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Head of Global Workplace Strategy & Business Operations

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Company Background

Our mission, to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment has never been more important. Through communities rooted in our video game franchises we enable hundreds of millions of people in 190 countries to experience joy, thrill and achievement. We enable social connections through the lens of fun and we foster purpose and a sense of accomplishment through healthy competition. Like sport, but with greater accessibility, our players can find purpose and meaning through competitive gaming. Video games, unlike any other social or entertainment media, have the ability to break down the barriers that can inhibit tolerance and understanding. As a business we have an extraordinary track record of delivering stakeholder value for over 30 years. We are a member of the Fortune 500 and the S&P 500. Our enduring franchises are some of the world’s most popular, including Activision’s Call of Duty® and Crash Bandicoot™, Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Hearthstone®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, and King's Candy Crush™, Bubble Witch™, and Farm Heroes™. Our sustained success has enabled the company – through its support of the Call of Duty Endowment – to help find employment for over 80,000 veterans. Learn more information about Activision Blizzard and its world of epic entertainment on the company's website, www.activisionblizzard.com.

Position Description

As the Global Workplace Business Lead for Activision Blizzard, you will be a key strategic partner in the development of the workplace of the future and driving the company’s workplace agenda forward. Your data-driven and financial expertise will bring a new capability to the Global Workplace team which will drive meaningful dialogue with Activision Blizzard’s core businesses and studios, positive impact on our employees and enable organizational growth.

The Global Workplace Business Lead helps Activision Blizzard grow, cohere, and thrive by optimizing the company’s real estate portfolio and workplace environments through relationships with Activision Blizzard’s business leaders, internal and external partners and the real estate industry.

More specifically, responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead the development of decision analytics models to ensure comprehensive, informed and financially consistent recommendations.
• Develop portfolio analytics to refine and test implications of real estate strategy recommendations.
• Oversee program management of key initiatives to ensure timely follow up and coordination between contributors.
• Work closely with senior executives throughout the company to identify and mobilize resources to support on highly sensitive and strategic workplace objectives.
• Develop business cases for all aspects of workplace strategy incorporating business strategy, design concepts and market opportunities.
• Create business cases and briefing materials, in collaboration with business and functional stakeholders.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on Workplace, handling inquiries and developing action plans to address them in a timely manner.
• Oversee large, often cross-business unit-wide initiatives.

Scale, Scope and Reporting Relationships

• Oversee the long-term strategic planning and financial implications of initiatives for a budget of $120M across 127 global office locations for Activision, Blizzard and King business units.
• Activision Blizzard has approximately 9,500 employees with 65% in North America, 30% in the EMEA region, and 5% in the Asia Pacific region.
• Reports to Senior Vice President, Global Workplace and leads a team of 2-3 analysts.
• Partners actively with key stakeholders within Finance, Tax and Policy, global Campus managers and Activision Blizzard’s business leaders.

Year 1 Success

• Achieve Run Rate savings of $13MM by YE 2021.
• Develop a Line-of-sight mechanism to identify risks and opportunities and manage to success or overperformance, through levers available through management of portfolio.
• Develop and get approved by Senior management a Three + years portfolio planning strategy to steer management of growth and investment to achieve goals.
• Coordination of all key Workplace initiatives, most particularly Return to Work and Future of Work planning.
  • ESG Filings, Future of Work, Return to Office, Systems innovations.
• Determine the roadmap to a more data driven culture through new systems and processes.
  • Test the cost/benefits of new systems to create actionable data on utilization and occupancy to manage the portfolio more efficiently.
  • Instill a culture of data quality within the group.
  • Reaffirm and continually improve systems of record data quality regarding occupancy, leases, space utilization.

Position Requirements

The successful candidate must possess unquestionable character and absolute integrity. S/he will be a proven leader with a blend of superior technical, operational and leadership skills continuously applied to improve the business and operations of the company. Additionally, s/he should possess exceptional attention to detail, strong initiative and critical thinking skills while serving as a hands-on leader and collaborator. Specific requirements include:

• 15+ years of demonstrated success in roles of increasing responsibility in corporate real estate environments leading strategic portfolio planning, finance, and analytics.

• Proven expertise in financial modelling, cost/benefit analyses, and leveraging analytics to drive impact on global footprints.
• Demonstrated success in overseeing large-scale, global workplace initiatives and partnering with internal and external stakeholders to drive initiatives to successful completion.
• Proven ability to drive through change and influence in matrixed environments. Independent-minded yet open, direct, informative, collaborative with the right level of diplomacy. Favourably influences cross-functional discussions.
• Outstanding leadership skills with a history of recruiting and developing best-in-class teams and a reputation as an inspiring and motivational leader.
• Superior communication skills – verbal and written, effective at Board and executive leadership levels and the cultural sensitivity to work well with a diverse group of colleagues.
• Hands-on, entrepreneurial style with a strong bias for action and results; thrives in unstructured environments with a focus on innovation; collaborative and without ego.

Activision Blizzard is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.