Senior Director, Global Real Estate

Company Description

It all started in sunny San Diego, California in 2004 when a visionary engineer, Fred Luddy, saw the potential to transform how we work. Fast forward to today — ServiceNow stands as a global market leader, bringing innovative AI-enhanced technology to over 8,100 customers, including 85% of the Fortune 500®. Our intelligent cloud-based platform seamlessly connects people, systems, and processes to empower organizations to find smarter, faster, and better ways to work. But this is just the beginning of our journey. Join us as we pursue our purpose to make the world work better for everyone.

Job Description

The Global Real Estate and Workplace Services (WPS) team is responsible for curating and sustaining our unique ServiceNow work environments around the world, helping to bring our purpose to life in the physical sense.  We are responsible for the full life cycle of our physical workplaces, from ‘ideation to expiration’, and we are a key influencer of the employee experience by way of our workspaces, services, and amenities.  

This position oversees global real estate transactions and lease administration for a 3.5 million square foot office portfolio across 80 locations, supporting over 25,000 employees. Reporting to the Vice President of Workplace Services and Real Estate, the role collaborates with Workplace Services and other stakeholders to ensure real estate actions align with business goals and budget. Responsibilities also include managing outsourced partners for service delivery.  

Key responsibilities include:

• Formulate and implement a global real estate strategy that reflects long-term organizational objectives.
• Use key lease dates, contract terms, financials, and market data to guide long-term planning and individual real estate transactions.
• Collaborate with the PMO, Operations, and Finance teams to prepare a comprehensive multi-year expense and capital forecast.
• Manage lease administration, ensuring accurate record keeping, rent payments, and related tasks.
• Oversee decision-making for acquiring real estate to maintain and expand the real estate portfolio.
• Initiate and oversee the transaction process by assigning staff, engaging external partners, and coordinating internal teams to ensure the success of each project.
• Obtain leadership approval for real estate transactions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders throughout all phases of the transaction to ensure alignment with project timelines and budgets.
• Coordinate the review and execution of lease documents, working closely with legal counsel to ensure regulatory compliance and minimize risk exposure.
• Provide support for M&A initiatives and other special transaction management projects as needed.
• Supervise transactions and lease administration teams.
• Oversee relationships and assess the performance of key external partners, including brokers, landlords, developers, and service providers.
• Foster an inclusive and collaborative environment where we can “win as a team”
• Partner with our product team to implement ServiceNow’s Workplace Service Delivery applications and engage in Now on Now development. 
• Oversee the tracking of critical dates, options, and obligations associated with each lease, proactively communicating with our stakeholders.
• Maintain up-to-date documentation and facilitate periodic audits of lease records to uphold operational integrity and transparency.

Qualifications

• Experience in leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This may include using AI-powered tools, automating workflows, analyzing AI-driven insights, or exploring AI’s potential impact on the function or industry. 
• 10+ years of experience in real estate transactions and management of lease administration 
• A bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Business, or a closely related discipline.
• Experience managing a team, department budget and engaging with internal partners 
• Skilled negotiator with global experience in all types of real estate transactions.
• The position requires on-site presence at least (3) three days per week, with flexibility for after-hours work to support global operations.
• Ability to travel globally to conduct site tours/visits, as needed.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel (analyzing data, pivot tables, etc.) and PowerPoint 
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to establish positive relationships with all levels of the organization, and with business partners (internal and external).
• Ability to prioritize and manage competing priorities and deliverables to multiple stakeholders
• Financial, analytical, and organizational skills.