Office Administrator - Real Estate Construction

Office Administrator - Real Estate Construction

Turner & Townsend is a global professional services company with over 22,000 people in more than 60 countries. Working with our clients across real estate, infrastructure, energy and natural resources, we transform together delivering outcomes that improve people's lives. Our capabilities include programme, project, cost, asset and commercial management, controls and performance, procurement and supply chain, net zero and digital solutions. We are majority-owned by CBRE Group, Inc., the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with our partners holding a significant minority interest. Turner & Townsend and CBRE work together to provide clients with the premier programme, project and cost management offering in markets around the world.

Job Description

Turner & Townsend is seeking an Administrative Assistant to provide high-level administrative and operational support to the Senior Vice President (SVP) of the South-Central Region, with primary focus on the Houston Real Estate (RE) leadership team and the Houston office. The SVP oversees all aspects of management, development, and governance for the Houston RE Cost Center and associated projects across the South-Central region. As the business continues to grow, this role is critical to ensuring effective day-to-day operations, seamless executive support, and a positive in-office experience. This position combines Office Administration and Workplace Operations Support. The Administrative Assistant serves as a primary point of contact for internal and external communications, coordinates events and special initiatives, and supports leadership, staff, and visitors. The role requires sound judgment, discretion, independence, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. This is a high-pace large office with employees local in Houston, across Texas, and job-site based in surrounding states. Best suited candidates will have experience with larger office environments (circa 200+ people). With the number of requests, volume of daily activity, this will prove to be a challenging and fun role!

Key Objectives:

• Anticipate needs, resolve issues proactively, and prioritize tasks to support the SVP and Houston Cost Center leadership in managing workload and achieving objectives.
• Build and maintain positive, collaborative working relationships across all levels of the organization.

Executive & Leadership Support Responsibilities:

• Serve as a trusted administrative partner to the SVP and Houston RE leadership team.
• Schedule and coordinate internal and external meetings, conference calls, and video conferences across multiple time zones.
• Prepare and distribute meeting agendas; attend leadership meetings and capture minutes and action items as required.
• Maintain action trackers and follow up regularly with responsible parties to ensure timely completion.
• Manage travel arrangements for international new hires and internal transfers, including flights, hotels, and ground transportation.
• Maintain prioritized to-do lists and track ongoing commitments.

Houston Office Administrative Responsibilities:

• Maintain a regular on-site presence in the Houston office (typically four days per week), with one agreed-upon flex day, based on business needs.
• Ensure a consistent office presence during new-hire first days and when clients or visitors are on site.
• Provide comprehensive onboarding support for new hires, including first-day welcome, introductions, badge creation, office tours, and safety orientation.
• Manage incoming calls directed to the company-provided office cell phone.
• Support Houston office operations and provide ad-hoc assistance to the Dallas Cost Center as needed.
• Plan and coordinate leadership meetings, quarterly town halls, office events, team-building activities, leadership socials, holiday events, happy hours, executive visits, meals, and off-site meetings.
• Manage internal office communications and respond to daily office-related inquiries.
• Oversee document management for South-Central region files, including confidential materials, ensuring appropriate organization and document control.
• Manage office subscriptions, publications, and memberships.
• Conduct regular inventory of office supplies, snacks, and beverages; maintain reorder lists and coordinate procurement.
• Restock kitchen supplies and coordinate weekly office milk and fruit orders.
• Monitor and uphold meeting room etiquette and readiness.
• Coordinate food and beverage orders for meetings and office events.
• Sort and distribute incoming mail; manage outgoing shipments via FedEx.

Onboarding, Compliance, CSR & Special Projects:

• Support the Houston RE Onboarding Champion, including preparation and distribution of new-hire welcome letters.
• Contribute content to the South-Central regional newsletter.
• Support annual internal and external audit preparation.
• Assist the NAM HSE Manager in maintaining HSE compliance for the Houston RE Cost Center.
• Recommend and help implement improvements to office processes, workflows, and best practices.

Additional Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Maintain and update the office event calendar, coordinating with CR, Bridge, and Lunch & Learn teams.
• Vendor management set up and support the Shared Services Center with vendor payments.
• Maintain and keep up to date, purchase order tracker.
• Procurement for office stationery, apparel, and corporate swag.
• Represent as Brand champion for the Houston office.
• Complete required system and compliance training (D365, SSC, SOX compliance).
• Monitor and restock First Aid kits and complete monthly reporting via the Premedics system.
• Opportunity to obtain First Aid/CPR/AED certification and complete Houston high-rise fire warden training.
• Opportunity to become a commissioned Notary Public.

Qualifications

Please note: Additional duties may be assigned that are not listed in this job description.

Skills & Capabilities Required:

• 5+ years of progressive administrative, office management, or executive support experience, including support of senior leaders.
• College degree preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• Demonstrated ability to work with senior leaders and handle confidential information with discretion.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships across all organizational levels.
• Proven experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic, and demanding environment.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Strong problem-solving skills with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with high attention to detail and accuracy.
• Highly organized, self-motivated, and able to work independently.
• Ability to perform receptionist and front-desk duties as needed.
• Flexible, adaptable, and comfortable managing changing priorities.

Software Platforms and Technology:

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, D365, Copilot)
• Microsoft Teams and video conferencing platforms
• SAP Concur (preferred)
• SharePoint
• Microsoft Power BI (preferred)
• Willingness to learn and utilize internal Turner & Townsend systems

Additional Information

*On-site presence and requirements may change depending on our client's needs*

Our inspired people share our vision and mission. We provide a great place to work, where each person has the opportunity and voice to affect change.

We want our people to succeed both in work and life. To support this, we promote a healthy, productive, and flexible working environment that respects work-life balance.

Turner & Townsend is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.