IMF - Senior Facilities Officer (Real Estate)

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Facilities and Workplace Management Division, Corporate Services and Facilities Department (CSF) Senior Facilities Officer (Real Estate) External Description: The Corporate Services and Facilities Management Department of the IMF is seeking to hire a Senior Facilities Officer with to oversee an assigned portfolio of IMF owned and leased real estate assets and manage the execution of international and domestic lease transactions and related office renovation projects by the IMF’s global partners.   The Senior Facilities Officer (Real Estate) reports to the Section Chief, Global Real Estate, and is based at the IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C. but may be required to travel overseas to IMF field offices. The Global Real Estate Section (GRE) oversees the IMF’s global portfolio of owned and leased real estate assets and manages the real estate activities at approximately 200 properties (commercial, government provided and executive residence) located in over 100-member countries. Field office properties are a mix of office and residential, spread across five regions, to include: Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East/Central Asia, and Western Hemisphere. GRE provides portfolio management advisory services to departments with operations at the IMF’s field office locations, oversees the execution of lease transactions and interior fit-out/project management activities, and manages the lease administration function for the IMF. The focus of the Senior Facilities Officer (Real Estate) position is to provide technical expertise to the global real estate program, with focus on real estate portfolio and transaction management, commercial office design and management of interior renovations. The incumbent will provide real estate advisory services to clients and execute real estate related lease transactions and manage small to medium scale interior fit-out projects – many of which are in emerging markets- in support of the IMF’s mission. Many of the site selection and renovation projects are executed by outside firms. Additionally, the Senior Facilities Officer is responsible for overseeing residential leasing and lease administration activities for an assigned portfolio.  

Duties and Responsibilities: This position description below is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, knowledge or abilities associated with this role, but is intended to accurately reflect the primary job requirements.

• Provide portfolio management services to clients. Understand client needs and recommend options that will meet those needs. Contribute to the budget process and cost management efforts by ensuring a good understanding of relative costs, the financial framework and budget process; assist in advising clients on their associated property costs and supporting them during the budget process.
• Identify suitable properties, reviewing market intelligence and available property listing conducted by third party service providers, that best support internal client business needs.
• Assess appropriateness of properties by visualizing the future state and estimating potential costs to retrofit.
• Represent the IMF in the negotiations leading to the execution of real estate lease agreements; perform complex and often politically sensitive negotiations with government authorities and landlords.
• Ensure the final lease agreement includes standard IMF clauses and business conditions that limit risk to the IMF; work closely with Legal Department and local counsel to incorporate local laws into the lease contract.
• Manage interior renovation projects (or direct a third-party vendor) to support office design, renovation, and furniture sourcing. Engage project resources comprising architects, engineers, contractors, and suppliers to implement the project plan.
• Manage third party vendors to control costs, drive service excellence and mitigate risks to gain increased value from the outsource relationship throughout the life cycle of the portfolio of projects and properties. Identify opportunities to innovate processes and practices to enhance service delivery and increase value to the IMF.
• Collaborate with IMF internal service providers (e.g., IT, Transportation, Procurement), stakeholders (e.g., Legal, Security Services), clients and others to explore operational efficiencies, review improvements at post and ensure costs saving measures are in place.
• Follow IMF procurement procedures and policies when entering into contract agreements with service providers and vendors.
• Ensure lease renewal transactions for assigned portfolio are executed on time and in a manner that is in the best interest of the IMF.
• Assists the Section Chief with specific initiatives and projects as required and provide coaching to support the development of junior staff in GRE.

Education: Advanced university degree, or equivalent in Corporate Real Estate, Architecture, Interior Design, or Facilities Management fields is required; or a bachelor’s degree, supplemented by a minimum of ten years of relevant professional experience in Corporate Real Estate, Architecture or Commercial interior renovations (preferably in a multi-national organization), is required.   Skills:

• Demonstrated mastery of executing international real estate lease transactions and managing real estate projects for residential and/or commercial properties. Experience in emerging/developing countries a plus.
• Strong commercial interior renovation experience and ability to design space plans, estimate renovation costs and manage renovations within an established budget and schedule.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior-level staff, lead project teams, and collaborate effectively in a consensus driven environment.
• Exceptional customer relationship skills.
• Proven track record of remotely managing providers of outsourced services.
• Demonstrated proficiency in preparing financial analysis and project budgets; ability to convey outcomes effectively.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with adherence to strict deadlines.
• Works well independently and in a team setting; possesses strong teamwork and interpersonal skills, collaboration and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to assess a situation holistically, using good judgment, tact, and discretion in dealing with challenging and sensitive situations.
• Experience working in multi-cultural organizations.
• Strong written and oral skills in English; proficiency in French, Spanish, Arabic or Russian a plus.