Operations Director

Job Title

Job Description Summary

Job Description

Market Operations Leadership

• Own the operational health and performance of the Chicago office and corporate headquarters; establish consistent routines, standards, and service expectations.
• Serve as a strategic business partner to the Market Leader on operational priorities, planning, and execution.
• Act as the primary escalation point for operational & personnel issues; drive timely resolution and implement preventative controls to reduce recurring friction.
• Drive process improvement and operational efficiency across office functions; standardize best practices and ensure adoption.
• Collaborate with counterparts in other markets and sub-regions to learn and utilize best operational practices.
• Demonstrate expertise across all facets of the company's brokerage business, specifically services provided and clients served.

People Leadership & Culture

• Directly manage, mentor, and develop the Operations Manager, Facilities Manager, and operations support staff; set clear expectations, coach performance, and build a culture of accountability.
• Partner with HR to recruit, onboard, develop, and retain operations/support talent; own the full hiring lifecycle including job description development, interviewing, and Day 1 readiness coordination.
• Prepare and deliver annual performance reviews and KPIs; own the annual compensation review and reward processes for the market; and work in conjunction with HR on performance issues.
• Coordinate training and enablement for operational policies, procedures, and tools to ensure consistent service delivery.
• Foster an inclusive, high-engagement environment across the office and headquarters.

Financial & Business Management

• Direct all financial management for the market, including monthly and annual operating budgets, forecasts, pipeline, and reporting; assess variances for the market and service lines.
• Support the Market Leader and Regional Director of Operations in developing the annual business plan and budget; solicit input from service lines and market leads at pre-budget meetings.
• Review and approve expense reports, T&E, commission documentation, payables, and resourcing needs at the local level, in accordance with policy.
• Oversee deal documentation, Revenue Summary Document approval, and adherence to policy; work with Legal Counsel on standard contract/agreement changes as needed.
• Oversee invoice processing and expense coding in Workday; review outstanding receivables and determine collection strategy with the Market Leader.
• Promote CRM compliance for pipeline and revenue reporting; communicate finalized pipeline to market and service line leadership.

Facilities, Vendor & Office Services

• Oversee facilities management including relocations, buildouts, lease management, vendor relations, and compliance/record retention, in partnership with the Facilities Manager.
• Solicit and negotiate vendor bids, contracts, and pricing; ensure vendor records are maintained in Workday Vendor Management.
• Oversee the purchasing and maintenance of office supplies and equipment.
• Maintain and implement the business continuity and emergency preparedness plan.
• Coordinate office moves and space planning in conjunction with IT, Telecom, and Real Estate.

Systems, Compliance & Administration

• Ensure full utilization of C&W tools and resources, including Workday, and the firm's CRM platform (Salesforce).
• Track broker licenses, professional memberships, and continuing education requirements; follow up on delinquencies.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, record-keeping requirements, and industry/regulatory standards.
• Coordinate office events and conferences in partnership with Marketing and PR.

Background, Experience and Competencies

• Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience, preferably in commercial real estate.
• 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in operations, business management, commercial real estate, human resources, finance, or a professional services environment, including direct people management experience.
• 4+ years of experience managing a multi-functional team of 25+ direct/indirect reports (required).
• Experience supporting a commercial real estate brokerage platform and operating effectively within a matrixed organization preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams while providing strategic direction, coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, revenue reporting, expense management, and business planning.
• Proven ability to build strong partnerships with Leadership, fee-earners, service line leaders, HR, Finance, Legal, Marketing, Research, IT, and other key stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple priorities and urgent deliverables while balancing long-term strategic initiatives and operational excellence objectives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the executive presence and business judgment necessary to interact effectively with leaders at all levels of the organization.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel); experience with Workday, Salesforce, and financial reporting tools preferred.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email Accommodations@cushwake.com. Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.