APAC Regional Account Director, Work Dynamics

JLL; Singapore; On-site; SGD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global real estate services firm in Singapore is seeking an APAC Account Director to lead strategic partnerships with the Client Global Real Estate Advisory team. This role involves ensuring high client satisfaction, managing multi-disciplinary services, and delivering innovative solutions across the Asia Pacific region. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in real estate management, strong leadership skills, and a focus on client relationship excellence.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years’ experience in real estate, preferably with strength in Facilities Account Management.
• Proven experience partnering with Clients to deliver strategic value.
• Experience handling complex account structures across multiple locations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the partnership with Client GRE Advisory team.
• Develop and deliver comprehensive strategic solutions.
• Ensure high client satisfaction and manage service delivery.

Skills

Client relationship management

Strategic planning

Team leadership

Financial management

Effective communication

Job description

The APAC Account Director role brings together multiple services within JLL to partner with Client Global Real Estate (GRE) Advisory team to lead the partnership, developing and delivering comprehensive strategic solutions for Client Global Real Estate (GRE) portfolio across Asia Pacific.

The APAC Account Director (RAD) is responsible for ensuring a high level of client satisfaction, establishing and managing the core service delivery and leadership team, delivering key regional initiatives as well as ensuring consistency in processes, systems and reporting. The role also ensures efficient and consistent operation of all services to meet contractual obligations including developing and delivering financial budgets with respect to the property portfolio of Client throughout the APAC region (Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and India) as well as building strong & sustainable relationships within Client GRE organization. The role will partner with GRE to define priorities that formulate annual strategic account plan focused on continued improvements and innovation connecting the account delivery model with JLL and industry best practices.

Working Environment

The role will be based in Singapore at the Client office, requiring close collaboration with GRE Advisory team and Cluster Leads.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The RAD leads a team of talented individuals to deliver an integrated multi-disciplined service to Client across their APAC portfolio. The services provided consist of facilities management, project management, portfolio strategy, transaction management and lease administration.

The RAD will have several direct reports in operation team, including Regional Operations Director (ROD) and the Hub / Country leads in India, SEA, Greater China, the Philippines, Japan and Korea. The Regional Finance Director, and Regional HR Business Partner also report into the role. The ROD, reporting to this role, will have several direct and matrix reports in functional teams, including Regional Engineering Director, Regional Workplace Strategy & Program Director, Regional Performance & Compliance Lead, and the Project Management Project Director.

The candidate will be an innovative, forward-thinking, creative individual with the highest ethical standards. The candidate must possess strong communication skills, be able to build effective relationships and partner with the Client GRE team to drive success, be able to influence others to achieve results and provide overall leadership to the team whilst delivering strategic value and market leading solutions.

Strategic Leadership & Governance

The RAD is accountable for developing and implementing an account plan which will achieve the desired outcomes and ensure a healthy long-term relationship. The RAD ensures the Regional Operations Director is providing strategic leadership, enabling operational excellence through the ROD across the services, anticipates client needs and delivers to outperform on the key performance indicators within the contract whilst supporting to build the financial plans to strive to exceed targets. The RAD creates and manages high performing teams which not only deliver operational excellence but also keeps employees engaged and thriving, and in conjunction with the Work Dynamics leadership team, understands the firm’s strategy and goals and can translate those into the business opportunities and success.

The ROD is responsible for execution of financial plans; the RAD leads financial strategy and holds ultimate accountability for targets.

Role & Responsibilities

Leadership

• Establishes the vision and strategy of the regional account plans and ensures the client receives exceptional delivery
• Understands client’s key business drivers, focuses the team to ensure those priorities are aligned with our deliverables
• Ensures the account team is high performing
• Hires, attracts and retains a team of top talented employees; improves team performance through regular coaching and feedback; provides recognition
• Focuses the team on achieving ‘One JLL’ in the eyes of the client

Client/Stakeholder Management

• Serves as single point of contact for JLL’s service delivery and escalation point
• Accountable for the service delivery to meet contractual obligations of JLL
• Builds and manages relationships with key stakeholders in client’s organization
• Develops and implements a business plan which meets Client’s and JLL’s objectives for the account
• Develops and maintains a detailed understanding of Client’s business and key factors influencing their requirement for our services
• Manages new scope effectively

Financial Management

• Be responsible for achievement of the agreed financial targets for the account; revenue, expenses and debtors targets.
• Lead the development of the property budgets and forecasts in accordance with the financial timetable.
• Meet the agreed growth targets for the account.
• Look for opportunities to cross‑sell services.
• Responsible for collection of fees from Client as well as tracking of outstanding payments.

