Director, Workplace Strategy & Occupancy Planning
Make your next move an expert one. At Colliers it's not our success that sets us apart, it's how we achieve it. Our people are passionate, take ownership and always do what's right for our clients, people and communities.
Why Colliers?
Our enterprising environment needs your expertise to facilitate Colliers' continued growth as an industry leader. Our nimble, decentralized culture can provide you with a wealth of opportunities to learn about our business and quickly gain experience to accelerate your career.
About you
The Director, Workplace Strategy & Occupancy Planning, is responsible for leading the delivery of data-driven workplace strategy and occupancy planning services for a global corporate client. This role serves as the central day-to-day leader for workplace planning initiatives, feasibility studies, S&OP portfolio analysis, and strategic space requests, ensuring every recommendation is grounded in quantitative analysis, business requirements, and organizational objectives.
Operating in a player-coach model, this leader oversees the activities of a team of workplace strategists and space & occupancy planners while remaining actively engaged in project delivery, including complex analyses, executive presentations, data collection, scenario development, and strategic forecasting. The Director establishes priorities across a diverse portfolio of projects, balances resources against contractual commitments, and partners closely with other partner groups like Portfolio Strategy, Transactions, Project Management, Workplace Operations, and client leadership to deliver integrated workplace solutions.
Success in this role requires exceptional analytical capability, executive presence, and strong people leadership, with the ability to seamlessly balance hands-on execution and team leadership. The ideal candidate excels at transforming complex workplace data and business requirements into actionable insights, strategic recommendations, and high-quality deliverables while guiding a team through projects ranging from day-to-day requests to complex global initiatives.
In this role, you will…
- Lead the delivery of workplace strategy, occupancy planning, and feasibility studies for a global client, developing evidence-based recommendations that align workplace solutions with business objectives, operational needs, and organizational priorities.
- Operate in a player-coach model by leading, producing, reviewing, and continuously improving the team's work. Actively contribute to analyses, planning studies, presentations, dashboards, and client deliverables while coaching and directing team members and ensuring a consistently high standard of quality.
- Serve as the central intake lead for workplace planning initiatives, evaluating requests, defining project approaches, prioritizing work, assigning resources, and balancing workload against contractual commitments, service levels, and evolving business priorities.
- Provide day-to-day program leadership by overseeing multiple concurrent workplace initiatives, proactively managing priorities, timelines, deliverables, risks, and resource needs while remaining actively involved throughout project execution.
- Partner with the client, business leaders, and other stakeholders to facilitate workshops, interviews, planning sessions, occupancy evaluations, and other qualitative and quantitative discovery efforts that validate business requirements and inform workplace solutions.
- Lead and actively participate in the collection, validation, reconciliation, auditing, and analysis of workplace, occupancy, utilization, and business data, ensuring recommendations are supported by accurate, reliable, and defensible information.
- Develop, review, and refine workplace planning scenarios, feasibility studies, utilization analyses, capacity models, adjacency studies, block plans, test fits, business cases, and strategic recommendations that support informed business decisions.
- Develop, monitor, and audit complex quantitative and qualitative data into executive-ready dashboards, reports, presentations, and compelling narratives that clearly communicate insights, opportunities, risks, and recommended actions.
- Establish, maintain, and continuously improve planning methodologies, reporting frameworks, dashboards, analytical models, and standardized processes that improve consistency, scalability, and decision-making across the workplace planning program.
- Establish and execute data stewardship practices by auditing, validating, reconciling, and maintaining workplace, occupancy, and spatial data across IWMS platforms and related planning systems. Ensure data integrity through rigorous quality control, standardized processes, and ongoing review of planning outputs.
- Work alongside the planning team to review, challenge, and elevate the quality of analyses, planning scenarios, reporting, and client deliverables, ensuring recommendations are insightful, actionable, and aligned with client objectives and workplace planning standards.
