Account Director

JLL; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

JLL in Chicago seeks an Account Director to lead, shape the client relationship, and drive strategic growth across facilities management for Fortune 500 clients. This executive role manages cross-functional teams, translates firm strategy into service delivery, and ensures profitable outcomes for the account.

The incumbent will build high-performing teams, manage budgets, and deliver world-class service while aligning with Work Dynamics leadership’s goals and client expectations.

Qualifications

• Seasoned leader with 10+ years of Facility Management and Commercial Real Estate executive leadership experience.
• Proven capabilities in developing outsourced Integrated Facility Management solutions for global, Fortune 500 companies.
• Extensive experience hiring, training, and retaining large teams (100+) of talent in a client service environment (preferably outsourced).
• Has proactively managed a budget.
• Bachelor’s degree with a broad range of business experience; MBA or post-graduate studies preferred.

Responsibilities

• Exceeding Client Expectations: Create the vision of the account plan and secure future renewals.
• Building High Performance Teams: Hire top talent and develop careers; advance diversity and inclusion.
• Achieving Financial Results: Present account plans, manage budget, and identify revenue opportunities.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic thinking

Financial acumen

Client relationship mgmt

Team building

Budget management

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or post-graduate studies

Job description

JLL's Energy & Logistics business is experiencing rapid expansion, creating exceptional opportunities for career growth and leadership impact. We partner with industry-leading clients who are energized by our innovative solutions and collaborative approach to transforming their industrial portfolios. This is a pivotal time to join a high-performing team that's driving organic growth, operational excellence, and cutting-edge workplace solutions. If you're ready to build trusted client partnerships and shape the future of industrial real estate, this is your moment.

Job Description

JLL Work Dynamics partners with leading organizations across industry sectors, creating environments that achieve a more humancentric, resilient, and responsible approach to shaping a better world of work. With more than 45,000 specialists globally, the team enables clients to enhance the performance of their real estate portfolios and people to realize their ambitions for a more sustainable built environment. Through technology enabled solutions, Work Dynamics creates safe and inspiring spaces around the world for people to collaborate, innovate, and drive meaningful change anywhere that work is performed. JLL manages over 1.6 billion square feet of real estate and has averted more than 112,700 metric tons of CEO2e by advising clients on renewable energy projects. Primary service offerings include facilities management, sustainability initiatives, project & development services, transactions management, occupancy planning, and lease administration. Our vast multi-year relationships span clients across all industries including technology, industrial, financial services, public institutions, life sciences, and healthcare.

The Opportunity

The Account Director is accountable for developing and implementing an account plan which will delight our clients and ensure a healthy long-term relationship. This executive leader anticipates client needs and delivers to outperform on the key performance indicators within the contract and builds financial plans while striving to exceed revenue and profitability. The Account Director creates and manages high performing teams which not only deliver operational excellence but 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. This role is the top leadership role on the account.

Primary Responsibilities

• Exceeding Client Expectations
  • Create the vision of the account plan ensuring alignment of objects and driving high quality results which helps secure a future with no-bid contract renewals
  • Drive account growth by articulating value proposition and ensuring expansion of services provided
  • Establish outstanding relationships with key stakeholders by soliciting feedback and excelling at world-class client service delivery
• Building High Performance Teams
  • Ensure highest qualified candidate is hired for all roles on the account
  • Build actionable and measurable career development plans for all direct reports
  • Advance the firm’s diversity and inclusion priorities with planful and focused talent planning
• Achieving Financial Results and Contributing to Firm’s Revenue Growth
  • Present an annual account plan which includes key objectives, client satisfaction results, summary of value-add activities, and outlines targeted expansion plans
  • Proactively manage to the account budget and identify opportunities to generate additional revenue on the account
  • Mitigate risk for the firm by ensuring A/R is maintained below 60 days payable

Attributes

• Exemplary executive presence – has the gravitas and sophistication to appropriately command the room both internally as a leader and more importantly externally with clients
• Strategic mindset – able to see big picture and future direction of the business, then translate into achievable new business development opportunities
• Financially astute – commercial oriented, strong financial acumen
• 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 industry
• Commercially astute: quickly recognizes the different levers to pull to drive growth and increase productivity
• 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 experience with complex, large, and heavily matrixed organizations

Requirements

• Seasoned leader with 10+ years of Facility Management and Commercial Real Estate executive leadership experience
• Proven capabilities in developing outsourced Integrated Facility Management solutions for global, Fortune 500 companies
• Extensive experience hiring, training, and retaining large teams (100+) of talent in a client service environment (preferably outsourced)
• Has proactively managed a budget
• Bachelor’s degree with a broad range of business experience; MBA or post-graduate studies preferred