Real Estate & Facilities Management Director

Real Estate & Facilities Management Director Lead pan-European real estate strategy for 65+ sites, driving optimisation, cost efficiency, and workplace experience while building a best-in-class RE&FM function at scale. Company team.blue is an ecosystem of 60+ successful brands working together across 22 European countries to provide its 3.5 million SMB customers with everything they need to succeed online by offering best-in-class expertise and services. team.blue's brands are a mix of traditional hosting businesses that offer services from domain names, email, shared hosting, e-commerce, and server hosting solutions and, as specialist SaaS providers, adjacent products such as compliance, marketing tools, and team collaboration products. This broad product offering makes it a one-stop partner for online businesses and entrepreneurs across Europe. Purpose of the Role team.blue has approximately 65 sites across Europe, ranging from flagship offices with 400+ employees to sub-10-person locations. Until now, site management has been handled locally within business units, with no group-level strategy, policy, or oversight. An external advisory programme has recently concluded an audit of the estate and commenced the delivery of an initial optimisation initiative. This role is established to take ownership of that work, lead its completion, and build the enduring group-level RE&FM capability that ensures the estate is managed with consistency, commercial discipline, and a focus on employee experience going forward. The Director will step into existing momentum rather than a blank page, and will be expected to provide continuity of the optimisation programme while simultaneously standing up a sustainable internal function. The role provides a direct service to divisional leadership and site management across team.blue, acting as the expert centre for all real estate and facilities matters. Key Responsibilities 1. Optimisation Programme Continuity The immediate priority on appointment. The Director will take full ownership of the estate optimisation initiative commenced by external advisors and lead it through to delivery. Conduct a structured handover from the external advisory team, ensuring full transfer of findings, recommendations, workstreams in flight, and relationships with local stakeholders. Assess the current state of the programme and establish a clear delivery plan with milestones, owners, and target savings. Lead active workstreams, including lease renegotiations, site consolidations, and exit processes, working closely with legal, finance, and divisional teams. Ensure momentum is maintained and outcomes are delivered without disruption to employees or business operations. Report progress to the CGFO and senior leadership on a regular cadence. 2. Divisional Client Service The RE&FM function exists to serve the divisions. The Director will establish a model in which divisions receive expert, responsive support on all real estate and facilities matters. Act as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for divisional leaders and local site managers on any matter relating to their physical estate. Develop a clear service model defining what support the function provides, at what level, and how requests are managed and prioritised. Engage divisional stakeholders proactively to understand their space requirements, planned headcount changes, and any site-level concerns. Provide guidance and recommendations to divisions on lease renewals, relocations, fit-out requirements, and facilities standards. Balance group-level cost and consistency objectives with the operational needs and culture of individual divisions. 3. Estate Strategy & Portfolio Management Develop and own team.blue’s real estate strategy, covering lease management, footprint optimisation, and long-term portfolio planning. Build on the external audit to maintain a live, accurate view of the portfolio, including lease obligations, break options, headcount per site, cost per head, and condition assessments. Produce a forward-looking estate roadmap aligned to divisional growth plans and the group’s operating model. Establish clear criteria for site retention, exit, investment, and consolidation decisions. 4. Policy, Standards & Governance Design and implement group-wide RE&FM policies, standards, and minimum requirements applicable across all sites. Establish governance mechanisms, including portfolio reporting, compliance tracking, and escalation processes. Define health, safety, and workplace compliance standards and ensure these are embedded across the estate. Develop a facilities management framework that enables local delivery within group standards. 5. Employee Experience & Workplace Define team.blue’s workplace experience proposition, ensuring the physical environment supports productivity, collaboration, and wellbeing. Lead workplace design standards for fit-outs and refurbishments, ensuring consistency with brand and culture. Establish employee feedback mechanisms to measure and continuously improve the workplace experience. Champion inclusive workplace design, ensuring accessibility and environmental considerations are embedded in all decisions. 6. Cost Management & Commercial Own the group RE&FM cost base and drive material cost reduction through consolidation, lease renegotiation, and improved vendor management. Establish spend transparency across both centrally and locally held facilities expenditure. Lead negotiations with landlords, property advisors, and facilities service providers. Build business cases for capital investment and present recommendations to Group leadership. 