Head of Workplace Strategy & Operations

About the Role:

We're looking for someone who genuinely loves building great workplaces - a hands-on leader who can think big about global strategy while still caring deeply about the details that make an office a place our employees actually want to be. You'll own the experience across our offices in San Francisco, New York, Austin, London, and Berlin, and help us continue to build out our spaces as we grow.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise and knows how to use it creatively by cutting through unnecessary steps, making the right calls quickly, and delivering high-quality outcomes without defaulting to the obvious path. We need someone who thinks differently to get things done with both speed and intentionality. Most importantly, you won't wait for perfect. Instead, you'll ship, learn, and keep making it better. This role is based in San Francisco 5 days a week.

What You Will Do:

Global Strategy & Expansion

• Own our global real estate and workplace strategy,stay tightly connected to where the business is headed and anticipate what we'll need next
• Lead site selection, lease negotiations, and build-outs that set us up to scale without overbuilding
• Develop standards for new offices that ensure every office feels like Vercel, but is flexible enough to have the local vibe
• Partner closely with senior leadership and site leaders to gather input, build alignment, and ensure long-term real estate plans reflect both business priorities and the on-the-ground reality of each location

Workplace Experience

• Create spaces where our teams want to gather and are designed for real collaboration, focus, wellness, and a sense of belonging
• Be the guardian of Vercel's brand and aesthetic in the physical world and ensure every office feels unmistakably us
• Partner with our internal Design team to make sure the culture shows up in the walls, not just the website
• Sweat the details that make a workplace feel thoughtful, from the snacks to the layout to the moments that make people feel seen
• Work closely with People and IT so the physical space actually supports how employees work and grow

Facilities Operations, Safety & Security

• Own day-to-day operations across all our locations with consistency and care
• Build and run physical security programs that protect our people, including Executive Protection for our senior leaders
• Develop health, safety, and compliance programs that are taken seriously without being bureaucratic
• Manage the vendor ecosystem and hold partners to high standards while building relationships that actually work

Budgeting & Vendor Management

• Own the workplace budget and make smart tradeoffs,balancing investment with resourcefulness
• Source and negotiate with global vendors who meet our bar for quality, reliability, and values

About You:

• 8-10 years of experience in Facilities, Workplace Experience, Security and/or Real Estate leadership, including leading teams of various sizes
• Proven success at companies in the high tech space that evolved into first spaces, multiple spaces and then to regional spaces, with a track record of being scrappy, creative, and resourceful in scaling operations efficiently
• Demonstrated ability to build rapport and credibility with senior leadership and site leaders, driving alignment on long-term real estate strategy as well as day-to-day operations
• Passion for creating people-centered, inclusive environments, through design and experiences
• Belief in the power of design and brand to build meaningful workplace experiences and engagement with a strong aesthetic sensibility and an eye for how physical space reinforces brand identity
• Experience establishing and managing physical security programs, including day-to-day s