Account Director

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with matching company

Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision

Paid parental leave

Paid Time Off

Daily Pay

Job summary

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (JLL) is seeking an Account Director to lead the Life Sciences IFM portfolio in a high‑caliber, client‑facing role. Based onsite in Chicago, you will shape account strategy, drive multi‑site service delivery, and partner with senior executives to deliver measurable value and growth while ensuring operational excellence and exceptional client satisfaction.

You will build and mentor a high‑performing team, manage the P&L, and align service offerings with client

Qualifications

• Seasoned leader with 10+ years of Integrated Facilities Management and CRE executive leadership experience.
• Extensive IFM leadership experience with multi-site facilities portfolios.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate IFM service delivery across operational functions to ensure seamless client experience.
• Create and drive the account plan, aligning objectives and ensuring high-quality results.
• Drive account growth by articulating IFM value propositions and expanding services.
• Establish relationships with stakeholders and deliver world-class client service.
• Lead and manage cross-site teams to ensure consistency of service delivery and client experience.
• Develop bench strength and succession planning across IFM operations.

Skills

Life Sciences

GXP knowledge

Executive presence

Strategic thinking

Financial acumen

Job description

JLL empowers you to shape a brighter way. Our people at JLL are shaping the future of real estate for a better world by combining world class services, advisory and technology for our clients. We are committed to hiring the best, most talented people and empowering them to thrive, grow meaningful careers and to find a place where they belong. Whether you’ve got deep experience in commercial real estate, skilled trades or technology, or you’re looking to apply your relevant experience to a new industry, join our team as we help shape a brighter way forward.

The Opportunity

The Account Director is accountable for developing and implementing an account plan that delights our clients and ensures a healthy long-term relationship. This role oversees a Life Sciences account, delivering integrated facilities management (IFM) solutions. This executive leader anticipates client needs, outperforms on key contractual performance indicators, and builds financial plans that exceed revenue and profitability targets. The Account Director creates and manages high‑performing teams that deliver operational excellence while keeping employees engaged and thriving. In conjunction with the Work Dynamics leadership team, this leader understands the firm's strategy and goals and translates them into business opportunities. This role serves as the top leadership position on the account.

Primary Responsibilities

Exceeding Client Expectations

• Coordinate and align IFM service delivery across all operational functions, ensuring a seamless, unified client experience that demonstrates the power of JLL's integrated facilities management platform.
• Create the vision for the account plan, ensuring alignment of objectives and driving high‑quality results that help secure the future through no‑bid contract renewals.
• Drive account growth by articulating IFM value propositions and identifying opportunities to expand facilities management services within the portfolio.
• Establish outstanding relationships with key stakeholders by soliciting feedback and excelling at world‑class client service delivery.
• Serve as the single point of accountability across multiple sites, ensuring consistency of IFM service delivery and client experience regardless of geography or facility type.
• Manage competing priorities across geographically dispersed locations and diverse facility requirements while maintaining a unified account strategy.

Building High‑Performance Teams

• Ensure the highest qualified candidate is hired for all IFM roles on the account.
• Build actionable and measurable career development plans for all direct reports, fostering leadership capability across the IFM team.
• Develop bench strength and succession planning across IFM operations to ensure continuity and growth.

Achieving Financial Results and Contributing to Firm's Revenue Growth

• Present an annual account plan that includes key objectives, client satisfaction results, summary of value‑add IFM activities, and outlines targeted expansion plans within facilities management services.
• Proactively manage to the account budget and identify opportunities to generate additional revenue on the account.
• Demonstrate financial stewardship across the full IFM portfolio, optimizing resource allocation and identifying operational efficiencies.

Attributes

• Life Sciences expertise – Understanding of the unique operational requirements, regulatory environment, and facility standards within the Life Sciences sector.
• GXP manufacturing knowledge – Familiarity with Good Practice (GXP) requirements and the operational complexities of supporting compliant manufacturing environments.
• Exemplary executive presence – Has the gravitas and sophistication to appropriately command the room both internally as a leader and externally with clients at the C‑suite level.
• Strategic mindset – Able to see the big picture and future direction of the business, then translate vision into achievable IFM business development opportunities.
• Financially astute – Commercially oriented with strong financial acumen in IFM P&L management and the ability to optimize account‑level profitability.
• Demonstrated drive for technology and passion for advancing AI Results driven – Takes corrective action quickly and decisively when performance falls short and redirection is required; highly collaborative with exceptional integrity.
• Obsessed with customer habits and the data derived from those behaviors; keenly aware of trends within the Life Sciences industry and able to anticipate evolving facility needs.
• Commercially astute – Quickly recognizes the different levers to pull to drive IFM growth and increase productivity across facilities operations.
• Transformational leadership – Leads change with energy and resilience to propel the business forward; has the courage to make complex decisions and take calculated risks; adjusts style to accommodate individuals and the various phases of growth.
• Operational "heft" – Comfort and demonstrated success with complex, large‑scale IFM operations in heavily matrixed Life Sciences organizations.
• Life Sciences expertise – Understanding of the unique operational requirements, regulatory environment, and facility standards within the Life Sciences sector.

Requirements

• Seasoned leader with 10+ years of Integrated Facilities Management and Commercial Real Estate executive leadership experience.
• Extensive IFM leadership experience with demonstrated success managing complex facilities management accounts in the Life Sciences or similar highly regulated industries.
• Proven track record of leading large‑scale IFM teams and delivering cohesive solutions across multi‑site facility portfolios.
• Significant experience in direct client relationship management, negotiation, and strategic consultation with executive‑level stakeholders in Life Sciences organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to drive growth through IFM service excellence and strategic account expansion.
• Experience managing IFM P&L responsibility with a history of exceeding financial targets.

Preferred

• Life Sciences background with direct experience supporting GXP manufacturing environments, including familiarity with cGMP, GLP, GDP, or related quality and regulatory frameworks.

Visa and Work Authorization

This position does not provide visa sponsorship. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Compensation

Expected compensation for this position: 177,500.00 – 250,000.00 USD per year. Final compensation packages are determined by various considerations including but not limited to candidate qualifications, location, market conditions, and internal considerations.

Location

On‑site –Chicago, IL

Personalized Benefits that support personal well‑being and growth

• 401(k) plan with matching company contributions
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision Care
• Paid parental leave at 100% of salary
• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
• Early access to earned wages through Daily Pay

At JLL, we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently accelerate meaningful connections between candidates and opportunities. Using AI capabilities, we analyze your application for relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications to generate valuable insights about how your unique profile aligns with the specific requirements of the role you're pursuing.

Equal Employment Opportunity & Accessibility

Jones Lang LaSalle (“JLL”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process – including the online application and/or overall selection process – you may email us at [e-mail]. This email is only to request an accommodation.

Pursuant to the Arizona Civil Rights Act, criminal convictions are not an absolute bar to employment. Pursuant to Illinois Law, applicants are not obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest. Pursuant to Columbia, SC ordinance, this position is subject to a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. Only job‑related convictions will be considered and will not automatically disqualify the candidate. California Residents only If you are a California resident as defined in the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) please view our Supplemental Privacy Statement which describes your rights and disclosures about your personal information. If you are viewing this on a mobile device you may want to view the CCPA version on a larger device. Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, JLL will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with Criminal Histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500® company with operations in over 80 countries around the world, our employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise.

Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAYSM. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.

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