Director Global Workplace Operations

London, England, United Kingdom

12/11/2024

You Lead the Way. We’ve Got Your Back.

With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you’ll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that’s unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.

At American Express, you’ll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we’ll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world’s best customer experience every day. And we’ll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.

Global Real Estate and Workplace Experience (GREWE) is a global team at American Express (Amex) responsible for the full lifecycle of planning, execution, and operations of Amex real estate. GREWE supports over 75,000 Amex colleagues and contractors in over eight million square feet of property located in 59 countries. Our real estate portfolio consists of large full-service campuses, office buildings, sales offices, airport lounges and data centers. The global GREWE team is comprised of ~100 Amex full time staff that leverage ~5,000 contractors and is part of the broader Global Servicing Group organization which delivers shared business services to colleagues across the enterprise. GREWE’s key priorities include:

• Be the workplace of choice in all markets, across all functions
• Proactively enable long term growth, resilience, profitability
• Capitalize on simplification and digital momentum
• Build and manage the best team as one GREWE (including our vendor partners)
• Consistently manage compliance, fiscal performance, risk and safety globally
  
  

How will you make an impact in this role?

The Director, Workplace Operations will lead the development of global programs focused on our core building infrastructure, ensuring a safe, efficient and technology-forward workplace environments. The role is pivotal in driving global consistency in building performance, facilities management supplier service delivery, adherence to global processes and data-driven prioritization of investments in portfolio-wide strategic initiatives.

A summary of key responsibilities include:

• Develop and oversee a global standard for facility hard services, focusing on building engineering, infrastructure risk, asset management, resiliency measurement and improvement facility services. Standards also account for regional variability where relevant.
• Develop and oversee a performance management program for GREWE’s major third-party service provider relationship(s) that deliver on engineering, facilities management and space management services.
• Globally integrate information to inform GREWE’s facility infrastructure capital investment program in collaboration with GREWE’s Capital Management team.
• Improve relationships with workplace delivery leaders across GREWE, Technology, Security and Colleague Experience Group (CEG) to gather feedback and insights to drive an integrated approach to investments into workplace operations priorities.
• Direct a proactive facility infrastructure condition and risk management program
• Own and update GREWE’s standard operating procedures related to workplace operations.
• Maintain and update operational risk ratings, controls and testing requirements as required by AXP Operational Excellence, Compliance and Enterprise Resilience Teams.
• Lead delivery and organized recording/filing of policy & process documentation, team activities, supplier performance and critical tracking project/program management tracking tools.
• Advise on technology strategy and prioritization of tech enhancements / investments that benefit Workplace Operations, such as building management systems, IoT devices, sensor programs, work order management systems, drawing & space tools and asset lifecycle management.
  
  

Included in these responsibilities are the enabling elements of a seamless, simple, yet holistic approach to meet GREWE’s strategic priorities. It will be the responsibility of this leader to develop a value driven and actionable strategy to 1) drive business growth, 2) deliver increased profitability, and 3) better manage facility risk / compliance. Measurement systems such facilities condition assessment benchmarks, third-party key performance indicators and the associated metrics to measure goal progress and results are also part of this scope. This will be supported by GREWE’s digital and analytics and capital management teams.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10+ years’ work experience global building operations, facilities management, and/or engineering in commercial or corporate real estate portfolios

• 5+ years’ experience managing portfolio-scale programs for large commercial or corporate real estate office environments
• 5+ years’ experience managing major facilities services supplier relationships with companies such as CBRE, Jones Lang Lasalle, Cushman & Wakefield or equivalent suppliers
• Deep knowledge of real estate, facilities, and engineering capabilities
• Ability to write and communicate clear and compelling business cases, analyses and program plans, tailored various stakeholder groups
• Proactive critical thinking and qualitative/quantitative problem-solving skills (issue identification, problem structuring, analysis, development of recommendations)
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to focus on details while not losing sight of the big picture
• Ability to easily partner with and influence senior leaders across the AXP organization
• Strong people leader; proven track record of followership and team development
  
  

Travel requirement: 25%, both domestic and international

Preferred Qualifications:

• University/bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in engineering, facility management, operations management
• Lean Six Sigma or Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
  
  

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location)
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location)
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
• Career development and training opportunities
  
  

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.