Operations Director at Cushman & Wakefield in Chicago, IL

Operations Director
Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Job Title
Operations Director
Job Description Summary
The Operations Director is a strategic, hands-on operations leader responsible for the operational health, financial management, and service delivery of Cushman & Wakefield's Chicago market, which also serves as the corporate headquarters office. This is a high-impact role supporting 200+ employees and brokers across two office locations (downtown and suburban), requiring strong leadership presence, sound business judgment, and the ability to translate market priorities into reliable operational outcomes.

This leader directly manages the Operations Manager and Facilities Manager, and provides oversight for operations support staff, while ensuring administrative and operational functions are delivered efficiently across the market. The Operations Director partners closely with the Market Leader, Director of Brokerage, and the Regional Director of Operations to implement strategic initiatives, develop the annual business plan and budget, and act as a steward for operational excellence across the sub-region.

This position reports directly to the Regional Director of Operations, Midwest.
Job Description
Market Operations Leadership
Own the operational health and performance of the Chicago office and corporate headquarters; establish consistent routines, standards, and service expectations.
Serve as a strategic business partner to the Market Leader on operational priorities, planning, and execution.
Act as the primary escalation point for operational & personnel issues; drive timely resolution and implement preventative controls to reduce recurring friction.
Drive process improvement and operational efficiency across office functions; standardize best practices and ensure adoption.
Collaborate with counterparts in other markets and sub-regions to learn and utilize best operational practices.
Demonstrate expertise across all facets of the company's brokerage business, specifically services provided and clients served.
People Leadership & Culture
Directly manage, mentor, and develop the Operations Manager, Facilities Manager, and operations support staff; set clear expectations, coach performance, and build a culture of accountability.
Partner with HR to recruit, onboard, develop, and retain operations/support talent; own the full hiring lifecycle including job description development, interviewing, and Day 1 readiness coordination.
Prepare and deliver annual performance reviews and KPIs; own the annual compensation review and reward processes for the market; and work in conjunction with HR on performance issues.
Coordinate training and enablement for operational policies, procedures, and tools to ensure consistent service delivery.
Foster an inclusive, high-engagement environment across the office and headquarters.
Financial & Business Management
Direct all financial management for the market, including monthly and annual operating budgets, forecasts, pipeline, and reporting; assess variances for the market and service lines.
Support the Market Leader and Regional Director of Operations in developing the annual business plan and budget; solicit input from service lines and market leads at pre-budget meetings.
Review and approve expense reports, T&E, commission documentation, payables, and resourcing needs at the local level, in accordance with policy.
Oversee deal documentation, Revenue Summary Document approval, and adherence to policy; work with Legal Counsel on standard contract/agreement changes as needed.
Oversee invoice processing and expense coding in Workday; review outstanding receivables and determine collection strategy with the Market Leader.
Promote CRM compliance for pipeline and revenue reporting; communicate finalized pipeline to market and service line leadership.
Facilities, Vendor & Office Services
Oversee facilities management including relocations, buildouts, lease management, vendor relations, and compliance/record retention, in partnership with the Facilities Manager.
Solicit and negotiate vendor bids, contracts, and pricing; ensure vendor records are maintained in Workday Vendor Management.
Oversee the purchasing and maintenance of office supplies and equipment.
Maintain and implement the business continuity and emergency preparedness plan.
Coordinate office moves and space planning in conjunction with IT, Telecom, and Real Estate.
Systems, Compliance & Administration
Ensure full utilization of C&W tools and resources, including Workday, and the firm's CRM platform (Salesforce).
Track broker licenses, professional memberships, and continuing education requirements; follow up on delinquencies.
Ensure compliance with company policies, record-keeping requirements, and industry/regulatory standards.
Coordinate office events and conferences in partnership with Marketing and PR.
Background, Experience and Competencies
Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience, preferably in commercial real estate.
8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in operations, business management, commercial real estate, human resources, finance, or a professional services environment, including direct people management experience.
4+ years of experience managing a multi-functional team of 25+ direct/indirect reports (required).
Experience supporting a commercial real estate brokerage platform and operating effectively within a matrixed organization preferred.
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams while providing strategic direction, coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, revenue reporting, expense management, and business planning.
Proven ability to build strong partnerships with Leadership, fee-earners, service line leaders, HR, Finance, Legal, Marketing, Research, IT, and other key stakeholders.
Demonstrated success managing multiple priorities and urgent deliverables while balancing long-term strategic initiatives and operational excellence objectives.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with the executive presence and business judgment necessary to interact effectively with leaders at all levels of the organization.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel); experience with Workday, Salesforce, and financial reporting tools preferred.