Contract Management

• Ensures adherence to the contract requirements and intents
• Responsible for the achievement of key performance indicators, service levels and other measures as contracted
• Mitigates any CPI / KPI liability
• Lead contract change strategy and collaborate with global and regional teams to enable execution via ROD

Strategy and Partnership

• Conducts annual planning sessions in collaboration with Client GRE Advisory and Cluster Leads to define priorities and formulate annual account plan
• Through the Regional Operations Director drives operational excellence across all services delivered
• Actively manages the professional development of all direct reports
• Prepares and implements a succession plan for the account
• Lead and drive transformation of operating structure to support workplace experience and overall delivery goals
• Drive innovative knowledge growth to fresh ways of thinking across all the functions
• Review and enhance current and future skills to drive productivity, innovation and enable future of work.
• Develops, implements and manages all regional initiatives and programs for the account
• Drives Client specific initiatives such as savings targets, benchmarking and best practices
• Sources, transfers and implements best practices to the account through bringing outside in
• Successfully communicates and commercialises successes and compliments to maintain a positive momentum
• Drives regional consistency in the account e.g. in reporting, standard operating procedures, systems and HR practices
• Conducts Quarterly Business Reviews in region and participates in global QBR’s
• Leads governance mechanisms and escalations across the region.

Personal skills & expertise

Strategy

Can step back from day to day operations and look holistically at the account and Client’s GRE needs to determine strategy for Client’s Real Estate portfolio across Asia Pacific.

Ability to deliver value through driving strategic programs and initiatives in collaboration with the Client GRE Advisory team.

Partnership Focus

Dedicated to exceeding Client expectations to ensure a positive Net Promoter Score in satisfaction surveys.

Proactively solicits and responds to feedback and input from Client.

Establishes and maintains effective relationships with Client's Global Real Estate leadership and Business Unit leaders by gaining their trust and respect.

Results Driven

Ability to translate the account plan into a solid delivery model.

Measures the relevant data (financial, environmental, performance) and uses the data appropriately to reassess, adjust, expand or curtail.

Takes corrective action quickly and decisively when performance falls short of expectation or when redirection is required.

Natural Coach

Clearly establishes performance expectations and goals for employees.

Provides point in time feedback on performance of employees.

Creates an environment with strong morale.

Drives Growth

Established credibility with leaders immediately through confidence and presence.

Establishes and maintains effective relationships based on mutual trust and respect.

Solutions Oriented

Uses rigor and logic to solve difficult problems with effective solutions.

Identifies issues before they become problems.

Looks beyond the obvious and doesn’t stop at the first answers.

Firm and Market Knowledgeable

Understands the fundamentals of the outsourcing business and the real estate industry.

Knows the various products our business offers and can identify levers for opportunity.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA)

• Minimum 15 years’ experience in real estate, preferably with strength in Facilities Account Management as well as an understanding/experience in Transaction Management, Project Management, Strategic Portfolio Management, Lease Administration, Workplace Strategy and Employee Experience.
• Proven experience partnering with Clients to deliver strategic value.
• Has handled complex account structures, either running multiple teams, multi disciplines, across multiple locations and countries. Has experience in handling Client and/or Firm sensitivities’ knowing when to escalate with urgency, or how to de‑escalate certain risks. Has demonstrated experience in balancing the interests of the Client with those of the Firm.
• Has experience in translating Client needs into existing or new business growth.
• Has handled a complexed P&L across multiple geographies.

Reporting Staff / Manager

• 9 direct reports
• Reports to the APAC Managing Director, Financial Services based in Hong Kong