Senior Director, Global Design, Construction & Workplace Sustainability

Cushman & Wakefield•Pleasanton, CA

About The Position

Your work days are brighter here. We’re obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our customers, and the world around us. As a Fortune 500 company and a leading AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, we’re shaping the future of work so teams can reach their potential and focus on what matters most. The minute you join, you’ll feel it. Not just in the products we build, but in how we show up for each other. Our culture is rooted in integrity, empathy, and shared enthusiasm. We’re in this together, tackling big challenges with bold ideas and genuine care. We look for curious minds and courageous collaborators who bring sun-drenched optimism and drive. Whether you're building smarter solutions, supporting customers, or creating a space where everyone belongs, you’ll do meaningful work with Workmates who’ve got your back. In return, we’ll give you the trust to take risks, the tools to grow, the skills to develop and the support of a company invested in you for the long haul. So, if you want to inspire a brighter work day for everyone, including yourself, you’ve found a match in Workday, and we hope to be a match for you too. About the Team The Global Real Estate & Workplace team creates and continuously improves Workday’s productive and safe office environments while supporting our core values and distinction as a great place to work. With this critical contribution to the company in mind, we partner with other Workday departments such as People & Purpose, Business Technology, and Finance to ensure that we are successful in delivering on this goal. We handle every aspect of workplace operations, space analysis and projects, building facilities and maintenance. We capture employee rapport, keep track of office utilization, recommend expansions and / or new locations and coordinate projects for office build-outs and control operating and capital expenses. About the Role As the Senior Director, Global Design, Construction & Workplace Sustainability, you will be the visionary and operational lead for our physical footprint at Workday. You will oversee the entire lifecycle of capital projects—from groundbreaking innovation in global design to the rigorous management of capital budgets. Your mission is to create "Enhanced Experiences" for our Workmates, ensuring that every square foot of our global portfolio fosters engagement, inclusivity, and high performance. You will lead a world-class team of project managers and designers, setting the standard for how we build, how we spend, and how we sustain our environments.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in global real estate, construction management, or workplace design, with at least 10 years in a senior leadership capacity.
Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field (Master’s or MBA preferred).
Must hold LEED AP and WELL AP credentials.
Financial acumen with a proven track record of managing $100M+ global capital budgets.
Financial analysis experience and familiarity with accounting and financial concepts of real estate, capital projects and operations expenses.
A global mindset with experience navigating international construction laws, labor markets, and design standards.
A proven ability to inspire cross-functional teams and influence C-suite stakeholders.
Experience with global projects, specifically in Asia Pacific Japan, and EMEA.
Administrative ability, technical background and project responsibility experience.
Possess a thorough understanding of industry standards, including workplace practices, corporate management, office technology, and environmental factors.
Strong team leader with ability to lead internal and external team meetings.
Strong proficiency with project management tools and technology.
Strong internal and client relationship management and interpersonal skills.
Excellent communication skills including strong oral, presentation and written communication skills and professional presence.

Responsibilities

Global Capital Project Leadership End-to-End Delivery: Direct the planning, execution, and closing of all global capital construction projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and above quality standards.
Strategic Roadmapping: Align the real estate portfolio with long-term business goals, managing global expansion and optimization efforts.
Risk Mitigation: Identify and manage potential project risks, from supply chain disruptions to local regulatory hurdles. Ensure that the Real Estate an Workplace activities support overall business goals while meeting the needs and objectives of local departments.
Track upcoming needs and requirements for real estate projects globally.
Develop and manage an 18 month “look ahead” report of anticipated projects.
Partner directly with Real Estate Portfolio & Strategy team on site selection, ensuring projects meet the need of the Enterprise Location Strategy and workforce plan.
Direct all aspects of construction and project management across Workday’s Real Estate & Workplace portfolio.
Review staffing levels and recommend changes to appropriately support Workday needs.
Partner with other Workday internal teams, such as Safety & Security, FP&A, Workplace Operations, and Business Technology to ensure seamless handoff of projects at completion.
Lead a team of designers and project managers.
Financial Stewardship & Capital Budgeting CapEx Management: Own the global capital budget, providing accurate forecasting, tracking, and reporting to executive leadership.
Value Engineering: Drive cost-efficiency without compromising design integrity or the "Workmate" experience.
Vendor Management: Negotiate and manage master service agreements with global architects, general contractors, and consultants.
Ensure that schedules and budgets are developed and maintained for projects, utilizing existing processes, tools and templates.
Identify efficiencies and technology enhancements in the project management space, moving toward better insights for stakeholders.
Provide project status reports on costs (comparing to budget), and timelines (comparing to plan).
Reduce facilities unit costs while maintaining service levels by analyzing the value of the service provided, renegotiating vendor contracts where appropriate, and ensuring that staffing is at cost effective levels by developing metrics to understand when reductions are required.
Innovative Global Design & Experience Experience-Led Design: Lead a global design team to create workplace environments that act as a "destination," prioritizing employee engagement and holistic wellness.
Workplace Innovation: Stay ahead of industry trends (hybrid work models, AI integration in smart buildings) to ensure our offices remain cutting-edge.
Brand Consistency: Ensure a cohesive brand "look and feel" across disparate global regions while respecting local cultural nuances. Ensure Workday’s offices are designed and built to Workday’s standards.
Sustainability & Wellness Excellence Environmental Impact: Act as the internal champion for Workplace sustainability, ensuring all new builds and major retrofits meet or exceed corporate ESG goals.
Accreditation Leadership: Direct the strategy for achieving and maintaining LEED and WELL certifications across the global portfolio.
Health & Humanity: Integrate biophilic design and wellness-focused infrastructure to support the physical and mental health of our Workmates.