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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Workplace Experience Manager

💰 $90,000 - $140,000

Workplace ExperienceFacilities ManagementHuman ResourcesOperations

🎯 Role Definition

The Workplace Experience Manager is responsible for designing, operating, and continuously improving the physical and digital workplace to maximize productivity, wellbeing, and employer brand. This role combines facilities management, hospitality-style service delivery, space & occupancy planning, vendor & contractor oversight, workplace technology management, and cross-functional stakeholder engagement to deliver an outstanding employee experience across onsite, hybrid, and distributed environments. Primary objectives include reducing friction in day‑to‑day work, optimizing utilization and cost, protecting health & safety and assets, and enabling business teams through workplace programs, events, and effective service-level delivery.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Office Manager / Office Coordinator
  • Facilities Coordinator / Facilities Specialist
  • Events & Workplace Services Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Senior Workplace Experience Manager
  • Head of Workplace Experience / Director of Workplace
  • Director of Global Real Estate & Facilities

Lateral Moves:

  • Employee Experience Manager
  • Facilities Manager
  • Real Estate Portfolio Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead end-to-end workplace operations including front‑of‑house services, reception, mailroom, meeting room management, office services, and concierge-style support to deliver a high-quality employee experience that aligns with company culture and brand.
  • Develop and execute the workplace strategy and roadmap that supports hybrid work models, flexible seating, hoteling, and desk reservation systems; partner with People & IT to align policies with business needs and technology.
  • Own day-to-day facilities management and building operations, ensuring uptime of critical systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, access control), coordinating preventative maintenance, and minimizing disruption to business operations.
  • Manage vendor and contractor relationships (cleaning, security, catering, MEP, office supplies) including selection, contracting, SLA negotiation, performance management, and invoice reconciliation to ensure cost-efficiency and high service quality.
  • Plan and deliver large-scale workplace projects such as office moves, renovations, workplace refreshes, and expansion or consolidation programs—oversee budgets, timelines, contractors, and stakeholder communication.
  • Serve as primary point of contact for workplace-related incidents, building escalations, emergency response and business continuity planning, coordinating with corporate security and local building management to protect people and assets.
  • Implement and maintain workplace technology tools (IWMS, desk booking, visitor management, room scheduling, helpdesk/ServiceNow) and own integration requirements with IT to improve service delivery and user adoption.
  • Lead space planning and utilization analysis using occupancy data and workplace analytics to optimize square footage, reduce cost per employee, and support real estate decisions.
  • Design, execute, and evaluate workplace events, town halls, team-building activities, and onboarding experiences that enhance employee engagement, cross-functional collaboration, and workplace culture.
  • Manage the workplace budget including operating expenses (OPEX), capital projects (CAPEX), procurement, and cost forecasting—track KPIs and deliver quarterly reports on spend, utilization, and service performance.
  • Establish and enforce workplace policies and procedures (guest policy, hybrid work guidelines, health & safety protocols, security & access) while communicating changes clearly to a global employee base.
  • Drive workplace sustainability initiatives such as waste reduction, energy efficiency, sustainable procurement, and reporting against ESG targets in partnership with corporate sustainability teams.
  • Oversee move, add, change (MAC) processes and seat assignment workflows to ensure timely, accurate, and cost-effective workplace changes for hires, transfers, and reorganizations.
  • Maintain workplace asset inventories (furniture, AV equipment, IT peripherals) and lifecycle management processes, coordinating with procurement and IT for replacements and warranty support.
  • Coach and manage a high-performing workplace team (coordinators, facility technicians, vendor leads), developing talent, assigning responsibilities, and ensuring high levels of customer service.
  • Conduct regular workplace audits and vendor quality checks to ensure compliance with contractual SLAs, building codes, health & safety regulations, and local statutory requirements.
  • Develop and continuously improve employee-facing service catalogs, self-service resources, and training materials to reduce friction and support first-contact resolution.
  • Partner closely with HR, IT, Real Estate, Legal and Compliance to execute workplace-related initiatives (onboarding, remote work policy, data protection in shared spaces).
  • Use employee feedback, surveys, and workplace analytics to identify pain points and implement targeted improvements, measuring impact through Net Promoter Score (NPS), CSAT, utilization, and cost metrics.
  • Coordinate relocation logistics for office-level and employee-level moves including packing, asset transfer, cleaning, and post-move verification to ensure minimal downtime.
  • Implement and manage health & safety programs including ergonomic assessments, incident tracking, contractor safety plans and compliance with local building and occupational safety regulations.
  • Manage procurement of office supplies, furniture, and workplace services through RFIs/RFPs when required—ensure competitive sourcing and alignment with brand standards.
  • Lead workplace change management initiatives when rolling out new tools, seating models, or building policies; create communication plans, pilot programs, and training to drive adoption.

