Occupancy Planning Lead

Occupancy Planning Lead

Location: New York, NY

Employment Type: Full-Time | On-Site

Industry: Corporate Real Estate | Workplace Strategy | Occupancy Planning | Space Management

About the Opportunity

Boden Talent is partnering with our client, a leading global organization, to recruit an experienced Occupancy Planning Lead to oversee workplace strategy, space optimization, and strategic occupancy planning across a major corporate real estate portfolio in New York City.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an accomplished occupancy planning and workplace strategy professional with extensive experience managing teams, developing long-term space strategies, and supporting complex corporate real estate operations.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Occupancy Planning, the successful candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing strategic occupancy plans that align business requirements, future growth, and workplace demand with available real estate capacity.

You will work closely with senior client stakeholders, workplace planning teams, campus development, and facilities management to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions that optimize space utilization and support evolving business needs.

The ideal candidate will be an analytical, collaborative, and commercially minded leader who can balance competing priorities, influence strategic decisions, and lead high-performing teams across complex workplace programs.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Occupancy Planning & Workplace Strategy

• Lead the development and implementation of long-term occupancy strategies across a major corporate campus and workplace portfolio.
• Partner with senior workplace planning stakeholders to assess supply and demand, headcount forecasts, and future space requirements.
• Develop multiple occupancy scenarios that balance business growth, operational priorities, workplace requirements, and available capacity.
• Lead annual campus re-stack programs, ensuring effective space allocation and alignment with business objectives.
• Collaborate with campus development teams to determine the appropriate size, location, and allocation of business functions, amenities, and workplace programs.
• Provide strategic recommendations on space utilization, workplace design, and portfolio optimization.
• Establish consistent occupancy planning methodologies, governance frameworks, and quality standards across the portfolio.

Data Analytics & Portfolio Optimization

• Analyze large-scale occupancy, workplace performance, and portfolio datasets to support strategic real estate decisions.
• Develop analytical models and planning methodologies to evaluate future space requirements and workplace scenarios.
• Translate complex quantitative and qualitative data into clear, actionable recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Create compelling presentations, visualizations, and reports that communicate occupancy strategies and portfolio performance.
• Utilize workplace research, employee feedback, and utilization data to inform long-term planning decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve space efficiency, operational performance, and the overall workplace experience.

Project & Program Leadership

• Lead large-scale campus occupancy projects, overseeing planning activities from initial strategy through implementation.
• Delegate and coordinate project responsibilities across Senior Occupancy Planners, Occupancy Planners, planning assistants, and move management teams.
• Provide strategic direction on project delivery, ensuring alignment with agreed-upon objectives, timelines, and client expectations.
• Work closely with Integrated Facilities Management (IFM), Moves, Adds & Changes (MAC), project relocation teams, and external consultants.
• Facilitate planning workshops, stakeholder meetings, and scenario development sessions.
• Ensure effective coordination between workplace strategy, real estate, facilities operations, architects, engineers, and furniture vendors.
• Drive continuous improvement in planning processes, service delivery, and project outcomes.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders, providing strategic guidance on occupancy planning and workplace solutions.
• Build strong relationships with workplace planning, real estate, campus development, and operational leadership teams.
• Lead client meetings, workshops, and executive presentations, clearly communicating strategic recommendations and project progress.
• Understand business requirements, organizational priorities, and future growth plans to develop effective workplace solutions.
• Manage competing stakeholder priorities and sensitive business information with professionalism and discretion.
• Proactively identify challenges and develop practical, data-driven solutions.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of occupancy planners, planning assistants, and MAC professionals.
• Establish clear performance expectations, planning standards, and accountability across the team.
• Provide day-to-day leadership while maintaining alignment with broader strategic objectives.
• Oversee quality control, ensuring consistency in planning processes, methodologies, and deliverables.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, professional development, and performance management.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture focused on innovation, continuous improvement, and exceptional client service.

Candidate Requirements

We are seeking an experienced occupancy planning and workplace strategy leader with a strong background in corporate real estate, portfolio analytics, and team management.

Required Experience

• 10–12+ years of professional experience in corporate real estate, occupancy planning, workplace strategy, space management, or a related field.
• 8–10+ years of experience leading occupancy planning teams , ideally within large-scale corporate or campus environments.
• Proven experience developing strategic occupancy plans, campus re-stack programs, and long-term workplace strategies.
• Strong understanding of corporate real estate operations, space utilization, supply and demand analysis, and workplace planning methodologies.
• Experience managing complex occupancy programs involving multiple business functions and competing stakeholder priorities.
• Advanced analytical skills, including the ability to interpret large datasets and translate findings into strategic recommendations.
• Experience working with workplace performance data, utilization metrics, employee surveys, and headcount forecasting.
• Strong knowledge of workplace design principles, organizational requirements, and evolving workplace trends.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams and collaborating with architects, designers, facilities management, and real estate professionals.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, executive presentation, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior decision-makers and manage sensitive information effectively.

Education & Technical Skills

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Architecture, Interior Design, Environmental Design, Urban Design, Real Estate, Design Strategy, Organizational Development, Organizational Psychology, or a related field.
• Additional academic or professional experience in Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Engineering, Computer Science, or other quantitative disciplines is a plus.
• Advanced proficiency in data analysis, visualization, and reporting.
• Experience developing occupancy scenarios, strategic planning presentations, and portfolio performance reports.
• Strong understanding of workplace research methodologies and the interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data.

Personal Attributes

• A confident and proactive leader with strong strategic thinking and decision-making abilities.
• Excellent relationship management skills and the ability to engage with senior stakeholders.
• Highly analytical, with a creative and solutions-oriented approach to complex workplace challenges.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple strategic priorities simultaneously.
• A collaborative leadership style with a commitment to developing and supporting high-performing teams.
• The ability to communicate complex information clearly through presentations, data visualizations, and strategic recommendations.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced environments where business requirements and priorities may change.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to take a leading role in shaping workplace strategy and occupancy planning across a major corporate real estate portfolio in New York City.

You will have significant responsibility for developing long-term occupancy strategies, influencing portfolio-level decisions, and leading large-scale campus planning initiatives.

Working closely with senior client stakeholders, you will play a key role in optimizing workplace environments, supporting business growth, and driving innovative, data-driven real estate solutions.

For an experienced Occupancy Planning Manager, Workplace Strategy Lead, or Corporate Real Estate professional looking to advance into a highly strategic leadership position, this represents an excellent next step.

Additional Information

Location: New York, NY

Employment Type: Full-Time | On-Site

Work Authorization: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Interested in Learning More?

Boden Talent is managing this recruitment process on behalf of our client.

If you have extensive experience in occupancy planning, workplace strategy, corporate real estate, or campus portfolio management and are interested in a senior leadership opportunity in New York City , please reach out for a confidential discussion.

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