Director, Global Design & Construction

About the role

We are looking for an innovative, tech-forward Director of Global Design & Construction to lead our physical environment strategy into its next evolution. This role demands a unique combination of high-level strategic vision, a passion for experimentation, creativity, and a relentless commitment to world-class physical execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead the physical realization of Cloudflare’s global offices. Direct architects, general contractors, and artists to design and build spaces that authentically capture the vibe and culture of each local hub, ensuring every environment feels uniquely Cloudflare, inspiring, and functional.

• Conceptualize and execute the AI Workflow: Think outside the box to architect how AI and automation can revolutionize legacy design and construction phases. Map out and execute opportunities to eliminate manual bottlenecks across the entire project lifecycle - including vendor onboarding/benchmarking, contracting, cost estimation, budget/project tracking, and risk identification - by implementing automated review pipelines and data-driven quality controls.

• Drive Spatial Experimentation: Treat our workplaces as living laboratories. Conceptualize and implement pioneering internal qualitative and quantitative data-collection methods - such as tracking real-time utilization patterns and capturing continuous employee feedback loops - to architect data-driven proposals that evolve our global footprints based on your findings.

• Evolve the Design Framework: Use data insights and post-occupancy metrics to constantly challenge existing design assumptions. Lead formal change management efforts to iterate on our physical footprints and champion a generative design-supported “kit of parts” for global serviced offices, ensuring they fluidly adapt as work styles and distributed team needs change.

• Predictive Capital & Site Strategy: Collaborate with Real Estate and FP&A teams to direct predictive modeling concepts for site selection, due diligence, project cash flows, long-term financial reporting, and financial risk mitigation, steering the department toward highly optimized capital allocation.

• CapEx Budget Ownership & Financial Governance: Own and manage the global capital expenditure (CapEx) budget, delivering accurate multi-year financial forecasting, cost-variance reporting, and executive-level capital reporting.

• Executive Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the strategic bridge and primary liaison between internal executive business customers and external delivery partners (including architects, GCs, and furniture dealers). Ensure Physical Security, IT, Legal, and Workplace leadership are deeply aligned under a unified, technology-supported project pipeline and data layer that prioritizes the employee experience.

• Lifecycle Handover & Commissioning: Establish rigorous commissioning protocols to ensure flawless handovers from construction completion to local Workplace Operations teams.

• Global Pipeline Governance & Compliance: Oversee a global project pipeline across all international hubs and time zones, seamlessly balancing highly creative local refreshes with complex, large-scale 100,000+ square foot tenant improvement projects. Ensure all construction activities and global workflows are in strict compliance with local laws while maintaining a focus on sustainable, high-performance building standards.

Requirements

Proven Seniority: 10-12+ years of experience leading interior design and complex construction project management, specifically within high-growth technology companies or global enterprises.

Scale Mastery: A proven track record of successfully directing a global corporate office portfolio in excess of 250,000+ total square feet.

Curiosity & Growth Mindset: A profound curiosity for how technology can optimize human interaction. You must be comfortable with ambiguity and excited by the challenge of building unprecedented internal tools from scratch rather than managing legacy workflows.

Technical Integration: Knowledge of technical infrastructure (MEP systems, architectural principles, AV/IT) and a clear vision of how they connect with automated building systems.

Sophisticated Communication: Outstanding leadership and collaboration skills, with a demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional executives and external partners across multiple time zones.

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a related field such as Architecture, Project Management, Interior Design, or Engineering.

Global Mobility & Presence: Willingness to work in-office :3 days a week to lead by example within our local workplace laboratory, with the flexibility to travel globally to oversee high-stakes project transformations.

Qualifications

Nice-to-Have Skills:

• Certifications: LEED, WELL, or PMP Certifications.

• Advanced Technical Skills: Experience with AI-enhanced workflows, generative design platforms, or transitioning legacy portfolios into AI-assisted operational models.