14602 - Director of Real Estate
Together we change lives.
Kelly is a team of experts driven by our belief that the impact of the right person in the right job is limitless.
No matter where you are in your career journey you can apply your knowledge and passion to move people, organizations, and communities forward. You’ll have opportunities to grow your expertise and capabilities, both professionally and personally. As a team we celebrate inclusion, caring and collaboration. As a company we value your contribution, we work with integrity, and we always put people first – so your impact really will change lives.
Kelly Services is seeking a Director of Real Estate Portfolio Management to lead the execution of a corporate real estate footprint spanning approximately 136 locations globally, including the Americas portfolio and international offices. This function has been rebuilt from the ground up over the past year, consolidating a fragmented, multi-acquisition footprint into a single, centrally governed real estate program, and it is now entering its next phase: an active reshaping of the global real estate landscape driven by portfolio rationalization, disposition strategy, and disciplined governance.
This role is built for a real estate professional who has already led this type of work, not one who is learning it on the job. The right candidate has directed portfolio-wide lease strategy, driven consolidation and disposition programs, and operated inside a formal approval framework at scale. They will step into an active governance program on day one, including a portfolio rationalization and disposition strategy already tracking toward measurable occupancy cost savings, a documented framework supporting, renewals, and closings, and a live portfolio management dashboard used as the system of record for lease administration, utilization, and pipeline decisions.
This individual will serve as a key point of contact for the real estate function to senior leadership and business unit heads, translating portfolio strategy into executable transactions and providing the analytical rigor needed for confident decisions across both domestic and international markets
Our Director of Real Estate is accountable for:
- Own the day-to-day execution of a global real estate portfolio of approximately 136 locations, spanning the Americas and international markets, including lease administration, renewals, closings, and new site selection.
- Lead the ongoing reshaping of the real estate landscape: drive portfolio rationalization, market consolidation, and disposition strategy against a documented savings and utilization target.
- Manage the full transaction lifecycle for renewals, relocations, expansions, and closures, including financial analysis, negotiation strategy, and legal coordination through to signature.
- Maintain and enforce the capital approval framework, including NPV-based financial analysis and CFO-level approval gating on qualifying transactions.
- Serve as the primary owner of the real estate portfolio management dashboard as the system of record for lease data, utilization, KPIs, and pipeline status.
- Partner with brokerage and advisory partners on market analysis, disposition execution, and lease negotiation strategy.
- Monitor occupancy and utilization metrics across the portfolio and translate findings into rightsizing and consolidation recommendations.
- Overseeing facilities management of our Corporate HQ, based in Troy, MI.
- Act as the primary point of contact for business unit leaders and senior leadership on real estate matters, representing the function in cross-functional planning.
- Establishing new office standards curating the look and feel of Kelly locations of our office design, furniture, finishes and fixtures.
- Manage international real estate requirements in coordination with regional stakeholders, ensuring consistent standards and governance across geographies.
- Support real estate reporting and presentation materials for senior leadership and board-level review.
What success looks like:
- The portfolio continues to shrink in cost and footprint without disruption to business operations, measured against a documented savings target.
- Every qualifying transaction moves through the approval framework correctly and on schedule, with no exceptions surfacing after the fact.
- KPI’s established within a centralized dashboard remain accurate and current as the single source of truth, used with confidence by leadership for decision-making.
- Business unit leaders view the function as a strategic partner, not an approval bottleneck.
- International locations operate under the same governance discipline and reporting standard as the Americas portfolio.
Essential Skills, Knowledge, & Experience:
Required
- 10+ years of progressive corporate real estate experience, including direct ownership of portfolio strategy, lease negotiation, and disposition execution.
- Demonstrated experience leading a real estate portfolio reshaping, consolidation, or rationalization program at scale, with measurable financial outcomes.
- Experience managing real estate across multiple geographies, including international markets, and working within varying regional requirements.
- Strong command of real estate financial analysis, including NPV-based decisioning, lease economics, and approval processes.
- Proven ability to operate as a direct partner to senior leadership, finance, and legal stakeholders on high-stakes transactions.
- Bachelor's degree, Business, Finance, or a related field preferred; relevant certifications a plus.
- Experience with corporate real estate portfolio management systems or dashboards used as a system of record.
Base pay rate for this position is $120,000 per year. Final annual compensation will be based on experience and may vary by geographic location.
Total compensation package including benefits as applicable to the position – understanding that each person has unique professional and personal needs focused on your total well-being. Explore our range of benefits at: Kelly Services | People Regular Staff
Kelly is an equal opportunity employer committed to employing a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, including, but not limited to, race, gender, individuals with disabilities, protected veterans, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Equal Employment Opportunity is The Law.
Join our Talent Community and get updates about new openings.