Director, Occupancy Planning

Join a purpose-driven, winning team committed to results in an inclusive and high-performing culture. Global Banking and Markets (GBM) is a leading Canadian Capital Markets and Investment Banking business with a growing platform in the US and Latin America, operating globally for over 100 years. Scotiabank’s strong U.S. presence provides clients an important bridge to this key global market for trade and investment flows across the Americas and the world.

About the role

Reporting to the VP, Real Estate Strategy & BRM, the Director, Occupancy Planning enables enterprise-aligned, data-informed Real Estate decisions by integrating internal portfolio intelligence, global occupancy planning, and forward-looking market insight. The role optimizes Scotiabank’s workplace portfolio, supports evolving ways of working, and aligns space demand with business priorities, headcount plans, employee experience, financial discipline, and the Bank’s long-term Real Estate strategy.

The Director, Occupancy Planning is accountable for leading the Bank’s occupancy planning capability, translating business strategies, workforce plans, utilization insights, portfolio data, and demand forecasts into actionable occupancy strategies and executive-ready recommendations. The role partners closely with business lines, Corporate Functions, Real Estate, Finance, HR, Technology, and regional teams to ensure workplace and occupancy decisions are integrated, feasible, cost-effective, and aligned with enterprise priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of global occupancy planning frameworks, standards, KPIs, and decision support tools that align space demand with business strategy, workforce plans, regional operating models, hybrid work patterns, utilization insights, and the Bank’s Real Estate strategy.
• Champion the use of occupancy data, internal portfolio intelligence, headcount forecasts, utilization metrics, market insights, scenario planning, financial modelling, and risk assessments to identify opportunities for consolidation, expansion, relocation, densification, cost reduction, and improved workplace effectiveness.
• Act as a strategic advisor to senior business leaders and Corporate Functions on occupancy planning decisions, translating complex portfolio, occupancy, and market data into clear recommendations that support portfolio optimization, long-term location planning, capital planning, demand forecasting, and risk management. This includes:
  • Developing occupancy scenarios, options, business cases, financial models, and executive-ready recommendations to support informed Real Estate decisions.
  • Partnering with business leaders to understand headcount plans, organizational changes, regional operating models, growth or reduction strategies, and workplace requirements.
  • Ensuring recommendations consider cost effectiveness, capacity, utilization, employee experience, business continuity, implementation feasibility, capital implications, and risk.
  • Maintaining senior leadership and governance forums apprised of material occupancy risks, opportunities, trade-offs, and recommended mitigation actions.
  • Providing leadership with occupancy options that optimize utilization within the existing global portfolio before pursuing external solutions.
• Establish and oversee occupancy planning governance, reporting, demand intake, forecasting, and sustainment practices to ensure portfolio decisions remain aligned with business demand, density targets, workplace standards, and the Bank’s Real Estate strategy. This includes:
  • Maintaining occupancy planning standards, data inputs, assumptions, KPIs, reporting routines, and planning cycles in partnership with Real Estate, Finance, HR, Technology, and business stakeholders.
  • Leading governance forums and stakeholder routines that support space request intake, prioritization, decision-making, issue resolution, and alignment across business lines and Corporate Functions.
  • Monitoring occupancy, vacancy, utilization, workplace efficiency, cost optimization, headcount alignment, future demand signals, employee experience indicators, and delivery outcomes to identify continuous improvement opportunities.
  • Ensuring data accuracy, consistency, and transparency to support executive reporting, investment decisions, and the positioning of occupancy planning as a strategic enabler.
• Direct day-to-day activities in a manner consistent with the Bank’s risk culture and the relevant risk appetite statement and limits. Communicate the Bank’s risk culture and risk appetite statement throughout their teams.
• Create an environment in which the team pursues effective and efficient operations while ensuring the adequacy, adherence to, and effectiveness of day-to-day business controls to meet obligations with respect to operational risk, regulatory compliance risk, AML/ATF risk, and conduct risk.
• Build a high-performance environment and implement a people strategy that attracts, retains, develops, and motivates the team by fostering an inclusive work environment, communicating vision/values/business strategy, and managing succession and development planning.

Requirements

• A business, finance, Real Estate, engineering, planning, or related degree with 10+ years of relevant experience in corporate Real Estate, occupancy planning, workplace strategy, portfolio planning, market intelligence, or financial services operations.
• Proven ability to develop occupancy strategies, scenarios, business cases, executive recommendations, and data-driven insights using analytics, financial modelling, market intelligence, and stakeholder input.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and influencing skills with experience partnering with senior leaders, business lines, Corporate Functions, and cross-functional delivery teams.
• Strong quantitative, analytical, financial, and strategic planning skills, with demonstrated ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Experience establishing KPIs, performance metrics, data governance, reporting routines, and executive-ready materials that support occupancy, workplace efficiency, cost optimization, and portfolio decisions.

Dimensions

• Lead enterprise occupancy planning activities that connect business strategy, workforce demand, utilization data, workplace standards, market intelligence, and Real Estate portfolio decisions.
• Develop occupancy plans and scenarios that align space demand with business priorities, headcount plans, hybrid work patterns, and workplace standards.
• Use portfolio data, utilization metrics, financial analysis, market intelligence, and risk assessments to support consolidation, expansion, relocation, densification, capital planning, demand forecasting, and investment recommendations.
• Partner with senior business leaders, Corporate Functions, Real Estate, Finance, HR, Technology, and regional teams to translate enterprise priorities, regional operating models, and business demand into practical occupancy strategies.
• Key achievements include:
  • A reduction of 1MM to 1.5MM in sq ft used.
  • Implementation of a completely revamped workplace strategy for 10,000 GTA employees.
  • Articulation and promotion of future phases of the program.
• Monitor occupancy performance and sustainment of implemented plans, including:
  • Reorganizations and changing business demand.
  • Growth, contraction, consolidation, or relocation plans.
  • Utilization, capacity, density, and workplace effectiveness measures.
  • Employee experience, productivity, and business continuity considerations.
  • Continuous improvement of planning standards, governance routines, reporting, and decision support.
• Governance of global occupancy data, reporting transparency, and executive-level insights that inform investment decisions and portfolio optimization.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in a flexible, highly collaborative environment requiring frequent engagement with senior leaders, business partners, Real Estate teams, regional stakeholders, and cross-functional partners. The incumbent must be comfortable operating with ambiguity, using data and market insight to inform recommendations, and balancing business needs, employee experience, financial outcomes, implementation feasibility, and risk considerations.

Benefits

Scotiabank wants you to be able to bring your best self to work—and life, every day. With a focus on holistic well-being, flexible benefit programs are designed to help support unique family, financial, physical, mental, and social health needs.

Location: United States – Texas – Dallas