Head Corporate Real Estate & Services (CRES) - EMEA region (Hybrid - m/f/x/d - 100%)

The Division Corporate Real Estate & Services (CRES) is looking for a Head Corporate Real Estate & Services (CRES) – EMEA region – to ensure a professional solution delivery within the department by providing a high-quality, sustainable and economically viable service within the Swiss Re's office environment and its related services as well as in the Catering/Hospitality.

Location: Switzerland – Zurich or another Swiss Re location in EMEA

About the Role

In this role, you are planning, coordinating, and supervising the department's operational activities to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in accordance with the CRES global guidelines. You set up efficient and transparent cost management to deliver on targets and ensure that your team has the required capabilities to ensure execution of the CRES mandate per the agreed standards.

Main responsibilities:

• Lead the provision of workplace infrastructure and non-building related services for optimal support of Swiss Re's business needs at 22 locations with approximately 4'000 workplaces

• Ensure efficient delivery and ensuring quality of the following services within the region and thus responsible for operating and implementing global processes, guidelines, and standards:
  • Building infrastructure, including technical and infrastructural building management and maintenance as applicable for locations
  • Building Operations and Facility Services
  • Portfolio and Workplace Management
  • Front office services
  • Safety & Security services and other related Internal Services
  • Events
• Be responsible for managing the department planning, reporting, and controlling of operational costs, investment and workforce planning and implementation of office infrastructure changes in collaboration with the central Corporate Real Estate & Services teams
• Manage local renovation projects including sourcing for designers and contractors including budgetary planning, cost comparison and negotiation processes complete with seating plans and arrangement with movers to relocate staff - in line with the CRES global guidelines
• Be responsible for the efficient and effective information exchange within the department, among the functional units and with key stakeholders like the Country Presidents, the key Location stakeholders and the local Managing Directors based within the region
• Together with the Centre of Competence for Corporate Real Estate monitore and observe the market property to prepare and be ready to take opportunities to initiate mutual negotiation on lease renewal with landlords throughout the region and achieve competitive rental commitments
• As part of the CRES Executive team, contribute to the development of the global service operations model, guidelines, standards for CRES services and products – and ensuring implementation accordingly in the region
• Ensure service delivery with maintaining high quality of services and reputation on an optimised cost efficiency
• Manage People and resources, including performance management, compensation, recruitment, monitoring budgeting, planning and controlling of resources management and cost allocation
• Engage and maintain relationships with stakeholders in the business to understand their business needs and service providers and suppliers to ensure optimal service delivery.
• Ensure compliance with locally applicable Safety and Security requirements and Swiss Re's Code of Conduct, as well as any Group guidelines and other standards

About the Team

The team consists of approximately 50 internal headcounts plus 45 external headcounts. It is currently structured in 4 subregions and some central activities.

About You

We are looking for a passionate leader and team player who thrives in a muti-cultural environment and adapts well to change by being able to deal with ambiguity and to multi-task.  As an excellent communicator with influencing and negotiation skills, you collaborate well with the various internal and external business partners and counterparts and understand the key technologies involved. You have the drive, pragmatism, and result orientation to make change happen and address challenging continuous improvement opportunities. Thanks to your proven business acumen and stakeholder management, you can balance customer orientation with cost efficiency.

Candidate profile:

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's Degree preferably in Building Technology or Architecture and additional Degree in Business Administration
• Broad exposure in similar functions in an international organisation for 10+ years, with at least five years in a leadership role
• Proven track record in leading a complex organization and excellent interpersonal and people management skills
• Good analytical and conceptual skills
• Language skills: Excellent command of spoken and written English, proficiency in German, Spanish, French, Slovakian or Italian is beneficial.