Senior Director of Global Real Estate and Workplace Strategy

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At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients.

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Reporting to the SVP & Head of Global Facilities, the Sr. Director of Global Real Estate and Workplace Strategy is responsible for the real estate functions for nearly 9,000 employees across 30 global sites. This role is instrumental in shaping and executing the Global Real Estate and Workplace strategies.  This leadership role will require mobilizing available internal customers, peers, cross-functional partners) and external partners (landlords, brokers, etc.) to achieve organizational goals; integrating and aligning efforts across functions and locations. The leader will be responsible for translating strategic priorities into physical reality; aligning communications, accountabilities, resource capabilities, internal processes, industry best practices, and ongoing measurement systems to ensure that strategies and transactions yield measurable and sustainable results.  

Responsibilities: 

• Lead the global Real Estate and Workplace Strategy Teams in developing Real Estate strategies and solutions that align with business unit strategies in delivering workplaces that fuel innovation, drive growth, and enhance employee experiences.  
• Oversee the entire lifecycle and negotiations of complex real estate transactions, from site selection and financial analysis to negotiation and execution, while also acting as an escalation point during the lifecycle of all real estate transactions, including build-out through the first day of business.   
• Support expansions and Mergers and Acquisition (M&A) activities including performance of due diligence and the identification, construction, and integration of new sites. 
• Develop annual and multi-year real estate plans in coordination with Finance, Legal, Procurement, and local operations teams. 
• Interact with executive management to inform and influence major real-estate strategies and decisions. 
• Provides directions to Real Estate construction team to create plans, budgets, and schedules facility purchases, construction and modifications, including estimates on equipment, labor, materials and other related costs. 
• Leads large scale contract development and negotiation pertaining to Real Estate in collaboration with Procurement and Legal teams. Work with Legal in development of Preferred Lease Term Library. 
• Keeps abreast of new workspace concepts, metrics, and industry best practices to drive innovation and collaboration and occupational efficiency. 
• Provides data and will partner with Finance for annual planning and budgets, and on-going financial management processes.  Partners with accounting to ensure accurate FASB reporting. 
• Create and maintain strong business partnerships within the Real Estate industry bringing best practices into play and decision making. 
• Maintain an ongoing engagement and reporting program to monitor progress toward portfolio-wide sustainability goals and asset-level performance. 
• Accountable for supplier relationships with suppliers related as they relate to real estate strategies including Transaction Management, Professional Consulting Services, Design, etc.
• Prepare and develop Global Real Estate & Global Facilities KPI’s and reports.
• Lead, mentor, and manage the real estate team, including deal leads. 
• Manage a global lease database and reporting infrastructure while leading benchmarking and cost optimization initiatives. 
• Monitor market trends and implement real estate risk mitigation strategies such as consolidations and transitions. 
• Develop the Global Facilities & Real Estate Continuous Process Improvement Center of Excellence building a CPI culture of continuous improvement and standardization. 
• Develop the Workplace Strategy Center of Excellence to ensure identification and implementation of Workplace Strategies that optimize space utilization and efficiencies while creating a meaningful employee experience that is inspirational, innovative, and productive. 

Requirements: 

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 20 years of related experience, with 12+ years of Management experience.
• BS Degree in Engineering, Business, Real Estate or related field is preferred.
• 10+ years in-depth corporate real estate, preferably in a biotechnology, life sciences or pharmaceutical related industry. 
• Experience developing and driving measurable global real estate and workplace strategies. 
• Experience in FASB Lease Accounting and development of real estate financial models and business cases used to drive decisions. 
• Experience in negotiating real estate transactions as well as strong understanding of lease agreements. 
• Experience leading and managing teams and projects globally in a fast-paced and high-growth environment. 
• Proven ability to manage multi-million-dollar projects and budgets. 
• Proven ability to develop site master plans aligned with business goals. 
• Proven delivery of sustainability solutions supporting emission reduction goals. 
• Collaborative, able to integrate and bring together individuals under common goals and accountabilities. 
• Comfortable with dealing with ambiguity and continuing change in a fast paced and growing hi-tech company. 
• Proven experience in managing expenses and capital budgets in excess of 75M annually. 
• Proven experience in CPI tools and solutions as well as building a CPI culture. 

Preferred Requirements:

• Deep understanding of global real estate deal triggers, market impacts, financials and negotiation strategies. 
• Experience with identification and solicitation of global incentive opportunities 
• Lean or Six Sigma certification. 
• Background in workplace experience, sustainability, and hybrid workplace planning. 

The estimated base salary range for the Sr. Director of Global Real Estate and Workplace Strategy role based in the United States of America is: $224,900 - $337,300. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. Compensation decisions are dependent on several factors including, but not limited to, an individual’s qualifications, location where the role is to be performed, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off.
We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact [email protected]. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.