Real Estate and Workplace Lead

About the Role:

Wing is seeking an experienced and highly organized Real Estate & Workplace Lead to oversee operations of our workplace portfolio, including corporate offices, technical labs and flight test locations. Your primary mission is to ensure our workplaces are safe, engaging hubs for productivity and collaboration. 

This onsite role in Palo Alto, CA, requires a candidate who is passionate about building and maintaining workplaces that reflect Wing’s culture, support Wing’s R&D goals (at our lab and flight test facilities) and are compliant and cost-effective.The ideal candidate is a hands-on problem-solver who thrives in fast-paced environments, can implement light-weight processes and structure, and enjoys cross-functional communication. The role will require travel to other Wing workplace locations, as needed.

What You’ll Do: 

• Lead workplace real estate portfolio management, including selection of new office spaces, lease negotiations, acquisitions, and dispositions.  Manage relationships and contract performance for all external partners, including property managers, brokers, and service vendors


• Mentor, and lead a small team that oversees Facilities & Fleet Management, Environmental Health & Safety, and Lab Management


• Support the development and execution of a comprehensive workplace location strategy that aligns Wing’s long-term business objectives, growth projections, and onsite/hybrid work models. Translate business needs into actionable workplace and safety strategies.  Champion the creation of an engaging and productive workplace experience, partnering with HR and IT to deliver a seamless environment for all employees


• Direct the company's enterprise-wide Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) program, fostering a culture of safety and accountability.  Ensure all corporate and lab facilities comply with all local, state, and federal regulations, including building codes, OSHA, EPA, and other governing bodies


• Work with Wing Facilities and Google REWS on necessary space planning, design, and construction projects, managing capital budgets, contractors, and vendors to deliver projects on time and within budget


• Manage the annual operating (OpEx) and capital (CapEx) budgets for the workplace real estate, facilities, and EH&S portfolio - have a scrappy mindset and use company resources efficiently


• Implement key performance indicators (KPIs) to track space utilization, operational costs, service levels, and safety metrics, reporting regularly to relevant stakeholders


• Lead the company's emergency response and business continuity planning related to physical workplaces, labs and test facilities.  Direct all incident investigation and root cause analysis for safety-related events, implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence.  Act as the point of contact for workspace and lab audits, ensuring all documentation and safety training are up to date

What You’ll Need: 

• 12+ years of progressive experience in corporate real estate, facilities management, and EH&S, particularly within research or dynamic startup environments.


• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Real Estate, or equivalent professional experience.


• Demonstrable experience managing a mixed portfolio of properties, including corporate offices, technical R&D facilities, and lab environments.


• Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to partner laterally across technical and corporate teams.


• Strong financial acumen with experience managing multi-million dollar CapEx and OpEx budgets.


• Exceptional negotiation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels, including managing direct reports and external consultants.