Sr Director Global Strategic Real Estate Planning

Senior Director, Global Real Estate Strategy

Location : Anderson, SC or Columbus, OH Metro Area

Reports To : VP, Global Real Estate

Direct Reports : Regional Real Estate Strategy Leaders (Americas, EMEA, APAC)

Position Summary The Senior Director, Global Real Estate Strategy is responsible for shaping and executing real estate strategies that enable long-term business success across a global portfolio. This leadership role will serve as the primary interface between the corporate real estate function and global business units, ensuring that all real estate decisions align with broader operational goals and enterprise strategy. This role will lead the Strategic Planning function globally, overseeing regional strategic planners and ensuring a data-driven, proactive, and collaborative approach to real estate planning. Responsibilities include portfolio strategy development (expansion, consolidation, relocation, renewal, closure), demand forecasting, business alignment, scenario modeling, and governance of strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Portfolio Planning

Lead the global real estate strategic planning function, aligning space and location strategies with business unit objectives and workforce needs

Oversee (Regions) and directly develop (Operations and BU's) strategic plans and long-range forecasts for the global real estate portfolio, leveraging data analytics, financial modeling, and market intelligence

Direct the development of portfolio initiatives including site rationalization, footprint optimization, and cost reduction strategies

Business Partnership & Liaison

Serve as the strategic point of contact between corporate real estate and global business units, operations, and HR

Facilitate bi-monthly planning and coordination sessions with key stakeholders to ensure alignment and visibility

Translate business goals into actionable real estate strategies and performance metrics

Leadership & Governance

Lead and mentor regional strategy leaders to ensure consistency in planning methodology, data integrity, and execution quality

Establish and enforce global planning standards, KPIs / LPIs, and governance processes to support accountability and transparency

Partner with Finance to develop OpEx and CapEx forecasts and support real estate-related business cases

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

Identify and implement best practices in real estate strategy, scenario modeling, and planning tools

Champion the use of technology, AI, and automation to drive more efficient and predictive planning processes

Lead strategic initiatives tied to sustainability, resiliency, and enterprise transformation

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor's degree in Business, Real Estate, Finance, Architecture, Urban Planning, or related field (Master's preferred)

10+ years of experience in corporate real estate strategy, portfolio planning, or location strategy within a global enterprise

Strong business acumen and understanding of cross-functional operations (supply chain, manufacturing, sales, R&D, etc.)

Experience managing and mentoring distributed global teams

Proficiency in financial modeling, GIS / location analytics, IWMS platforms, and strategic planning tools

Exceptional stakeholder engagement, communication, and presentation skills

Key Competencies

Strategic Thinking

Business Partnership & Influence

Leadership & People Development

Analytical & Financial Rigor

Change Leadership

Global Mindset