Workplace & Operations Lead - EMEA in London

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Role Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Workplace and Operations Lead to join JLL's Integrated Facilities Management business. The Workplace and Operations Lead will work closely with the EMEA Account Director in shaping and leading the operations experience that the JLL Team delivers to our client, thereby enhancing all aspects of operations experience to our client's employees. The role will focus heavily on data quality, team integration, developing and implementing tools, and training to standardize high levels of customer service, and continually enhancing the operations experience for building users. This role collates all Client and Contractual reporting requirements and oversees all technology functionality across the account. The Workplace and Operations Lead also ensures all contractual, operational and financial risk to JLL is minimized through the management of efficient and robust processes and procedures. This varied and dynamic role covers a variety of functions around Operations, Data Quality, Performance Excellence, Employee Engagement and Technology. In a demanding role where attention to detail is paramount, the candidate should possess effective communication skills, and an ability to work under their own initiative and problem solve. The individual should be comfortable dealing directly with many both internal and external client stakeholders, and have proven management and leadership skills.

What This Job Involves

• Regional Operational Coordination - Support global initiatives, track operational requirements, and ensure close-out for EMEA data deliverables
• Business Intelligence & Performance Reporting
• Oversight of Events & Experience delivery
• Drive processes and procedures alignment and centralization across EMEA
• Identify and implement innovation and best practice to support client Real Estate goals, Sustainability, and Employee Engagement initiatives
• Manage all contractual and governance reporting requirements across the Region for both JLL and the client
• Lead all Employee Engagement Activities including communications, programs, and culture initiatives
• Support the JLL Account Director and Client Team as required

Account Performance Management

• Actively manage the Account KPI framework, measure and evaluate progress against goals, deliver quarterly metrics reporting with supporting data analysis
• Drive process and platform efficiencies across the Regional Account, identifying bottlenecks and implementing improvements
• Lead and track all transformation and improvement programs across the region with measurable outcomes
• Ensure all account processes and procedures are implemented and adhered to for consistency, accuracy, alignment and operational efficiency
• Lead Regional transformation initiatives and provide comprehensive reporting on outcomes, savings, and benefits to both client and JLL

Governance

• Ensure all FM staff and contractors comply with contract responsibilities with emphasis on critical SLAs and KPIs per the MSA agreement
• Develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures for FM services across the region tailored to portfolio needs
• Develop tools and systems to standardize process controls and ensure uniform Account Governance
• Create and maintain individual site playbooks and welcome guides, ensuring documents remain current through ongoing refreshes
• Ensure all vendor and JLL staff onboarding and offboarding via eTalent team; conduct quarterly audits to ensure accuracy
• Risk Register Management: Maintain and regularly update a comprehensive risk register for the EMEA portfolio, including risk identification, assessment, mitigation strategies, and escalation protocols
• Document Control and Records Management: Maintain central repository of all operational documentation including contracts, policies, procedures, licenses, permits, and certifications ensuring version control and accessibility
• Change Management Governance: Establish and enforce change control processes for operational modifications, ensuring proper approval workflows, impact assessments, and stakeholder communications
• Internal Controls and SOPs: Develop, document, and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all operational activities, ensuring consistency and compliance across the region

Reporting

• Coordinate and deliver all client reporting including monthly account dashboard, quarterly KPI status, monthly events analysis, quarterly business reviews and sustainability programme updates
• Own and manage annual account plan including focus areas, savings initiatives, account improvement initiatives and solutions
• Conduct data collation and analytics on individual hub performance and overall regional portfolio, identifying focus areas and implementing solutions
• Executive Reporting and QBR Presentations: Prepare and deliver executive-level reports and presentations to senior leadership and client C-suite stakeholders on operational performance, strategic initiatives, and portfolio health
• Strategic Planning Reports: Develop long-term strategic planning documents, multi-year roadmaps, and investment proposals with detailed business cases and ROI projections in bi-monthly case studies
• Benchmarking and Competitive Analysis: Conduct industry benchmarking studies, comparative performance analysis against peer portfolios, and market intelligence reporting to identify competitive advantages and improvement opportunities
• Transformation and Change Management Reporting: Track and report on transformation programme progress, change initiative adoption rates, realized benefits, and organizational change impact assessments
• Workforce Analytics: Provide comprehensive reporting on team performance, productivity metrics, span of control analysis, workforce planning, talent retention rates, and support the FM EMEA Lead in succession planning progress
• Regional Comparison and Cross-Portfolio Analysis: Provide comparative analysis across different EMEA locations, identify performance outliers, share best practices, and recommend standardization opportunities
• Ad-hoc Strategic Analysis: Respond to senior leadership requests for strategic analysis, scenario planning, feasibility studies, and business case development for new initiatives or portfolio changes

Employee Engagement

• Drive employee engagement initiatives across the account including mentorship and buddy programmes across EMEA
• Review and report on succession planning, staff retention rates and organizational changes
• Create and cascade annual mentoring programme; provide continual guidance for mentors/mentees with materials and regular sessions
• Implement and oversee internal and external training programmes as required for the team
• Cascade People Survey twice per annum, analyze results and create improvement plans following JLL people survey
• Manage internal and external account communications & CRM including quarterly account newsletter announcing central, account and client-wide business updates, team movements, site changes and success stories
• Demonstrate leadership and mentor JLL teams across the Region to promote engagement, customer service excellence and aligned delivery across all service lines
• Create and cascade Regional team call presentations and Leadership meeting materials

