Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Office Planner

🎯 Role Definition

The Office Planner (also known as Space Planner or Workplace Planner) leads office space design, occupancy planning, and move management initiatives across single and multi-site portfolios. Responsibilities include developing and maintaining space standards and workplace strategies, producing CAD/Revit floor plans and furniture layouts, coordinating vendors and contractors, managing budgets and timelines, and delivering post-occupancy evaluations. The Office Planner partners with Real Estate, HR, IT, Facilities and business leaders to align physical space with business needs, improve space utilization, and support a safe, productive, inclusive workplace.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Facilities Coordinator / Facilities Administrator
Junior Space Planner / Interior Design Assistant
Real Estate Analyst

Advancement To:

Senior Space Planner / Lead Office Planner
Workplace or Facilities Manager
Senior Project Manager – Workplace or Real Estate

Lateral Moves:

Workplace Experience Manager
Corporate Real Estate Analyst
Interior Designer (Commercial)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and maintain comprehensive space plans and schematic layouts using AutoCAD, Revit or equivalent software, translating business requirements into efficient office floor plans and furniture configurations that meet building code and accessibility standards.
Lead end-to-end move management for department relocations, expansions and consolidations — create move schedules, coordinate movers, track assets, manage IT and telecom cutover windows, and ensure minimal business disruption.
Conduct site surveys and workplace assessments to collect room measurements, seating counts, furniture inventories and infrastructure conditions, and produce accurate as-built drawings and documentation.
Prepare and present detailed workplace strategy recommendations, occupancy projections, headcount models and scenario analyses to HR, leadership and real estate stakeholders to inform long-range space planning.
Create, implement and enforce corporate space standards, workstation typologies and furniture guidelines to ensure consistency, ergonomics and cost control across the portfolio.
Manage vendor and furniture procurement processes including RFQs/RFPs, vendor evaluations, specification writing, furniture layouts, orders, delivery coordination and quality assurance during installation.
Coordinate cross-functional teams (IT, Security, AV, FM, HR, Procurement, Legal) throughout planning and delivery phases to ensure infrastructure readiness and service handoffs.
Develop and manage project timelines, budgets and resource plans for office fit-outs, refresh projects and relocation initiatives; provide regular status updates and risk mitigation plans to stakeholders.
Produce construction and installation documentation, punch lists and scope clarifications; review shop drawings and submittals to ensure adherence to design intent and standards.
Perform occupancy and utilization analysis using workplace analytics tools and data sources; generate dashboards and reports that drive space optimization and headcount allocation decisions.
Provide quality control on drawings and plans, verifying measurements, door swings, circulation, egress paths and MEP coordination to support code compliance and safe building operations.
Manage furniture installation and post-installation adjustments, ensuring punch-list completion, asset tagging and accurate updates to the fixed-asset and furniture inventory systems.
Develop cost estimates, budget reconciliations and change order management for workspace projects; review contractor invoices and support procurement approvals.
Execute post-occupancy evaluations to gather feedback, measure user satisfaction and identify continuous improvement opportunities for future workplace initiatives.
Create clear, stakeholder-focused communications, move instructions, packing lists and floor signage to support employee moves and minimize confusion during transitions.
Support lease plan reviews and tenant improvement scopes by providing floorplate layouts, efficiency metrics and landlord coordination to ensure space is delivered per contract.
Ensure all workspace designs and modifications comply with accessibility (ADA) requirements, local building codes and corporate safety policies; coordinate with authorities having jurisdiction as required.
Prepare and maintain detailed space and seating databases (Archibus, FM:Systems, iOffice, Trimble) to reflect current state and planned changes; ensure data integrity for reporting and audits.
Facilitate design workshops and stakeholder meetings to capture program requirements, behavioral patterns and departmental adjacencies that inform neighborhood and floor design.
Coordinate interiors and finish selections, acoustic solutions and ergonomic furniture specifications to support diverse workstyles and hybrid working models.
Draft and manage standard operating procedures for space requests, moves and reconfigurations to streamline processes and establish clear governance.
Serve as point of contact for workplace-related emergencies impacting floor plans or occupancy (e.g., reconfigurations due to health/safety directives) and rapidly execute contingency planning.
Lead small-to-medium fit-out projects, including tenant improvement coordination with landlords, to deliver high-quality, on-time workplace rollouts.
Maintain and update portfolio maps, floorplate diagrams and master drawings library so teams and external partners always have access to current plans.

Secondary Functions

Support senior real estate and facilities teams with ad-hoc reporting, occupancy forecasting and periodic portfolio health checks to inform capital and operating plans.
Assist in developing and refining the organization’s workplace strategy and long-term space roadmap, aligning physical changes with business transformation initiatives.
Partner with IT and AV teams during planning and implementation to ensure network closets, power, cabling and conferencing infrastructure are accurately reflected in space plans.
Participate in cross-disciplinary project reviews, design charrettes and agile planning sessions to integrate feedback and accelerate delivery cycles.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient in AutoCAD and/or Revit for accurate floor plans and construction drawings.
Experience with space management and IWMS tools such as Archibus, FM:Systems, iOffice, Trimble or Manhattan.
Strong competency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel for occupancy modeling, PowerPoint for stakeholder decks).
Familiarity with furniture planning tools and layouts (e.g., CET Designer, Spaceplanner, furniture manufacturer specification tools).
Working knowledge of building codes, ADA accessibility standards and life-safety egress requirements.
Basic understanding of MEP, structural and AV/IT infrastructure to coordinate interdisciplinary design.
Experience with move management processes, packing/move plans and vendor coordination.
Ability to interpret lease plans, tenant improvement allowances and landlord-provided documentation.
Experience producing specifications, RFQs/RFPs and managing vendor procurement and contracts.
Proficiency with workplace analytics and occupancy sensors, and the ability to interpret space utilization data for planning.
Familiarity with BIM coordination workflows and cloud platforms (BIM 360, Procore) is a plus.
Budgeting and cost-estimating skills for interior fit-outs, furniture and move-related expenses.

Soft Skills

Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills; able to translate technical drawings into business-focused recommendations.
Strong project management skills with the ability to multi-task, prioritize and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Attention to detail and rigorous quality control when producing drawings and documentation.
Collaborative mindset; experience working across Facilities, IT, HR and Real Estate teams.
Problem solver with practical decision-making and escalation judgment during moves and projects.
Negotiation skills for vendor selection and procurement.
Client-service orientation and ability to handle sensitive personnel and seating requests with discretion.
Adaptability and resilience when managing last-minute changes or urgent workplace needs.
Facilitation skills for workshops and stakeholder design sessions.
Analytical mindset with experience converting data into actionable space planning insights.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Interior Design, Architecture, Facilities Management, Construction Management, Real Estate, Urban Planning or related discipline.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Architecture or Interior Design and certifications such as NCIDQ, LEED AP, PMP, IFMA Certified Facility Manager (CFM) or IFMA/COREFM credentials.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Architecture / Architectural Technology
Interior Design (commercial)
Facilities Management
Construction Management / Civil Engineering
Real Estate / Urban Planning

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3 to 7 years of experience in space planning, workplace planning or facilities project coordination (corporate or commercial environments).

Preferred:

5+ years of progressive experience in office space planning, workplace transformations, move management and furniture procurement within multi-site corporate portfolios.
Demonstrated experience using AutoCAD/Revit and IWMS platforms; successful track record of delivering relocations and fit-outs on schedule and on budget.