Senior Director, Global Real Estate

The Senior Director, Global Real Estate is responsible for leading Avantor's global real estate portfolio, facilities strategy, physical security programs, and AI-enabled real estate strategy.

This role ensures that Avantor's worldwide network of offices, laboratories, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, service locations, and 3PL sites supports business growth, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and financial performance.

As a strategic leader, the Senior Director partners with Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, R&D, Finance, IT, HR, Legal, Procurement, and executive leadership to optimize the company's global footprint, strengthen security, and drive data-driven decision-making through Avantor's Global AI Real Estate Program.

Remote role with 25% travel

How you will thrive and create an impact

Real Estate Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Develop and execute Avantor's global real estate strategy aligned with business growth and operational objectives.
• Lead portfolio planning, site selection, lease negotiations, acquisitions, dispositions, expansions, consolidations, and facility investments.
• Establish long-term portfolio roadmaps that balance business needs, risk, flexibility, and cost efficiency.
• Support mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and integration activities through facility and portfolio assessments.
• Partner with Finance to evaluate investment opportunities, capital plans, financial returns, and lease-versus-own decisions.
• Monitor portfolio performance through KPIs, dashboards, and governance reviews.

Security

• Partner with EHS3 leadership to develop, implement, and continuously improve enterprise-wide physical security programs that align with organizational risk management, safety, and operational objectives.
• Collaborate with EHS3, site leadership, and key stakeholders to establish and maintain global standards for access control, visitor management, surveillance systems, perimeter protection, workplace violence prevention, and incident response.
• Support security risk assessments, audits, investigations, and corrective action planning in partnership with EHS3 teams, site leaders, and external security service providers to strengthen overall site resilience.
• Work closely with EHS3 to integrate security considerations into emergency preparedness, crisis management, business continuity, and operational resilience programs.
• Serve as a strategic partner to EHS3, Corporate Security, Legal, HR, IT, and site leadership to identify emerging risks, promote a culture of safety and security, and ensure alignment of security practices with enterprise risk management objectives.
• Collaborate with EHS3 to analyze security trends, incidents, and performance metrics, leveraging data-driven insights to enhance preventative measures and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide security expertise and guidance to support EHS3-led programs, ensuring effective coordination between environmental, health, safety, security, and operational risk management activities.

AI-Enabled Real Estate Program

• Own the strategy, governance, and continuous improvement of Avantor's Global AI Real Estate Program.
• Build and maintain an integrated view of all owned, leased, and 3PL facilities through data, analytics, and AI-driven insights.
• Utilize AI and advanced analytics to improve portfolio planning, space utilization, occupancy management, site selection, capital investments, and operational performance.
• Develop dashboards and decision-support tools that provide visibility into utilization, costs, performance, risks, and investment opportunities.
• Partner with Digital, IT, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Data teams to advance enterprise real estate analytics capabilities.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI, automation, digital twins, predictive modeling, and GIS technologies.

Supplier & Service Provider Management

• Lead relationships with real estate, facilities, construction, project management, technology, and security service providers.
• Partner with Strategic Sourcing and Procurement on sourcing strategies, supplier selection, contract negotiations, and performance management.
• Establish clear service levels, governance processes, and accountability measures.
• Drive supplier performance, service quality, cost optimization, and continuous improvement.

Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness

• Establish governance, operating models, policies, reporting frameworks, and performance measures.
• Present portfolio strategies, capital plans, security initiatives, and AI-driven insights to executive leadership.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Develop talent, succession plans, and organizational capabilities to support future growth.

What we're looking for

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Real Estate, Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations, Security Management, or related field.

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.

• 15+ years of leadership experience in corporate real estate, facilities management, physical security, operations, supply chain, or related disciplines.

• Experience managing complex global real estate portfolios within manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, logistics, or similarly regulated industries.

• Proven success leading real estate transactions, portfolio optimization, capital planning, and facilities operations.

• Experience developing enterprise physical security programs, including access control, surveillance, risk assessments, and security governance.

• Experience leading analytics, digital transformation, AI, or technology-enabled business improvement initiatives.

• Strong financial, strategic planning, and executive communication skills.

• Demonstrated success leading global teams, external providers, and complex cross-functional initiatives.
  

Preferred

• Experience in life sciences, healthcare, laboratory, biopharmaceutical, or regulated manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of GMP, GxP, FDA-regulated, laboratory, and scientific operations.
• Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and integration activities.
• Experience applying AI, machine learning, digital twins, GIS, or predictive analytics to real estate and operational decision-making.
• Professional certifications such as MCR, SLCR, CFM, CPP, PSP, PMP, or LEED.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Strategic planning and portfolio optimization.
• Executive-level presentation, communication, and influencing skills.
• Financial analysis, budgeting, capital planning, and business case development.
• Commercial negotiation and contract management.
• Leadership of global, cross-functional teams and complex enterprise initiatives.
• Portfolio analytics, KPI development, and performance management.
• Decision-making based on quantitative data and business insights.
• Supplier relationship management and vendor performance oversight.

The expected pre-tax pay for this position is

Actual pay may differ depending on relevant factors such as prior experience and geographic location.

We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at recruiting@avantorsciences.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the Know Your Rights poster.

We will use the personal information that you have submitted to us in order to consider your application for the relevant role.
 

Your privacy is important to us. Please click here for our Privacy Policy which explains the purposes for which we will use your personal information and the ways in which we will handle and retain your information. It also explains the rights you have in relation to your information, and how to contact us with any queries or requests.

By submitting candidates without having been formally assigned on and contracted for a specific job requisition by Avantor, or by failing to comply with the Avantor recruitment process, you forfeit any fee on the submitted candidates, regardless of your usual terms and conditions. Avantor works with a preferred supplier list and will take the initiative to engage with recruitment agencies based on its needs and will not be accepting any form of solicitation.