Leadership

• Provide oversight and mentorship to ensure teams deliver optimal service levels to both internal teams and Client while driving innovation and thought leadership
• Strategic Vision and Direction: Define and communicate the operational vision and strategy for the EMEA region, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and client business goals
• Senior Point of contact for all account wide communications within the region
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead collaboration across multiple disciplines where needed including FM, Engineering, Projects, Procurement, Events, and HR to ensure integrated service delivery and break down organizational silos
• Culture Building: Foster a culture of operational excellence, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement across all EMEA locations while ensuring alignment with JLL values
• Crisis Management and Incident Command: Serve as incident commander during critical situations, coordinate crisis response efforts, make decisive actions under pressure, and manage stakeholder communications during emergencies where needed in region
• Coaching and Mentoring: Provide ongoing coaching to direct reports and high-potential team members, develop future leaders, and create a mentoring culture within the organization
• Standards and Best Practice Development: Establish operational standards, document best practices, create frameworks for consistent service delivery, and ensure knowledge transfer across the region

Data Quality and Analytics

• Develop, oversee, organize, update, and analyze Regional data sets with high accuracy requirements
• Track and close out EMEA data requirements for regional initiatives as requested
• Act as Regional Smartsheets super user/owner ensuring workapps remain current, raising necessary POs when required
• Oversee and track FM small works including capex works and site decommissioning through Smartsheets
• Create and own Regional sustainability programme in Smartsheets, providing quarterly updates on Regional outcomes including savings and required capital
• Create and own Regional asset list in Smartsheets, ensuring asset lists remain current and assets are confirmed as recycled/removed/landlord owned; report to tax & assets team
• Audit Regional work apps weekly, approximately first Friday of each month
• Provide data collation for Regional CRE requests including I&D, F&B, portfolio metrics as required
• Own decommissioning processes and guide local FM teams during office closures or transitions, working with IT to ensure assets are reused across portfolio to reduce wastage and costs, maintain current stack plans, and consult local stakeholders
• Support wider management team and service line leads with initiative deployment, transformation execution, leadership sessions, team engagement activities and hub analytics
• Manage EMEA BI & performance reporting, data and system integrations
• Act as resource for team queries across portfolio via monthly Q&A sessions with Regional team and in-person hub and leadership meetings
• Ensure Smart Buildings technology is implemented effectively and utilized optimally; provide guidance to Performance Lead
• Drive branding and communications alignment across EMEA

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Continuously identify thought leadership, innovation and best practice examples to bring to client from JLL central team and external sources
• Identify and recommend improvement opportunities across FM scope and wider Real Estate function

Regional Alignment

• Lead alignment and consistency activities across EMEA to ensure regional collaboration and standardization
• Support Account Directors in EMEA by reviewing all FM Team activities to identify alignment opportunities
• Proactively identify improvement areas, best practice sharing and "one team" opportunities
• Act as point of contact to support hub meetings, including travel arrangements, hotel bookings, and activity coordination. Assist teams in creating meeting agendas and topics of discussion
• Support the Account Lead in selection of swag items and promotional materials to support JLL and client engagement initiatives
• Facilitate monthly Regional Q&A sessions with EMEA team leads to address queries and provide operational guidance
• Conduct quarterly hub-specific meetings and site visits (e.g., London, Geneva) to ensure localized support and alignment
• Drive branding and communications alignment across EMEA, ensuring consistent messaging and visual identity
• Coordinate Regional All Hands meetings on a quarterly basis, developing content and delivering presentations
• Manage Regional account communications including Slack channels, email updates, calendar invites, and team announcements
• Oversee "Our Places" EMEA office review program, conducting quarterly assessments of top locations and annual reviews of the full portfolio
• Support cross-regional networking with other accounts to identify opportunities for knowledge sharing and best practice transfer
• Coordinate Regional employee engagement initiatives to increase culture and visibility across dispersed teams
• Facilitate Regional succession planning reviews and organizational change tracking
• Lead Regional People Survey cascade (twice annually), analyze results, and develop improvement action plans
• Oversee Regional training matrix rollout and completion tracking in collaboration with Hub Leads
• Manage Regional travel request process, including approvals and tracking against budgets
• Coordinate Regional case study development and sharing (monthly cadence) to highlight successes and learnings

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum 8-10 years of experience in workplace operations, facilities management, or integrated facilities management with demonstrated complexity
• Proven experience managing multi-site operations across EMEA with diverse regulatory environments
• Strong understanding of workplace trends, flexible working models, and employee experience strategies
• Demonstrated success in vendor management and complex contract administration
• Exceptional organizational skills with proven ability to manage high-volume, competing priorities simultaneously
• Strong financial acumen including budget management and cost optimization
• Experience leading and developing teams in a matrix organization across multiple countries
• Advanced proficiency with data analytics, reporting systems, Smartsheet, and Business Intelligence platforms
• Exceptional attention to detail with proven accuracy in high-stakes environments
• Fluency in English required; additional European languages highly desirable
• Proficiency in workplace management systems, Building Management Systems, and Microsoft Office suite

Preferred

• Professional certifications such as FMP, CFM, or IWFM
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Facilities Management, Real Estate, or related field
• Experience in commercial real estate or professional services environment
• Knowledge of sustainability and ESG principles in workplace operations
• Experience with workplace technology platforms and smart building systems
• Background in business intelligence and advanced analytics

Location

This role is based in London with regular travel required across EMEA locations.