Account Director

Job Title

Job Description Summary

Job Description

Scope of Leadership 

• Provide executive leadership across one or more integrated service lines, geographies, business units, and client stakeholder groups. 

• Lead large, multidisciplinary, and matrixed account teams, including resources who may not report directly to the position. 

• Own end-to-end account performance, including service delivery, financial results, contract obligations, client experience, talent outcomes, risk, and growth. 

• Operate as a strategic advisor to senior client leaders and as the senior C&W representative for the assigned relationship. 

Potential Service Lines 

• Integrated Facilities Management, including engineering, environmental health and safety, sustainability, workplace experience, and supply chain management 

• Project and Development Services 

• Transaction Management 

• Space Management, Planning, and Occupancy 

• Portfolio and Lease Administration 

• Workplace and Portfolio Strategy 

• Data, Analytics, Technology, and Performance Management 

Essential Responsibilities 

Executive Client Leadership and Strategy 

• Serve as the executive sponsor and trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders, building durable relationships across corporate real estate, finance, procurement, risk, technology, operations, and business leadership. 

• Maintain a thorough understanding of the client’s enterprise strategy, operating model, culture, risk profile, financial objectives, and real estate priorities. 

• Translate client objectives into an integrated account vision, multi-year strategy, annual account plan, and measurable performance commitments. 

• Provide informed recommendations on portfolio optimization, workplace transformation, service delivery models, outsourcing, cost efficiency, and organizational effectiveness. 

• Anticipate emerging needs and proactively bring the full C&W platform to address client priorities. 

Service Delivery, Governance, and Transformation 

• Establish and lead a disciplined governance framework, including executive steering committees, business reviews, operational reviews, risk reviews, and escalation protocols. 

• Define and maintain service delivery standards, key performance indicators, service-level agreements, operating procedures, controls, and continuous improvement plans. 

• Ensure consistent and integrated delivery across all contracted service lines, locations, partners, and geographies. 

• Lead account mobilizations, transitions, stabilization efforts, organizational changes, technology implementations, and other transformation initiatives. 

• Use quantitative and qualitative analytics to identify trends, improve outcomes, prioritize investment, and support evidence-based decisions. 

• Champion innovation, standardization, automation, and best-practice adoption while ensuring solutions remain aligned with client requirements. 

Financial and Commercial Performance 

• Own account revenue, profitability, forecasting, budgeting, working capital, cost management, and overall P&L performance. 

• Establish financial controls and operating rhythms that support accurate reporting, timely decision-making, and achievement of contractual and business commitments. 

• Provide disciplined contract management, including interpretation of obligations, deliverable tracking, change control, pricing, scope management, and commercial issue resolution. 

• Lead contract renewals, renegotiations, scope extensions, and pricing strategies in partnership with Finance, Legal, Procurement, and Client Solutions. 

• Identify and execute organic growth opportunities that expand share of wallet, add service lines, and increase enterprise value for the client and C&W. 

Risk, Compliance, and Operational Resilience 

• Own the account risk framework and ensure timely identification, escalation, mitigation, and resolution of operational, contractual, financial, supplier, safety, technology, and reputational risks. 

• Partner with the client and C&W risk, legal, compliance, information security, business continuity, and environmental health and safety teams to meet applicable obligations. 

• Ensure the account operating model supports the heightened governance, control, confidentiality, audit, business continuity, and operational resilience expectations of a specialized financial services environment. 

• Maintain effective issue and dispute resolution processes that protect the client relationship and C&W’s contractual and commercial interests. 

• Ensure corrective actions are documented, owned, tracked, and closed. 

Talent and Organizational Leadership 

• Design and maintain an effective account organization aligned with client needs, contractual commitments, financial plans, and future growth. 

• Attract, select, retain, develop, and engage high-performing talent across disciplines and locations. 

• Lead talent reviews, succession planning, performance management, capability development, workforce planning, and leadership development in partnership with People teams. 

• Create an inclusive, accountable, collaborative, and client-focused culture that promotes safety, integrity, innovation, and continuous improvement. 

• Coach account leaders, establish clear decision rights, and hold individuals and teams accountable for outcomes. 

• Plan for leadership continuity and ensure critical roles have appropriate succession and contingency coverage. 

Enterprise Collaboration and Business Development 

• Lead collaboration across Finance, People, Legal, Procurement, Technology, Marketing, Client Solutions, Research, service lines, and local market leadership. 

• Mobilize the broader C&W platform to solve complex client challenges and deliver integrated solutions. 

• Contribute to regional and GOS leadership priorities, service delivery strategy, operating model design, pricing, pursuits, presentations, and responses to requests for proposals. 

• Represent C&W with clients, suppliers, industry partners, and other external stakeholders in a manner consistent with company values and business objectives. 

Measures of Success 

• Client satisfaction, executive relationship strength, and retention 

• Achievement of revenue, profitability, forecast accuracy, and working-capital objectives 

• Delivery against contractual commitments, KPIs, SLAs, and governance requirements 

• Growth through renewals, service expansion, and increased share of wallet 

• Risk reduction, control effectiveness, audit readiness, and issue resolution 

• Talent retention, engagement, succession readiness, and leadership capability 

• Execution of transformation, innovation, productivity, and continuous improvement initiatives 

Key Competencies 

Executive Presence and Client Leadership 

Strategic Thinking and Business Acumen 

Commercial and Financial Management 

Integrated Service Delivery Leadership 

Governance, Risk, and Contract Management 

Transformation and Change Leadership 

Talent Development and Organization Design 

Matrix Leadership and Enterprise Collaboration 

Negotiation, Influence, and Conflict Resolution 

Data-Driven Decision-Making 

Communication and Presentation Skills 

Innovation and Continuous Improvement 

Education 

• Bachelor’s degree required in business, finance, real estate, engineering, facilities management, or a related field. 

• Master’s degree, MBA, or relevant advanced professional credentials preferred. 

Required Experience 

• 10 or more years of progressive leadership experience in corporate real estate, facilities management, workplace services, outsourcing, consulting, financial services, or a related industry. 

• Demonstrated success leading a large or complex integrated services account with accountability for client relationships, P&L performance, service delivery, contract governance, talent, and growth. 

• Experience directly leading multidisciplinary teams and influencing large matrixed organizations across functions and geographies. 

• Experience engaging executive stakeholders and translating business strategy into real estate, workplace, portfolio, and operating plans. 

• Experience managing complex contracts, commercial negotiations, renewals, expansions, risks, and performance obligations. 

• Experience leading significant change, transformation, transition, stabilization, or technology-enabled improvement initiatives. 

Preferred Experience and Qualifications 

• Experience supporting a financial services, insurance, investment, fintech, payments, or similarly regulated and risk-sensitive organization. 

• Working knowledge of operational resilience, business continuity, information security, supplier risk, regulatory expectations, internal controls, and audit environments as they relate to workplace and real estate services. 

• Experience across multiple GOS service lines, including Integrated Facilities Management, Project and Development Services, Transaction Management, Portfolio Administration, Occupancy Planning, Workplace Strategy, or Data and Analytics. 

• Demonstrated record of improving client satisfaction, account profitability, operational performance, talent outcomes, and organic growth. 

• Ability to travel as needed and operate effectively in a fast-paced, highly matrixed, client-facing environment. 

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.