- Oversee the development and maintenance of planning documentation, including occupancy & adjacency plans, scenario models, AutoCAD drawings, test fits, planning databases, dashboards, and reporting deliverables while ensuring accuracy, consistency, and adherence to established service level agreements.
- Present analyses, planning recommendations, and strategic insights to stakeholders ranging from functional teams to executive leadership, using data-driven storytelling and strong executive presence to influence decision-making and build consensus.
- Collaborate with account leadership and multidisciplinary project teams to integrate workplace planning activities with broader workplace strategy, design, project implementation, and change initiatives, ensuring seamless client delivery.
- Monitor program performance through key performance indicators, project tracking, workload planning, resource utilization, and recurring business reviews, proactively identifying risks, recommending corrective actions, and driving continuous improvement.
- Coach, mentor, and develop workplace strategists and planners through hands-on collaboration, technical guidance, quality reviews, and ongoing professional development, fostering a culture of analytical excellence, accountability, and continuous learning.
- Continuously evaluate emerging workplace trends, planning technologies, IWMS capabilities, workplace analytics tools, and data visualization platforms to enhance service delivery, strengthen planning capabilities, and improve client outcomes.
What success looks like
- Bachelor's degree required in Architecture, Interior Design, Workplace Strategy, Corporate Real Estate, Planning, Business, Analytics, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in workplace strategy, occupancy planning, workplace consulting, corporate real estate, workplace analytics, or a related discipline, including experience leading complex client engagements and teams.
- Demonstrated experience leading workplace strategy, occupancy planning, feasibility studies, workplace analytics, and business case development within complex corporate environments.
- Proven experience operating in a player-coach environment, successfully balancing hands-on execution with team leadership, coaching, quality assurance, and program oversight.
- Experience leading teams, managing resources, and prioritizing multiple concurrent initiatives while maintaining exceptional client service and delivery quality.
- Strong consulting, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to lead workshops, interviews, business requirement gathering sessions, and executive presentations.
- Advanced analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills with the ability to collect, validate, reconcile, analyze, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data into actionable business insights and strategic recommendations.
- Demonstrated experience developing dashboards, reporting frameworks, analytical models, and executive-ready presentations that communicate complex information clearly and effectively.
- Strong understanding of workplace planning, occupancy planning, utilization analysis, scenario development, spatial data management, IWMS platforms, and workplace planning methodologies.
- Process-oriented and self-motivated, with demonstrated experience establishing standardized processes, data governance practices, quality assurance procedures, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and executive communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all organizational levels through data-driven storytelling and evidence-based recommendations.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to changing business needs, and deliver results within a fast-paced, matrixed consulting environment.
- Familiarity with architectural drawings, workplace planning concepts, furniture systems, and workplace design principles; experience supporting design reviews, test fits, and workplace planning initiatives is preferred.
- Expertise in operating IWMS platforms (e.g., Archibus, Serraview, Manhattan, IBM TRIRIGA, or similar), with experience in workplace data governance, reporting, and spatial data management.
- Experience partnering effectively across multidisciplinary teams, including Workplace Strategy, Project Management, Design, Change Management, Workplace Experience, and Client Relationship Management.
- Change Management experience, including workplace transformation and organizational change initiatives, is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to build trusted client relationships, influence strategic decision-making, and communicate effectively with stakeholders ranging from individual contributors to executive leadership
Benefits Employees (and their families) are provided options for employer subsidized medical benefits including RX, dental, vision as well as employer paid basic life/AD&D insurance and short-term/long-term disability.Employees are able to enroll in our company's 401k plan, which includes an employer match.Employees will also receive 10 days of sick leave and a minimum of 15-days vacation annually.Certain senior-level roles are eligible for unlimited time off.Employees will also enjoy 10 paid holidays plus two personal flex days throughout the calendar year.
