Director, Business Operations Support – Data Center IFM

Cushman & Wakefield; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 162,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, vision & dental insurance

Flexible spending accounts

Health savings accounts

Retirement savings plans

Paid time off

Job summary

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking a Director, Business Operations Support – Data Center IFM to scale our data center platform. You will drive strategy, operating model governance, and cross-functional execution across finance, HR, sourcing, and operations.

The role emphasizes leadership, cross-functional planning, and executive-level communications to accelerate platform maturity and growth. Travel up to 25% is expected.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in strategy, business operations, enterprise PMO, platform management, or complex operational leadership.
• Experience in data centers, regulated environments, or large-scale facilities preferred.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define strategic priorities and platform roadmap for the Data Center IFM.
• Develop and evolve governance routines and operating models for the platform.
• Track programs across matrixed teams, managing risks, owners, deadlines and dependencies.
• Ensure compliance, audit readiness, policy alignment, and controls within the operating model.
• Support growth narratives for pursuits and client discussions; articulate operating model and capabilities.
• Lead change management and executive communications to align senior leadership and account teams.

Skills

Strategic planning

Executive support

Governance design

Financial acumen

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Job Title: Director, Business Operations Support – Data Center IFM

Job Description Summary

Reporting into the Head of Global Data Centers – IFM, this role is accountable for supporting the strategy, operating model, governance, and business management infrastructure required to scale the firm’s data center platform. Serving as a strategic support to leadership, this role converts growth ambitions into disciplined priorities into measurable business outcomes. This role supports cross-functional planning across operations, finance, people, technology, compliance, business intelligence, solutioning, transitions, communications, and pursuits. The role supports platform success, measures performance, and enables execution across a complex matrix organization.

Strategy, Enterprise Planning & Platform Roadmap

Support data center platform leadership to define strategic priorities, annual goals, operating objectives, and platform maturity milestones. Support the development of the Data Center IFM roadmap, including near-term operational needs, long-term scalability requirements, growth priorities, and account support models. Convert strategy into actionable workstreams, governance routines, deliverables, timelines, and ownership structures. Support the development of current-state and the future-state assessments of Data Center vision, including operating model, reporting, technology, staffing, and business enablement needs; define the interventions required to close material gaps. Support the collaboration with cross-functional teams (Finance, HR, Sourcing, Account Management, Technical Services, etc) to align strategic planning with pursuit activity, transition planning, account mobilization, client expectations, and operational readiness. Track progress against strategic initiatives and provide leadership with clear updates on status, barriers, risks, and recommended next steps.

Business Management, Governance & Operating Rhythms

Support the development and evolution of the data center platform operating model, including governance routines, account support structure, roles and responsibilities, escalation pathways, and standard ways of working. Support accounts to ensure they meet expectations, client commitments, compliance requirements, reporting standards, and internal business processes. Create visibility into platform health through executive reporting, management insights, risk indicators, maturity measures, and forward-looking analysis that support timely intervention. Support collaboration across Global Occupier Services and enterprise functions, resolving ownership gaps, surfacing systemic barriers, and aligning stakeholders around common business outcomes.

Program & Initiative Management

Support strategic initiatives that improve platform maturity, scalability, account consistency, and operational readiness. Track workstreams, risks, owners, deadlines, and dependencies across platform priorities. Drive execution across matrixed teams by removing barriers, resolving dependencies, escalating material risks, and maintaining focus on intended business outcomes. Assess whether programs are delivering measurable value and recommend acceleration, redesign, consolidation, or termination when results do not justify continued investment.

Compliance, Risk & Process Discipline

Ensure audit readiness, contractual discipline, policy alignment, and operational controls are embedded into the operating model rather than managed as disconnected administrative activities. Support Standards & Compliance, Transition and operational leaders to define the controls, evidence, reporting, and escalation mechanisms required for responsible growth and execution.

Growth Strategy, Pursuits & Commercial Enablement

Provide senior-level strategic content and operational substantiation for pursuits, client presentations, diligence, and executive discussions; this role is not a proposal-writing or coordination function. Support the platform’s growth narrative by articulating the operating model, governance, capabilities, proof points, differentiators, and enterprise support structure that strengthen market credibility. Capture lessons from wins, losses, transitions, and account performance to refine the platform strategy, value proposition, and future investment priorities.

Change Management & Executive Communication

Support the build out of alignment among senior leaders and account teams by translating strategy into a compelling case for change, clear expectations, and practical implications for the business. Develop executive-level narratives, board-quality materials, leadership briefings, and strategic communications that clarify direction, performance, decisions, and organizational priorities. Act as a trusted advisor and support across diverse technical, operational, commercial, and corporate functions, influencing outcomes without relying on direct authority.

Required Skills & Experience

12+ years of progressive experience in strategy, business operations, enterprise PMO, platform management, management consulting, or complex operational leadership, including significant experience influencing senior executives. Demonstrated success building or transforming operating models in complex, matrixed, multi-account, multi-client, or rapidly scaling environments. Strategic planning and business management capability, including portfolio prioritization, resource allocation, performance management, governance design, organizational alignment, and executive decision support. Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to connect operating choices to growth, profitability, investment, risk, client value, and long-term enterprise performance. Experience within data centers, mission-critical facilities, integrated facilities management, engineering operations, or another highly regulated and operationally complex environment strongly preferred. Working knowledge of asset management, maintenance strategy, CMMS platforms, safety, quality, compliance, ISO frameworks, and operational risk; deep technical engineering expertise is not required, but credibility with technical leaders is essential. Exceptional executive communication and influence skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information, challenge assumptions, create alignment, and drive decisions across stakeholders with competing priorities. Proven ability to lead through ambiguity, establish structure where none exists, and move an organization from concept to repeatable enterprise capability. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and substantial relevant leadership experience required; advanced degree preferred. Ability to travel 25% Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements. The compensation that will be offered to the successful candidate will depend on factors such as whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the geographic area in which the work will be performed, market pay rates in that area, and the candidate’s experience and qualifications. The company will not pay less than minimum wage for this role. The compensation for the position is: $ 161,500.00 - $190,000.00 Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email [e-mail]. Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.

INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”

About Cushman & Wakefield

About Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for occupiers and investors with approximately 53,000 employees in over 350 offices and nearly 60 countries. In 2025, the firm reported revenue of $10.3 billion across its core service lines of services, Leasing, Capital markets, and Valuation and other. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. For additional information, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com