Real Estate Physical Infrastructure SME Consultant

Capco is a global business and technology consultancy dedicated to the financial services industry. We combine deep industry expertise with consulting and transformation capabilities to help leading financial institutions navigate complex change and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Across APAC and globally, we partner with banks and financial institutions on programmes spanning business transformation, digital and technology change, operating model transformation, regulatory change and large-scale programme delivery.

As we continue to grow our Malaysia practice, we are looking for experienced change professionals who can help our clients successfully navigate transformation — ensuring stakeholders are engaged, impacted teams are prepared, and change is effectively embedded across the organisation.

We are seeking an experienced Real Estate & Physical Infrastructure Subject Matter Expert (SME) to provide strategic and operational advisory services to a banking client.

The consultant will bring deep industry expertise in managing and optimising banking physical infrastructure, including branch networks, ATMs, corporate offices, operational centres, facilities, and real estate assets.

The role will focus on assessing existing infrastructure strategies, operating practices, asset management frameworks, and governance structures to identify opportunities for improved operational efficiency, cost optimisation, asset utilisation, and infrastructure resilience.

The ideal candidate will have extensive hands-on experience managing physical infrastructure portfolios within banking or large financial institutions, combined with the ability to provide strategic recommendations and practical operational improvements.

• Provide strategic advice on the bank's physical infrastructure footprint, including branches, ATMs, corporate offices, and operational facilities.
• Assess existing infrastructure strategies, property portfolios, asset utilisation, and operational performance.
• Identify opportunities for branch network optimisation, property consolidation, relocation, refurbishment, and infrastructure rationalisation.
• Advise on long-term infrastructure planning, capacity requirements, and investment prioritisation.
• Recommend strategies to optimise property costs while maintaining operational effectiveness and customer accessibility.
• Support the development of infrastructure strategies aligned with the bank's business priorities and growth plans.

• Provide expertise in corporate real estate management, including property acquisition, leasing, renewals, disposal, and portfolio administration.
• Review existing property management practices, lease management processes, and property-related expenditure.
• Identify opportunities to optimise lease arrangements, property utilisation, occupancy costs, and portfolio performance.
• Advise on property governance, landlord relationships, tenancy obligations, and property-related vendor management.
• Recommend improvements to property management policies, processes, and reporting.

• Assess facilities management operations across banking premises, including maintenance, building services, utilities, security coordination, cleaning, and workplace services.
• Review preventive and corrective maintenance practices, service delivery models, and operational performance.
• Evaluate facilities management outsourcing arrangements, vendor contracts, service-level agreements (SLAs), and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Identify opportunities to improve service quality, operational efficiency, and cost effectiveness.
• Advise on facilities management standards, operating procedures, service governance, and performance monitoring.
• Recommend appropriate centralised, decentralised, or hybrid facilities management operating models.

• Provide expertise in the end-to-end lifecycle management of physical infrastructure assets, including planning, acquisition, installation, maintenance, refurbishment, replacement, and disposal.
• Assess existing asset inventories, asset condition, maintenance strategies, and replacement planning.
• Review asset management frameworks, asset classification, ownership, accountability, and tracking mechanisms.
• Recommend strategies to improve asset utilisation, reliability, maintenance efficiency, and lifecycle cost management.
• Support infrastructure capital investment planning and asset replacement prioritisation.

• Review infrastructure-related CAPEX and OPEX across the bank's property and facilities portfolio.
• Identify opportunities to optimise property rental costs, maintenance expenditure, utilities, service contracts, and infrastructure investments.
• Evaluate cost allocation methodologies, budgeting practices, and expenditure controls.
• Develop recommendations for cost efficiency, investment prioritisation, and long-term financial sustainability.
• Support the preparation of business cases for infrastructure consolidation, refurbishment, relocation, or replacement initiatives.

• Assess governance frameworks, policies, and operating procedures relating to real estate and physical infrastructure.
• Review roles, responsibilities, decision-making authorities, and accountability across infrastructure management functions.
• Advise on physical infrastructure risk management, operational resilience, business continuity, and disaster recovery considerations.
• Evaluate physical security coordination, building safety, regulatory compliance, and critical facilities management practices.
• Recommend governance improvements to strengthen oversight, compliance, risk management, and operational controls.

• Engage with senior stakeholders across Corporate Real Estate, Facilities Management, Branch Operations, Finance, Procurement, Risk, Security, and Operations.
• Conduct stakeholder interviews, workshops, and operational assessments to understand existing challenges.
• Provide industry benchmarks, leading practices, and practical recommendations based on relevant banking infrastructure experience.
• Develop strategic recommendations, improvement opportunities, and implementation roadmaps.
• Present findings and recommendations to senior management and project stakeholders.
• Support the bank in evaluating and prioritising infrastructure improvement initiatives.

• Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Facilities Management, Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in corporate real estate, physical infrastructure, facilities management, or property portfolio management.
• Significant hands-on experience managing or advising on physical infrastructure within a bank or large financial institution.
• Strong knowledge of banking branch infrastructure, corporate premises, ATM facilities, and operational support environments.
• Proven experience in real estate portfolio management, property leasing, facilities operations, and physical asset lifecycle management.
• Experience in infrastructure strategy development, portfolio optimisation, and cost management.
• Strong understanding of facilities management operating models, vendor management, and service delivery governance.
• Knowledge of operational risk, physical infrastructure resilience, and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Ability to assess existing infrastructure operations and provide practical, commercially viable recommendations.
• Strong analytical, stakeholder engagement, and executive communication skills.

• Previous leadership experience in a bank's Corporate Real Estate, Property Management, Facilities Management, or Physical Infrastructure function.
• Experience managing large-scale, geographically distributed banking property portfolios.
• Exposure to branch network rationalisation, branch refurbishment, relocation, or consolidation programmes.
• Experience in facilities management outsourcing, contract optimisation, and vendor performance management.
• Knowledge of infrastructure asset management platforms, property management systems, or facilities management technologies.
• Relevant professional certifications such as RICS, IFMA, PMP, or equivalent.

The consultant will be expected to contribute to:

1. Assessment of the bank's existing physical infrastructure strategy and operating practices.
2. Review of real estate portfolio management and facilities management effectiveness.
3. Identification of infrastructure optimisation and cost reduction opportunities.
4. Assessment of asset lifecycle management and maintenance practices.
5. Recommendations for improving infrastructure governance, operational efficiency, and resilience.
6. Development of strategic recommendations and prioritised improvement initiatives.
7. High-level implementation roadmap for recommended infrastructure improvements.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned banking infrastructure professional who has previously held a senior role in Corporate Real Estate, Property Management, Facilities Management, or Physical Infrastructure Operations within a financial institution.

The individual should possess a strong understanding of how banks manage their physical infrastructure portfolios, including the operational, financial, regulatory, and strategic considerations involved.

They should be capable of providing independent expert advice, challenging existing practices, identifying improvement opportunities, and recommending practical solutions aligned with the bank's business objectives.