Twelve weeks (for birth parents) and 4 weeks (for non-birth parents, including adoptive/foster parents) of paid parental leave will also be available for use after successful
Director, Workplace Strategy & Occupancy Planning
Make your next move an expert one. At Colliers it's not our success that sets us apart, it's how we achieve it. Our people are passionate, take ownership and always do what's right for our clients, people and communities.
Why Colliers?
Our enterprising environment needs your expertise to facilitate Colliers' continued growth as an industry leader. Our nimble, decentralized culture can provide you with a wealth of opportunities to learn about our business and quickly gain experience to accelerate your career.
About you
The Director, Workplace Strategy & Occupancy Planning, is responsible for leading the delivery of data-driven workplace strategy and occupancy planning services for a global corporate client. This role serves as the central day-to-day leader for workplace planning initiatives, feasibility studies, S&OP portfolio analysis, and strategic space requests, ensuring every recommendation is grounded in quantitative analysis, business requirements, and organizational objectives.
Operating in a player-coach model, this leader oversees the activities of a team of workplace strategists and space & occupancy planners while remaining actively engaged in project delivery, including complex analyses, executive presentations, data collection, scenario development, and strategic forecasting. The Director establishes priorities across a diverse portfolio of projects, balances resources against contractual commitments, and partners closely with other partner groups like Portfolio Strategy, Transactions, Project Management, Workplace Operations, and client leadership to deliver integrated workplace solutions.
Success in this role requires exceptional analytical capability, executive presence, and strong people leadership, with the ability to seamlessly balance hands-on execution and team leadership. The ideal candidate excels at transforming complex workplace data and business requirements into actionable insights, strategic recommendations, and high-quality deliverables while guiding a team through projects ranging from day-to-day requests to complex global initiatives.
In this role, you will…
- Lead the delivery of workplace strategy, occupancy planning, and feasibility studies for a global client, developing evidence-based recommendations that align workplace solutions with business objectives, operational needs, and organizational priorities.
- Operate in a player-coach model by leading, producing, reviewing, and continuously improving the team's work. Actively contribute to analyses, planning studies, presentations, dashboards, and client deliverables while coaching and directing team members and ensuring a consistently high standard of quality.
- Serve as the central intake lead for workplace planning initiatives, evaluating requests, defining project approaches, prioritizing work, assigning resources, and balancing workload against contractual commitments, service levels, and evolving business priorities.
- Provide day-to-day program leadership by overseeing multiple concurrent workplace initiatives, proactively managing priorities, timelines, deliverables, risks, and resource needs while remaining actively involved throughout project execution.
- Partner with the client, business leaders, and other stakeholders to facilitate workshops, interviews, planning sessions, occupancy evaluations, and other qualitative and quantitative discovery efforts that validate business requirements and inform workplace solutions.
- Lead and actively participate in the collection, validation, reconciliation, auditing, and analysis of workplace, occupancy, utilization, and business data, ensuring recommendations are supported by accurate, reliable, and defensible information.
- Develop, review, and refine workplace planning scenarios, feasibility studies, utilization analyses, capacity models, adjacency studies, block plans, test fits, business cases, and strategic recommendations that support informed business decisions.
- Develop, monitor, and audit complex quantitative and qualitative data into executive-ready dashboards, reports, presentations, and compelling narratives that clearly communicate insights, opportunities, risks, and recommended actions.
- Establish, maintain, and continuously improve planning methodologies, reporting frameworks, dashboards, analytical models, and standardized processes that improve consistency, scalability, and decision-making across the workplace planning program.
- Establish and execute data stewardship practices by auditing, validating, reconciling, and maintaining workplace, occupancy, and spatial data across IWMS platforms and related planning systems. Ensure data integrity through rigorous quality control, standardized processes, and ongoing review of planning outputs.
- Work alongside the planning team to review, challenge, and elevate the quality of analyses, planning scenarios, reporting, and client deliverables, ensuring recommendations are insightful, actionable, and aligned with client objectives and workplace planning standards.