Secondary Functions

  • Curate and maintain a centralized workplace knowledge base and standard operating procedures to scale best practices across multiple offices or regions.
  • Support workplace analytics and reporting: create dashboards for utilization, service performance, budget tracking, and project status to inform leadership decisions.
  • Act as workplace brand ambassador for site visits, executive office hospitality, investor/partner tours and external events hosted on campus.
  • Run continuous improvement programs (Kaizen, 5S, Lean) to increase workplace efficiency and reduce repetitive service tickets and waste.
  • Support ad-hoc workplace research and pilot programs (e.g., pilot new desk booking software, test new catering models) to evaluate impact and recommend scaling.
  • Coordinate with legal and procurement teams to ensure contracts, SLAs and insurance for contractors meet corporate standards and local legal requirements.
  • Facilitate cross-functional workshops to align workplace services with business unit needs and deliver tailored programs for high-impact teams.
  • Provide mentorship and professional development opportunities for workplace staff, including performance reviews, goal setting, and training budgets.
  • Maintain relationships with building management and landlords to negotiate building-level services, resolve escalations and ensure tenant obligations are met.
  • Participate in corporate committees for workplace design, sustainability, and resiliency to influence strategy and represent frontline operational realities.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Workplace strategy & operations: hybrid work enablement, desk hoteling, occupancy & utilization optimization
  • Vendor & contract management: RFP/RFI, SLA/KPI design, vendor performance reviews, invoice reconciliation
  • Facilities systems knowledge: HVAC, MEP basics, building management, access control systems, fire & life safety
  • Workplace technology proficiency: IWMS, desk booking platforms (e.g., Condeco, Robin, Teem), visitor management systems, ServiceNow
  • Space planning & CAD/BIM familiarity: ability to read plans, coordinate with designers and architects
  • Project management: planning large-scale moves/renovations, MS Project/Jira/Asana proficiency, budget and timeline control
  • Data & analytics: occupancy analytics, Excel/Sheets advanced skills, Power BI/Tableau for reporting
  • Procurement & budget management: sourcing, PO management, OPEX/CAPEX tracking
  • Health, safety & compliance: OSHA/local building codes, contractor safety plans, incident reporting
  • Sustainability program management: waste reduction, energy efficiency, green certifications (LEED) awareness

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional customer service orientation with a hospitality mindset
  • Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across HR, IT, Real Estate, Legal and senior leadership
  • Clear, concise communicator (written and verbal) able to create roll‑out plans and change communications
  • Problem solving and triage under pressure—calmly prioritize incidents and escalate appropriately
  • Leadership and people management—hire, coach, motivate and retain high-performing teams
  • Strategic thinking with bias for action and continuous improvement mindset
  • High emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity for global or multi-site teams
  • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail while juggling multiple concurrent projects
  • Negotiation skills for vendor and service contract discussions
  • Adaptability to changing workplace models and evolving business requirements

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Facilities Management, Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Real Estate, Engineering, or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's plus certifications such as Certified Facility Manager (CFM), IWFM, PMP, or workplace-specific certifications (e.g., WELL, LEED AP).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Facilities Management
  • Business Administration
  • Hospitality Management
  • Real Estate or Urban Planning
  • Human Resources or Organizational Psychology
  • Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical) or Construction Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5–8 years in workplace operations, facilities management, or office services roles; progressive responsibility preferred.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years managing workplace programs and teams, with proven experience delivering workplace strategy, vendor management, occupancy analytics, and large-scale office moves/renovations.
  • Experience operating in fast-growing technology companies or multi-national organizations, supporting hybrid work models, and using IWMS/desk-booking tools.
  • Demonstrated track record managing budgets, negotiating vendor contracts, and improving employee satisfaction metrics (NPS/CSAT) related to workplace services.
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