement and Enterprise Change Leadership Partner with CHRO/CIO/Communications to sustain a clear hybrid workplace strategy (attendance norms, team agreements, collaboration patterns) and translate it into space and service requirements.
• Lead change management for consolidations, redesigns, and new ways of working—especially across partner-led cultures and geographically distributed teams.
• Align executives, regional leaders, and service line stakeholders on tradeoffs and outcomes.
• Risk, Compliance, Security and Business Continuity Ensure workplace, administrative, travel, and corporate card programs meet global and local requirements for security, safety, regulatory compliance, privacy, and operational resilience.
• Oversee crisis readiness and business continuity planning for critical hubs and third-party providers.
• Build and mature analytics capabilities (global dashboards, utilization measurement, scenario simulations, smart building insights) to enable fact-based decisions and transparent performance reporting.
• Standardize metrics and portfolio health reporting to the Global COO and executive leadership.

Benefits

• Whether it's your work location, weekly schedule, or flex time off, we empower you with the options to work the way that it best serves your clients and your life. Consistent with the firm's hybrid work model, this position will require in-person attendance at least three days per week, either at a GT office or client site.
• Here, you are supported to prioritize your overall well-being through work-life integration options that work best for you and those in your household.
• We understand that your needs, responsibilities and experiences are different — and we think that’s a good thing. That’s why we support you with personalized and comprehensive benefits that recognize and empower all the identities, roles and aspirations that make you, well, you. See how at www.gt.com/careers
• When it comes to inclusion, we are committed to doing more than checking boxes. Explore all the ways we’re taking action for diversity, equity & inclusion at www.gt.com/careers
• Grant Thornton interns are eligible to participate in the firm’s medical, dental and vision insurance programs and the firm’s employee assistance program. Interns also receive a minimum of 72 hours of paid sick leave and are paid for firm holidays that fall within their internship period.
• Grant Thornton seasonal employees are eligible to participate in the firm’s medical, dental and vision insurance programs and the firm’s employee assistance program. Seasonal employees may also be eligible to participate in the firm’s 401(k) savings plan and employee retirement plan in accordance with applicable plan terms and eligibility requirements. Seasonal employees receive a minimum of 72 hours of paid sick leave.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive