Director, RE Governance & Strategy

DePuy Synthes is recruiting for a(n) Director, Real Estate Governance & Strategy; this Hybrid position will be in New Brunswick, NJ (USA). Alternate Hybrid locations may be considered at Raynham, MA, (USA), Raritan, NJ (USA), or West Chester, PA (USA).

Johnson & Johnson announced plans to separate our Orthopedics business to establish a standalone orthopedics company, operating as DePuy Synthes. The process of the planned separation is anticipated to be completed within 18 to 24 months, subject to legal requirements, including consultation with works councils and other employee representative bodies, as may be required, regulatory approvals and other customary conditions and approvals. Should you accept this position, it is anticipated that, following conclusion of the transaction, you would be an employee of DePuy Synthes and your employment would be governed by DePuy Synthes employment processes, programs, policies, and benefit plans. In that case, details of any planned changes would be provided to you by DePuy Synthes at an appropriate time and subject to any necessary consultation processes.

Position Summary

The Director, Real Estate Governance & Strategy is responsible for setting the global real estate strategy, governance framework, and standards for DPS’s global real estate portfolio (~110 Locations). This role ensures that real estate decisions, investments, and delivery activities are strategically aligned, consistently governed, and performance‑driven across regions.

Operating as the enterprise strategy and control center for Global Real Estate, this role defines how real estate work is prioritized, approved, executed, and measured—while enabling Regional RE Delivery teams (Americas, EMEA/APAC) to execute effectively within a clear governance model. This position is critical to ensuring disciplined capital allocation, portfolio optimization, and enterprise consistency in a standalone DPS environment. This role partners closely with senior enterprise leaders to ensure consistent, disciplined, and transparent real estate decision-making aligned with business priorities.

Scope of Role

• Global portfolio: ~187 DPS properties (office, R&D, manufacturing, residential housing)

• Functional scope: RE strategy, governance, standards, business case approval, process ownership, performance management

• Geographic reach: Global (Americas, EMEA, APAC)

• Authority: Global strategy, policies, standards, approval frameworks, and performance metrics; regional execution via matrixed delivery teams

Key Responsibilities

Global Real Estate Strategy

• Define and maintain the global real estate strategy, aligned to DPS business priorities, footprint needs, and long‑term growth objectives.

• Lead portfolio‑level planning, including scenario analysis, market trends, and strategic options to inform leadership decisions.

• Ensure real estate strategy integrates workplace, site design standards, and long‑range master planning.

Governance & Decision Frameworks

• Own and operate the global RE governance model, including decision rights, approval thresholds, and escalation paths.

• Serve as the business case approval authority for major real estate investments, transactions, and strategic initiatives.

• Ensure consistent application of governance across regions while allowing for appropriate local flexibility.

• Lead change management efforts related to new governance models, processes, and ways of working across the enterprise.

Standards, Best Practices & Process Ownership

• Define and maintain global real estate standards, best practices, and policies, including space planning, workplace design, and site planning guidelines.

• Act as the process owner for key RE workflows (e.g., LRFP, RE planning, approvals, performance management).

• Drive simplification, standardization, and continuous improvement across RE processes.

Performance Management & Insights

• Establish and track global RE performance metrics, KPIs, and dashboards.

• Provide leadership with data‑driven insights on portfolio performance, cost, utilization, and execution effectiveness.

• Identify systemic gaps or inefficiencies and drive corrective actions.

• Monitor and report on the effectiveness of governance frameworks, portfolio performance, and real estate decision outcomes, providing insights and recommendations to senior leadership.

Cross‑Functional & Enterprise Integration

• Partner closely with:

• Regional RE Delivery leaders

• Property Services

• Strategic Supplier Management

• Finance, Procurement, Legal, and Workplace teams

• Ensure real estate strategy and governance are fully integrated into broader enterprise planning and investment processes.

Transformation & Change Enablement

• Support enterprise transformations (e.g., separation, footprint changes, operating model shifts) by providing clear strategy, governance, and execution guardrails.

• Enable consistent adoption of new standards, tools, and ways of working across regions.

Core Capabilities

• Enterprise real estate strategy development

• Governance and decision‑rights design

• Portfolio planning and market analysis

• Business case evaluation and capital discipline

• Process ownership and standardization

• Performance management and executive reporting

• Global operating model enablement

Competencies & Skills

Strategic Leadership

• Ability to operate as an enterprise strategist, not a regional operator.

• Strong judgment in balancing flexibility with governance and control.

• Comfort making and recommending portfolio‑level trade‑offs.

Influence & Collaboration

• Proven ability to lead through influence in a matrixed organization.

• Strong executive communication skills with the ability to translate complexity into clear decisions.

Analytical & Financial Acumen

• Strong business case evaluation, scenario modeling, and financial analysis skills.

• Data‑driven mindset with the ability to derive insights from portfolio and performance data.

Change & Execution Discipline

• Experience driving adoption of standards and governance in global organizations.

• Ability to operate effectively during periods of change, ambiguity, and transformation.

Experience & Education

• 12+ years of experience in corporate real estate, portfolio strategy, governance, or large‑scale real estate programs

• Experience operating at a global or enterprise level

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred

• Demonstrated experience operating at an enterprise or global level within a complex organization.

• Strong strategic thinking and ability to translate business priorities into actionable real estate strategies.

• Proven ability to influence and partner with senior leaders and cross‑functional stakeholders.

• Experience developing governance models, policies, and decision frameworks.

• Excellent analytical, communication, and presentation skills.

Preferred:

• Experience supporting large‑scale transformations, separations, or operating‑model changes.
  • Background in life sciences, medical devices, or other highly regulated industries.
  • Familiarity with global real estate portfolios and multi‑regional operations.
  • Experience working with external real estate service providers and advisors.
  • Strong change management and organizational design capabilities.

• Other:
  • Travel: Up to 20%, domestic and occasional international travel.
  • Certifications (preferred): Professional certifications in real estate, finance, or project management (e.g., MCR, PMP).

Johnson & Johnson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Johnson & Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants’ needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers, internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

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