Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Workplace Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

A Workplace Consultant designs and delivers modern workplace solutions that align real estate, facilities, HR and technology to business strategy. The role focuses on workplace strategy, hybrid and flexible working models, space optimization, employee experience, and change management — using data, stakeholder engagement and program delivery to optimize occupancy, cost, productivity and wellbeing across the organization.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Workplace Coordinator or Workplace Experience Specialist
Facilities Manager or Facilities Coordinator
Real Estate Analyst, Interior Designer, or HR Business Partner

Advancement To:

Senior Workplace Consultant or Lead Workplace Strategist
Head of Workplace Strategy / Director of Workplace & Real Estate
Global Head of Employee Experience or Chief Real Estate Officer

Lateral Moves:

Real Estate Portfolio Manager
Change Management Consultant or Organizational Effectiveness Lead
Facilities Operations Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and implement a holistic workplace strategy that supports corporate objectives, hybrid work policies, and employee experience goals, leveraging occupancy analytics and industry best practices to shape future workplace investments.
Conduct comprehensive space utilization analyses and occupancy studies using IWMS, sensors, and data analytics to identify opportunities for consolidation, expansion, and cost optimization while maintaining high employee satisfaction.
Lead cross-functional stakeholder engagement with HR, IT, Facilities, Real Estate, Finance and business unit leaders to translate business requirements into workplace solutions, ensuring alignment to organizational culture and operational needs.
Design and oversee delivery of workplace transformation programs, including change management plans, communication strategies, pilot programs, and phased rollouts to drive adoption of new spaces, tools and hybrid working models.
Create detailed workplace briefs, concept designs and space standards that incorporate ergonomics, accessibility, sustainability (LEED/WELL goals), and brand-guided workplace design, working closely with architects and interior designers.
Manage workplace projects from scoping through closeout, including vendor selection, procurement, budgeting, scheduling, contractor coordination and quality assurance to ensure projects meet scope, schedule and budget.
Develop and manage workplace metrics and KPIs (e.g., utilization, cost per workstation, density, employee satisfaction) and prepare executive-level reports and dashboards to inform strategic decisions and demonstrate ROI.
Provide expert advice on furniture, fit-out standards, AV/tech integrations, collaboration zones, touchdown spaces and neighborhood layouts to optimize space for both focused work and collaboration.
Lead occupancy planning and seating assignments for moves, expansions or reorganizations by coordinating schedules, resource allocation and communication to minimize operational disruption and ensure a smooth transition.
Drive continuous improvement of workplace services and operations by assessing vendor performance, service level agreements (SLAs), maintenance regimes and helpdesk processes to improve responsiveness and reduce costs.
Advise on real estate portfolio strategy to support workplace plans, including site selection, lease optimization, footprint rationalization, and scenario modelling to align space with long-term business strategy.
Support health, safety and compliance initiatives in the workplace by coordinating risk assessments, emergency preparedness, ergonomics programs, and accessibility improvements that meet regulatory and company standards.
Design and implement employee experience programs—such as onboarding spaces, amenity strategies, and workplace events—that promote culture, collaboration, retention and wellbeing across distributed teams.
Utilize workplace technologies (IWMS, sensors, booking systems, collaboration tools) and partner with IT to implement technology-enabled workplace features that improve space transparency, booking efficiency and employee satisfaction.
Prepare business cases and financial models to justify workplace investments, including capital expenditure requests, cost-benefit analyses and sensitivity scenarios for senior leadership review.
Facilitate workshops, focus groups and user research sessions to gather qualitative insights and co-create workplace solutions with employees, champions and leaders to ensure user-centric outcomes.
Implement sustainability initiatives within workplace programs, such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, material reuse and wellness-focused design to support corporate ESG and WELL/LEED commitments.
Negotiate and manage third-party vendor contracts for furniture, FM services, move management and professional services, ensuring commercial terms support program objectives and mitigate risk.
Coordinate occupancy forecasting, headcount planning and space allocation modelling to support business growth, cost management and scenario planning for hybrid working futures.
Provide expert guidance and training to facilities teams, property managers and workplace champions on new workplace standards, booking tools, and policies to ensure consistent global delivery and local compliance.
Monitor market trends, workplace benchmarks and competitor practices to inform continuous refinement of workplace strategy and maintain a competitive, modern workplace offering.
Lead post-implementation reviews and lessons-learned sessions to capture performance outcomes, identify improvements and update standards, tooling or processes for future workplace initiatives.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc workplace data requests, exploratory analyses and tailored dashboards to answer business questions related to occupancy, cost and utilization.
Contribute to the organization's workplace technology roadmap and recommend IWMS, sensor and booking system enhancements that align with strategy and user needs.
Collaborate with business continuity, security and facilities teams to ensure workplace changes maintain operational resilience and security posture.
Act as a subject-matter expert when supporting M&A activity, new office integrations or divestments, providing rapid space assessment, transition planning and cost modeling.
Assist Human Resources in implementing hybrid work policies, return-to-office programs and manager training to operationalize new ways of working.
Participate in agile program ceremonies and sprint planning for workplace transformation projects where applicable, ensuring timely delivery of prioritized features and fixes.
Support internal communications and change adoption campaigns by drafting messaging, FAQs, intranet content and training materials for workplace initiatives.
Maintain up-to-date documentation of workplace standards, floorplate templates, test-fit libraries and move procedures for consistent reuse across locations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Workplace Strategy Development: experience building multi-year workplace strategies that integrate real estate, HR, IT and facilities.
Space Planning & Occupancy Analytics: proficiency in space utilization studies, test-fits, scenario modelling and occupancy sensor data interpretation.
IWMS & Workplace Technology: hands-on use of IWMS platforms (e.g., FM:Systems, ARCHIBUS), desk-booking tools, sensor platforms and workplace analytics solutions.
Project & Program Management: proven ability to manage capex and workplace transformation projects using project management methodologies and tools.
CAD / Revit / Space Planning Tools: working knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp or similar for communicating space layouts and fit-out coordination.
Financial Modeling & Budget Management: ability to build business cases, CAPEX/OPEX models, and monitor project budgets and savings.
Vendor & Contract Management: experience negotiating and managing suppliers, service level agreements and procurement processes.
Employee Experience & Change Management: applying change frameworks (ADKAR, Prosci) and user research to drive adoption of workplace changes.
Health, Safety & Compliance: understanding of workplace safety, accessibility standards and local regulatory requirements.
Sustainability & WELL/LEED Knowledge: familiarity with sustainability certifications and practices as they apply to workplace design and operations.
Workplace Communications & Training: capability to create launch materials, training programs and internal comms for rollout activities.
Data Visualization & Reporting: skilled in Excel, Power BI, Tableau or similar for creating dashboards and executive reports.

