Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Workplace Strategist

🎯 Role Definition

The Workplace Strategist is a cross-functional leader responsible for defining and executing the organization's workplace strategy to support business objectives, hybrid work models, employee experience, and portfolio efficiency. This role blends real estate strategy, space planning, data-driven occupancy analytics, change management, and vendor coordination to design scalable, flexible workplaces that improve productivity, lower cost-per-employee, and enhance wellbeing.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Workplace Coordinator / Workplace Experience Specialist
Facilities Manager / Real Estate Analyst
HR Business Partner with workplace or real estate exposure

Advancement To:

Head of Workplace Strategy
Director of Global Real Estate & Workplace
VP of Workplace Experience or VP of Corporate Real Estate

Lateral Moves:

Employee Experience Manager
Change Management Consultant
Workplace Technology/Product Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and own a multi-year workplace strategy that aligns real estate portfolio decisions with business priorities, hybrid work models, and organizational culture to optimize cost, collaboration, and talent attraction.
Lead cross-functional stakeholder engagement programs (HR, IT, Facilities, Legal, Finance, Business Leaders) to establish governance, decision-making frameworks, and consensus for workplace initiatives and portfolio changes.
Design, implement and iterate hybrid work policies, desk-booking protocols, and neighborhood strategies that balance flexibility with business continuity and real estate efficiency.
Conduct comprehensive space utilization and occupancy analytics using sensor data, badge data, and booking system logs to identify consolidation opportunities, utilization patterns, and forecasting models.
Build and maintain forecasting models and occupancy scenarios (short, medium, long-term) to inform workforce growth planning, sublease/lease decisions, and capital allocation for workplace projects.
Create detailed workplace design briefs, standards, and playbooks for office layouts, neighborhoods, touchdown spaces, and collaboration zones to be used by architects, designers, and vendors.
Manage end-to-end workplace transformation projects including vendor selection, scope definition, budget management, design review, construction coordination, and move execution to deliver on-time, on-budget outcomes.
Lead pilot programs (hoteling systems, collaboration tools, focused work zones) and evaluate adoption metrics, employee feedback, and operational impacts to scale successful pilots across the portfolio.
Serve as the subject matter expert for workplace technology (space booking systems, desk sensors, room displays, digital wayfinding) and partner with IT and vendors to ensure integration, security, and user adoption.
Develop and monitor KPIs and dashboards (utilization, cost per FTE, employee satisfaction, space per employee, carbon footprint) to measure the ROI and business impact of workplace initiatives.
Drive workplace-related capital planning and operating budget development, tracking, and reporting; present business cases and financial recommendations to senior leadership and finance committees.
Negotiate and manage contracts with architects, designers, contractors, furniture vendors, and technology providers, ensuring SLAs, warranties, and performance metrics are met.
Implement workplace change management and communications strategies, including training, roadshows, FAQs, and executive sponsorship, to maximize adoption and minimize disruption during transitions.
Integrate ergonomics, wellbeing, and sustainability principles into workplace programs (biophilic design, WELL/LEED considerations, healthy building practices) to support employee health and corporate ESG goals.
Support real estate portfolio optimization through scenario planning, vacancy management, sublease strategies, and real estate transaction support in collaboration with CRE and brokerage partners.
Conduct risk assessments and compliance reviews (health & safety protocols, building codes, accessibility, emergency planning) for workplace changes and new site activations.
Partner with Talent and HR to align workplace design with recruitment, onboarding, performance, and retention strategies, ensuring the physical environment supports culture and employee lifecycle needs.
Oversee move management and relocation logistics, including packing, transport, IT cutover coordination, and occupant communications to minimize business disruption.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives for workplace operations and service delivery, gathering feedback from workplace experience surveys and frontline teams to prioritize enhancements.
Prepare and present strategic reports, executive briefings, and business cases to senior leadership, synthesizing data, cost analysis, and qualitative insights to inform decision-making.
Manage and mentor a small cross-functional team or matrixed contributors (project managers, workplace coordinators, data analysts, designers), setting objectives, performance expectations, and professional development plans.
Coordinate with legal and procurement teams on lease amendments, service level agreements, and vendor compliance to protect organizational interests and ensure contractual alignment.
Evaluate and recommend workplace-related investments in furniture, technology, and amenities that balance user needs, durability, and total cost of ownership across locations.
Maintain up-to-date market intelligence on workplace trends, emerging tech (sensors, hybrid tooling), and best practices to continuously evolve the workplace strategy and maintain competitive advantage.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory occupancy analysis to inform tactical decisions and immediate operational requests.
Contribute to the organization's workplace data strategy and roadmap by identifying key data sources, measurement standards, and analytics requirements.
Collaborate with business units and IT to translate data and technology needs into vendor requirements, integrations, and implementation plans.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within cross-functional delivery teams to prioritize workplace features, pilots, and improvements.
Provide subject-matter guidance to facilities and property management teams on day-to-day workplace incidents, access control changes, and temporary workspace reconfigurations.
Assist in creation of employee-facing documentation, intranet content, and training modules related to workplace tools, booking systems, and new neighborhood protocols.
Help maintain and enrich a centralized workplace knowledge base and playbooks to ensure consistency of practice across regions and sites.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strategic workplace planning and portfolio optimization: ability to translate business strategy into space planning and real estate outcomes.
Occupancy analytics and data literacy: experience with sensor data, badge analytics, desk-booking logs, statistical analysis, and deriving actionable insights.
Workplace technology proficiency: knowledge of space booking platforms (e.g., Condeco, Robin, Deskflex), sensors (e.g., VergeSense, Density), and room display systems.
Software & analytics tools: strong Excel modeling, Power BI/Tableau dashboarding, and familiarity with SQL or Python for data queries and analysis.
Space planning and design input: experience producing or reviewing space standards, adjacencies, and capacity models; familiarity with AutoCAD, Revit, or space management software is a plus.
Project and program management: proven capability to manage budgets, timelines, milestones, vendors, and cross-functional delivery at scale (PMP or equivalent experience preferred).
Vendor and contract management: negotiating SLAs, SOWs, and managing multi-vendor delivery across technology, design, and facilities services.
Financial acumen: budget preparation, cost-benefit analysis, TCO modeling, and business case development for workplace investments.
Change management frameworks: practical experience applying Prosci, ADKAR, or equivalent methodologies to drive adoption and behavior change.
Legal/compliance knowledge: understanding of lease structures, building codes, accessibility (ADA), and workplace health and safety requirements.
Sustainability & wellbeing expertise: familiarity with WELL, LEED, or other healthy-building principles and ESG metrics relevant to workplaces.
Move and transition planning: logistics planning, phased relocations, cutover coordination, and stakeholder communications.
UX and employee experience measurement: designing and interpreting NPS, engagement surveys, and qualitative research to inform workplace decisions.