7. Vendor & Contract Management Establish and manage a preferred supplier framework for facilities services, including cleaning, security, maintenance, and catering. Drive standardisation of contracts and service level agreements across the estate. Manage key vendor relationships and performance, ensuring value for money and service quality. 8. Function & Team Leadership Implement the operating model for the RE&FM function, including decisions on which local resources move into the central team. Build and lead the team over time, recruiting, developing, and retaining the right capability Establish ways of working, reporting cadences, and stakeholder engagement that embed the function across the organisation. Profile Specification Experience: Significant senior experience in corporate real estate, facilities management, or workplace strategy, ideally within a pan-European or international context. Demonstrable track record of delivering an estate optimisation or rationalisation programme Experience managing a large and geographically dispersed portfolio of sites with a range of scale, from large offices to small local presences. Background in cost reduction and commercial optimisation of real estate portfolios, including lease negotiation and vendor management. Experience building or significantly transforming an RE&FM function, including policy and process design. Prior experience in a group or central function role with accountability across multiple business units or divisions. Experience working in or alongside private equity-backed businesses or organisations undergoing consolidation is advantageous. Skills & Capabilities Ability to pick up an in-flight programme and lead it through to delivery. Clear and confident communication, including at the executive and board level. Strong commercial acumen and financial literacy. Ability to build a function from limited infrastructure. Excellent stakeholder management across the group centre and divisional clients. Programme and project management capability. Structured problem solving and data-driven decision making. Resilient and pragmatic; comfortable with ambiguity and inherited complexity. Strong negotiation skills, particularly in leasehold and vendor contexts. People leadership and team development, including virtual teams. Personal Attributes Credible from day one: able to step into an existing programme, build trust with stakeholders quickly, and provide direction without a lengthy warm-up period. A service-oriented mindset: understands that the function exists to support divisions and frames decisions accordingly. Collaborative and relationship-oriented; able to bring local stakeholders on the journey rather than imposing standards from the centre. Entrepreneurial; comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels as the function matures. Pan-European cultural sensitivity and a genuine willingness to travel across the estate. High standards of professionalism, accuracy, and attention to quality, while remaining practical and outcome-focused. What Success Looks Like In the first 90 days : Structured handover from external advisors completed; all workstreams documented and risk-assessed. Key divisional stakeholders met and relationships established across major sites. Operating model recommendation developed and presented to CGFO. Optimisation programme continuing at pace under internal ownership. By the end of year one : First phase of optimisation initiative substantially delivered, with quantified savings realised or contracted. Group RE&FM policy framework approved and implemented. Live portfolio view established, providing CGFO and CFO with visibility of the full cost base. Target operating model implemented, with clarity on central team composition and local resource relationships. RE&FM function recognised by divisional leaders as a credible, responsive partner. Over the medium term : Material reduction in real estate cost per head across the portfolio. Demonstrable improvement in employee satisfaction with the workplace, measured through engagement surveys and site feedback. A rationalised and right-sized estate aligned to team.blue’s operating model and growth plans. A professionalised RE&FM function operating as a genuine business partner across the group. Right to Work At any stage, please be prepared to provide proof of eligibility to work in the country you’re applying for. Unfortunately, we are unable to support relocation packages or sponsorship visas. ESG “At team.blue, our commitment to caring for the environment and each other is at the heart of everything we do. Our latest impact report showcases our ongoing ESG efforts and ambitious sustainability goals. Interested in learning more about our dedication to making a positive impact? Check it out here .” "Come as you are" Everyone is welcome here. Diversity & Inclusion are at our core. Far above any technical competence, we value respect, openness, and trusted collaboration. We do not tolerate intolerance. #LI-DF1 Department HR Locations Lisbon-Portugal, Sofia - Bulgaria, Prague-Czech Republic, Budapest- Hungary, Bratislava-Slovakia Remote status Fully Remote Employment type Full-time Seniority Mid - Senior level LinkedIn Company Page team.blue Lisbon-Portugal Sofia - Bulgaria Prague-Czech Republic Budapest- Hungary Bratislava-Slovakia About team.blue Global The most trusted digital enabler team.blue is a leading digital enabler for companies and entrepreneurs. It serves over 3.3 million customers in Europe and has more than 3,000 experts to support them. Its goal is to shape technology and to empower businesses with innovative digital services. Click here to read more about team.blue