- Oversee the development and maintenance of planning documentation, including occupancy & adjacency plans, scenario models, AutoCAD drawings, test fits, planning databases, dashboards, and reporting deliverables while ensuring accuracy, consistency, and adherence to established service level agreements.
- Present analyses, planning recommendations, and strategic insights to stakeholders ranging from functional teams to executive leadership, using data-driven storytelling and strong executive presence to influence decision-making and build consensus.
- Collaborate with account leadership and multidisciplinary project teams to integrate workplace planning activities with broader workplace strategy, design, project implementation, and change initiatives, ensuring seamless client delivery.
- Monitor program performance through key performance indicators, project tracking, workload planning, resource utilization, and recurring business reviews, proactively identifying risks, recommending corrective actions, and driving continuous improvement.
- Coach, mentor, and develop workplace strategists and planners through hands-on collaboration, technical guidance, quality reviews, and ongoing professional development, fostering a culture of analytical excellence, accountability, and continuous learning.
- Continuously evaluate emerging workplace trends, planning technologies, IWMS capabilities, workplace analytics tools, and data visualization platforms to enhance service delivery, strengthen planning capabilities, and improve client outcomes.
What success looks like
- Bachelor's degree required in Architecture, Interior Design, Workplace Strategy, Corporate Real Estate, Planning, Business, Analytics, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in workplace strategy, occupancy planning, workplace consulting, corporate real estate, workplace analytics, or a related discipline, including experience leading complex client engagements and teams.
- Demonstrated experience leading workplace strategy, occupancy planning, feasibility studies, workplace analytics, and business case development within complex corporate environments.
- Proven experience operating in a player-coach environment, successfully balancing hands-on execution with team leadership, coaching, quality assurance, and program oversight.
- Experience leading teams, managing resources, and prioritizing multiple concurrent initiatives while maintaining exceptional client service and delivery quality.
- Strong consulting, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to lead workshops, interviews, business requirement gathering sessions, and executive presentations.
- Advanced analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills with the ability to collect, validate, reconcile, analyze, and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data into actionable business insights and strategic recommendations.
- Demonstrated experience developing dashboards, reporting frameworks, analytical models, and executive-ready presentations that communicate complex information clearly and effectively.
- Strong understanding of workplace planning, occupancy planning, utilization analysis, scenario development, spatial data management, IWMS platforms, and workplace planning methodologies.
- Process-oriented and self-motivated, with demonstrated experience establishing standardized processes, data governance practices, quality assurance procedures, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and executive communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all organizational levels through data-driven storytelling and evidence-based recommendations.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to changing business needs, and deliver results within a fast-paced, matrixed consulting environment.
- Familiarity with architectural drawings, workplace planning concepts, furniture systems, and workplace design principles; experience supporting design reviews, test fits, and workplace planning initiatives is preferred.
- Expertise in operating IWMS platforms (e.g., Archibus, Serraview, Manhattan, IBM TRIRIGA, or similar), with experience in workplace data governance, reporting, and spatial data management.
- Experience partnering effectively across multidisciplinary teams, including Workplace Strategy, Project Management, Design, Change Management, Workplace Experience, and Client Relationship Management.
- Change Management experience, including workplace transformation and organizational change initiatives, is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to build trusted client relationships, influence strategic decision-making, and communicate effectively with stakeholders ranging from individual contributors to executive leadership
Benefits Employees (and their families) are provided options for employer subsidized medical benefits including RX, dental, vision as well as employer paid basic life/AD&D insurance and short-term/long-term disability.Employees are able to enroll in our company's 401k plan, which includes an employer match.Employees will also receive 10 days of sick leave and a minimum of 15-days vacation annually.Certain senior-level roles are eligible for unlimited time off.Employees will also enjoy 10 paid holidays plus two personal flex days throughout the calendar year.
Twelve weeks (for birth parents) and 4 weeks (for non-birth parents, including adoptive/foster parents) of paid parental leave will also be available for use after successful