Soft Skills

Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills: able to build trust and alignment across C-suite, business leaders, and operational teams.
Strategic thinker with strong business judgment: translates complex data and constraints into practical strategic options and recommendations.
Effective communicator and presenter: concise, persuasive briefing skills for executive-level presentations and cross-functional updates.
Change leadership and facilitation: skilled at leading workshops, town halls, and training sessions to accelerate adoption.
Collaborative and cross-functional mindset: thrives in matrixed organizations and can coordinate multiple partners and vendors.
Problem solving and critical thinking: strong root-cause analysis and solution design in ambiguous, fast-changing contexts.
Empathy and user-centric orientation: balances organizational objectives with employee needs to design inclusive workplaces.
Time and priority management: adept at managing multiple concurrent projects with competing deadlines and limited resources.
Attention to detail and quality orientation: ensures design standards, budgets, and compliance requirements are met consistently.
Coaching and team development: able to mentor junior colleagues and foster a high-performance workplace strategy team.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

Master's degree or MBA, Master's in Real Estate, Architecture, Organizational Psychology, or equivalent advanced credential.
Certifications such as Prosci Change Management, PMP, WELL, LEED, or related credentials are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Real Estate / Corporate Real Estate
Architecture / Interior Design / Built Environment
Business Administration / Strategy / Finance
Human Resources / Organizational Development
Data Analytics / Industrial Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–10 years of progressive experience in workplace strategy, corporate real estate, facilities, or workplace experience roles.

Preferred: 7–12+ years with demonstrable experience leading multi-site workplace programs, hybrid work implementations, portfolio optimization, and cross-functional stakeholder engagement at a regional or global scale.