The GWS Technology Strategy Director is a senior individual contributor within the GWS Central Operations team, responsible for building and leading the technology strategy function. This role exists at the intersection of technology, real estate, and workplace experience, and is responsible for developing, maintaining, and driving the execution of a cohesive technology and tooling roadmap across the full spectrum of Global Workplace Services functions. The role reports directly to the Global Director of Central Operations. The successful candidate will serve as the primary technology authority for the GWS organisation, working in close partnership with the internal Enterprise Engineering (EE) team and the operational leads across Real Estate, Facilities Delivery, Global Security, and Culinary. They will be accountable for translating GWS business needs into a cohesive technology strategy and ensuring its successful implementation by EE and vendor partners. They will manage and govern relationships with the external vendor and technology partner ecosystem that supports these functions. This is a high-visibility role that acts as a strategic business partner, a product visionary, and a change agent, ensuring that the technology ecosystem for GWS is world class, scalable, and aligned with long-term business objectives.
Responsibilities
Define and maintain a multi-year, AI-native technology roadmap that serves the needs of the GWS portfolio, encompassing the identification, evaluation, and prioritisation of technology platforms and tools across all GWS sub-functions — from Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS) and space planning tools to smart building infrastructure and culinary management platforms. Ensure the roadmap is grounded in business need, financially defensible, and clearly sequenced to account for organisational capacity and interdependencies with the broader Enterprise Engineering technology estate. Set the strategic technology agenda across GWS partner teams, making prioritisation decisions that balance competing business needs and ensure technology investments deliver measurable value. Maintain structured, ongoing engagement with Enterprise Engineering (architecture standards, cybersecurity, network infrastructure, enterprise system integration, data governance), Real Estate (portfolio management platforms, lease administration tools, transaction management systems, space analytics), Facilities Delivery (IWMS, CMMS, IoT sensor networks, energy management, occupancy analytics), Culinary (point-of-sale systems, ordering and fulfilment platforms, inventory management, digital menu and wayfinding), and Global Security (integrated security systems, platform integration, vendor and technology governance, innovation and emerging tech, AI-native operations). Gather requirements, surface emerging needs, resolve competing priorities, and ensure technology investments deliver measurable value to each operational domain. Own the governance framework for the GWS technology vendor and partner ecosystem, including leading vendor selection processes (RFI/RFP), negotiating contracts in partnership with Procurement and Legal, and establishing performance management mechanisms. Maintain a clear view of the full vendor landscape, identifying opportunities to consolidate, rationalise, or modernise the tooling portfolio over time. Ensure all GWS technology initiatives are developed and deployed in alignment with Enterprise Engineering standards, policies, and architectural principles. Serve as the GWS Central Operations team's representative in relevant IT governance forums, ensuring new tools and platforms meet security standards, integration requirements, and data management obligations before deployment. Advocate within Enterprise Engineering for the unique operational needs of the GWS environment, including real-time operational systems, building automation protocols, and OT/IT convergence considerations. Maintain active awareness of the PropTech and workplace technology market, tracking emerging trends, attending relevant industry forums, and building relationships with innovators and early-stage vendors. Leverage market intelligence to inform the long-term roadmap and identify opportunities to pilot and adopt technologies that deliver competitive advantage in talent attraction, operational efficiency, and sustainability performance. Provide strategic oversight and accountability for the successful delivery of the portfolio of GWS technology programmes and projects, including defining scope, success criteria, and business cases for new initiatives. Work with Enterprise Engineering and external implementation partners to ensure robust delivery, and maintain executive-level visibility into programme status, risks, and outcomes.
Qualifications
12+ years of progressive experience in technology strategy, product management, or enterprise technology consulting, with a significant portion focused on global workplace services, facilities management, or a closely related operational domain At least 5 years of experience in a people leadership role managing teams and cross-functional technology programs at scale Demonstrable track record of developing and executing technology roadmaps in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, with comfort operating at both the strategic and operational levels Strong working knowledge of the GWS technology landscape, including familiarity with leading IWMS platforms (such as Archibus, Planon, IBM TRIRIGA, or ServiceNow WSD), smart building and IoT technologies, and the vendor ecosystems that serve Facilities and Culinary functions Solid understanding of enterprise IT governance, architecture principles, and cybersecurity fundamentals, sufficient to engage credibly with Enterprise Engineering counterparts Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences, build trusted relationships across organisational levels, and drive alignment among teams with competing priorities Strategic thinking — ability to develop a long-term technology vision and translate it into a sequenced, actionable roadmap Stakeholder influence — skilled at building consensus across senior stakeholder groups, combining organisational authority with cross-functional influence to drive alignment on technology priorities Commercial acumen — confident in building business cases, managing vendor contracts, and optimising technology spend Technical credibility — sufficient depth of technical knowledge to engage meaningfully with Enterprise Engineering, vendors, and implementation partners Delivery discipline — structured and rigorous in programme oversight, risk management, and executive reporting Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline, such as an MBA, MSc in Information Systems, or a professional qualification in real estate or facilities management Prior experience working within a large, global organisation with a distributed real estate portfolio Exposure to PropTech venture ecosystems, smart building standards (such as WELL, LEED, or BREEAM), or sustainability technology platforms Curiosity and innovation — proactive in scanning the market for emerging technologies and bringing new ideas to the organisation Collaboration — a natural connector who thrives in cross-functional environments and builds strong, lasting partnerships People leadership — proven ability to build, develop, and inspire high-performing teams, creating an environment of accountability, growth, and psychological safety, and attracting and retaining top talent