Soft Skills

Stakeholder Influence & Relationship Building: ability to build credibility with senior leaders and cross-functional partners to secure alignment and resources.
Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen: translating business strategy into practical workplace solutions that drive measurable outcomes.
Change Leadership & Facilitation: leading workshops, focus groups and training to influence behavior and support adoption.
Problem Solving & Analytical Mindset: breaking down complex workplace challenges into actionable plans supported by data.
Communication & Presentation: clear storytelling for diverse audiences including executives, end users and technical teams.
Adaptability & Resilience: managing ambiguity and shifting priorities in fast-paced, hybrid work environments.
Collaboration & Teamwork: working effectively with multidisciplinary teams including real estate, HR, IT, design and operations.
Attention to Detail & Quality Focus: delivering consistent standards, accurate planning and follow-through across programs.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Real Estate, Business, Facilities Management, Human Resources, Engineering or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (e.g., Real Estate, Business Administration, Architecture) or professional certifications such as IFMA (FMP/SFP), CRE, PMP, Prosci Change Management, WELL AP or LEED AP.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Architecture, Interior Design, or Built Environment
Real Estate, Property/Asset Management
Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, Human Resources
Facilities Management, Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–8 years of relevant experience in workplace strategy, corporate real estate, facilities management, or workplace design.

Preferred: 5+ years delivering workplace transformation programs for medium to large, multi-site organizations with demonstrable outcomes in occupancy optimization, cost savings, employee experience improvements and successful change adoption.