Director – Corporate Real Estate

Established nearly two centuries ago, FM is a leading mutual insurance company whose capital, scientific research capability and engineering expertise are solely dedicated to property risk management and the resilience of its policyholder-owners. These owners, who share the belief that the majority of property loss is preventable, represent many of the world’s largest organizations, including one of every four Fortune 500 companies. They work with FM to better understand the hazards that can impact their business continuity to make cost-effective risk management decisions, combining property loss prevention with insurance protection.

The Director of Corporate Real Estate leads FM’s global real estate strategy and operations for a portfolio of more than 70 locations and 2 million square feet. The role is responsible for developing portfolio strategy, workplace standards, transactions, capital planning and project governance, facilities operations, and vendor performance. The Director leads a global team and partners with senior leadership and key functions to deliver safe, productive, cost-effective, sustainable, and business-aligned workplaces.  The position oversees leased and owned properties, Headquarters facilities, food service and conference center operations, and global workplace services. It establishes governance, performance measures, technology, and processes that support business priorities; develops recommendations and business cases for executive consideration; and maintains accountability for operating and capital budgets, portfolio performance, service delivery, and material real estate risks.

Strategic Portfolio Management

• Partner with executive and senior leadership, business units, Engineering and Research, Finance, Legal, Risk Management, and other stakeholders to assess business needs, develop real estate strategies and recommendations, translate business plans intoshort- and long-term real estate strategies.
• Develop and maintain a forward-looking portfolio plan for field offices, technology centers, and corporate locations, using market, occupancy, utilization, financial, and operational data to inform recommendations.
• Optimize portfolio performance and total occupancy cost while balancing business requirements, employee experience, flexibility, risk, sustainability, and FM’s brand and client presence.
• Prepare scenario analyses and business cases for renewals, consolidations, relocations, and other significant portfolio decisions.
• Establish portfolio governance, standards, metrics, dashboards, and executive reporting. Monitor performance against approved plans and corporate objectives, and recommend corrective action when needed. 

Financial and Capital Governance

• Develop and manage annual and multi-year operating, occupancy, and capital plans, including approximately $80 million in annual rent and annual capital project activity ranging from $100 million to $300 million. 
• Monitor commitments and performance against approved scope, budget, schedule, and business case. Escalate material variances, risks, and decisions in a timely manner. 
• Partner with Finance to support accurate financial reporting, lease accounting, accruals, and long-range planning. 

Workplace Strategy, Standards and Experience

•  Develop and recommend enhancements to  FM’s global workplace strategy, including space planning, private office guidelines, quality and finish levels, furniture, technology coordination, and architectural standards.
• Govern consistent application of standards while allowing for documented business, regulatory, cultural, and market requirements. 
• Ensure workplaces support collaboration, innovation, accessibility, sustainability, employee experience, and FM’s brand. 
• Lead change management and stakeholder communications for significant workplace changes, office moves, and portfolio initiatives.
• Advise executive leadership on workplace investments, opportunities, and risks, leveraging employee feedback, utilization data, financial analysis, and industry benchmarks to support enterprise decision-making.
• Establish and oversee global workplace experience standards, services, and performance metrics, partnering across HR, IT, Finance, Sustainability, Communications, and business leadership to deliver a consistent, high-quality employee experience.

Transaction and Lease Administration

•  Lead global real estate transactions, including scenario analysis, leases, renewals and subleases.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Procurement, external brokers, and advisors to develop negotiation strategies, evaluate commercial terms, and secure appropriate contractual and financial protections. 
• Oversee lease administration, critical-date management, portfolio records, data quality, and timely support for financial reporting and decision-making. 

Capital Project Governance and Delivery

• Provide global oversight and governance for Corporate Real Estate capital projects, establishing clear accountability for scope, budget, schedule, quality, risk, and stakeholder communication.
• In the Americas, serve as FM’s primary client representative and liaison to the Hobbs Brook Management’s project implementation team and external project management resources. 
• In EMEA and APAC, lead or oversee project delivery, including programming, design standards, procurement coordination, cost and schedule control, change management, and closeout. 
• Coordinate with IT, Marketing, Security, EHS, Sustainability, business leaders, and other internal partners to ensure projects meet business and operational requirements. 

Vendor, Contract and Team Leadership

• Establish requirements, service levels, performance measures, and governance for Corporate Real Estate vendors and outsourced service providers.
• Partner with Procurement and Legal on sourcing, competitive bidding, negotiation, contracting, renewals, and remediation. Hold providers accountable for service, cost, risk, and contract compliance.
• Lead, develop, and engage a geographically dispersed team of real estate and facilities professionals. Set clear priorities and accountabilities, build organizational capability, and support succession planning. 

Corporate Headquarters Campus Operations

• Lead global facilities operations to provide safe, reliable, and productive work environments for employees and visitors. 
• Oversee Headquarters facilities, food service, conference center operations, site services, and vendor performance for the owned campus, with approximately $19 million in annual operating expense. 
• Partner with EHS, Security, Risk, Legal, IT, Engineering, and business continuity stakeholders to identify and address property-related safety, compliance, resilience, and operational risks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in real estate, finance or related field required; Masters Degree in Business or Real Estate preferred
• Minimum of 12 years senior level domestic and international corporate real estate experience
• Strong leadership skills, with extensive experience building and leading a crossfunctional team of real estate professionals
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to interact and influence at the highest levels of the organization
• Team-focused with ability to communicate, collaborate and problem-solve with cross-functional teams and motivate all levels of the organization
• Ability to understand and negotiate complex real estate transactions globally
• Experience with long-term strategic and occupancy planning Ability to oversee numerous functions and projects simultaneously
• Budget planning and management experience
• Excellent analytical skills, financial modeling
• Ability to negotiate leases, purchase and sale agreements and development agreements
• Experience working with diverse business units across time zones and geographies preferred
• Skilled in contract negotiation and vendor management
  

The final salary offer will vary based on geographic location, individual education, skills, and experience. The position is eligible to participate in FM's comprehensive Total Rewards program that includes an incentive plan, generous health and well-being programs, a 401(k) and pension plan, career development opportunities, tuition reimbursement, flexible work, time off allowances and much more. FM is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse workforce.