Zonal Program Manager - Federal Real Estate Services

The Building People; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & Rx

Dental

Vision

Flexible Spending Accounts

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance/AD&D

Long Term Disability and Short-Term DI

Paid Time Off

Holiday Pay

Job summary

The Building People seeks a Zonal Program Manager to lead execution of support services across an assigned geographic zone, aligning resources and ensuring contract performance for a portfolio of leasing and related real estate activities. You will coordinate with government clients, brokers, and project teams to drive timely, quality outcomes.

This senior role requires five+ years in real estate or government leasing with leadership experience, strong communication and risk management, and

Qualifications

• Associate's degree or bachelor's degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience with leadership or project management.
• Experience in commercial real estate and/or government leasing.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and coordinate cross‑functional teams.
• Training in Lease Acquisition, Pricing in Leased Space, and GLS Max Orientation is required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact and provide leadership across the zone.
• Manage zonal operations, including workload balancing and staffing coordination.
• Oversee contract performance and ensure compliance with task orders and policies.
• Coordinate with leasing specialists, project teams, and customer agencies for planning and execution.
• Monitor progress, risks, and performance metrics; implement corrective actions as needed.
• Submit reports and maintain records per GSA requirements.
• Lead or participate in meetings to communicate status and priorities.
• Provide mentoring and guidance to assigned staff.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and strategic portfolio management.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Analytical

Organizational

Problem solving

Lease Acquisition knowledge

Education

Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred

Job description

The Zonal Program Manager provides senior-level leadership for the execution of support services within an assigned geographic zone, ensuring consistent contract performance, effective coordination across stakeholders, and responsive support to the customer's priorities. This role serves as a key management lead responsible for aligning resources, maintaining operational continuity, and promoting high-quality service delivery across a dynamic portfolio of leasing (brokerage & administration) and related real estate activities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact and provide leadership, oversight, and timely resolution of program, task order, and project issues across the assigned zone.
• Provide day-to-day management of zonal operations, Transaction Managers and Brokers, including workload balancing, staffing coordination, performance oversight, and continuity of support across multiple lease acquisition and related real estate projects.
• Oversee contract performance for assigned portfolios of work to help ensure services are delivered in accordance with contract task order requirements, GSA policies, GLS Max procedures, and established schedules.
• Coordinate with leasing specialists, project teams, subcontractors, customer agencies, and other stakeholders to support effective planning, issue escalation, decision‑making, and successful project execution.
• Monitor task order progress, milestones, deliverables, and performance metrics; identify risks, trends, or resource constraints; and implement or recommend corrective actions as needed.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of required reports, status updates, deliverables, and other contract documentation, and maintain records in accordance with GSA requirements.
• Support quality assurance and compliance efforts by reviewing work products, reinforcing standard processes, and helping ensure consistency, completeness, and responsiveness across the zone.
• Lead or participate in kickoff meetings, performance reviews, program management meetings, and other customer engagements to communicate status, priorities, issues, and recommended solutions.
• Provide guidance, mentoring, and operational support to assigned staff and designated points of contact to promote effective execution, customer service, and adherence to contract requirements.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement, enhanced coordination, and strategic management of zonal portfolios to improve performance, responsiveness, and customer outcomes.

Requirements

• Must have experience leading and coordinating complex programs, portfolios, task orders, or projects in a commercial real estate and/or government leasing environment.
• Must have working knowledge of the GSA lease acquisition process, applicable lease contract documents, and related policies, procedures, and operational requirements.
• Must be able to serve as an empowered point of contact with the authority to make decisions, resolve issues, and coordinate resources on behalf of The Building People.
• Must be able to manage multiple concurrent efforts, establish priorities, and maintain schedule, quality, and customer service across an assigned zone.
• Must possess strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to coordinate effectively with Government officials, customer agencies, subcontractors, and internal teams.
• Must be able to identify performance issues, project risks, and resource constraints, and develop or recommend practical corrective actions in a timely manner.
• Must have experience reviewing program status, deliverables, and reporting requirements to help ensure compliance, consistency, and responsiveness under contract performance expectations.
• Must be proficient in organizing, documenting, and communicating program information, action items, and executive‑level status updates in a clear and professional manner.

Education, Skills and Training

• Associate's degree or bachelor's degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience, including at least two years of leadership and/or project management experience and at least three years of commercial real estate and/or government leasing experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate cross‑functional teams, and communicate effectively with Government clients, customer agencies, and internal stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to monitor performance, identify risks, and support timely resolution of issues.
• Training in Lease Acquisition, Pricing in Leased Space, and GLS Max Orientation is required.

Salary offered will be commensurate with the candidate's experience, qualifications, and certifications.

Our positions may require a background screening and clearance directly from the Government.

Please note that telework arrangements are subject to change based on customer requirements.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Competitive benefits for eligible employees include:

• Medical & Rx
• Dental
• Vision
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Life Insurance/AD&D
• Long Term Disability and Short‑Term Disability
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Pay

All positions require a background check after acceptance of our offer. The selected candidate will be eligible to begin employment before the background check has been finalized. However, continued employment will be contingent upon the results of your reference/background check from The Building People, LLC. Your position may require special credentialing, clearance, and access as a condition of employment. In the event the government or client does not sponsor or approve your clearance, it may result in termination of your employment.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this e-mail address.

For more information, view the EEO is the Law Poster and Pay Transparency Statement.