Global Critical Facilities Head

Global Head Of Critical FacilitiesCiti operates as a leading global financial institution, underpinned by sophisticated and resilient enterprise operations and technology (EOT). Our ability to deliver secure, reliable, and intelligently controlled services globally is paramount to our systemic responsibility and client trust. The Citi real estate services (RES) function is integral to this foundation, ensuring safe, cost-effective real estate premises, sustainable solutions, and proactive vendor management for our critical global infrastructure. The recent resignation of the incumbent global head of critical facilities necessitates an immediate replacement. This C15-level role is a critical leadership position within the RES team, demanding a candidate of exceptional caliber and extensive experience to safeguard Citi's mission-critical operations worldwide. The search will target strategic locations such as London or New York to attract the best global talent.The global head of critical facilities is a pivotal leadership role within the RES organization, carrying overall accountability for the strategic delivery, operation, and optimization of Citi's mission-critical environments. This includes, but is not limited to, global data centers and hybrid cloud infrastructure. The individual in this role acts as a central resource for critical systems engineering and critical facilities management, providing strategic oversight, technical leadership, and global coordination across a diverse and complex operational landscape. Key areas of focus include:Global service delivery: Ensuring seamless operation and optimization of critical infrastructure.Infrastructure project delivery: Leading capital and renovation projects, integrating sustainable design principles.Change management: Overseeing robust change control procedures for critical systems globally.Strategy and planning: Developing long-term resilience strategies, embracing technological advancement, and leading net zero operations initiatives.Outage reporting & incident response: Managing global incident escalation and coordination, providing 24/7 support.Governance, audit, and risk control: Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, internal policies, and industry best practices.This role operates at a global scale, directly impacting every aspect of Citi's enterprise operations. The inherent complexities and risks associated with the global head of critical facilities position are extensive:Global footprint & diverse infrastructure: Responsibility spans global critical infrastructure, encompassing both traditional data centers and evolving hybrid cloud environments across varied geographical and regulatory landscapes. This requires managing diverse, cross-geographical operations teams and an international profile capable of leading multi-cultural teams.Mission-criticality & operational resilience: The continuous uptime and resilience of these facilities are non-negotiable. Any disruption could lead to significant financial losses, reputational damage, and systemic risk. The role is tasked with proactively mitigating risks through data analytics, predictive modeling, and robust incident response protocols.Strategic imperatives & emerging technologies: The head of critical facilities is responsible for driving Citi's net zero and broader sustainability efforts, integrating sustainable design, reducing carbon footprint, and enhancing energy efficiency across global facilities. This also involves continuous monitoring and evaluation of emerging technologies like IoT and AI/ML for predictive maintenance and advanced energy management systems.Regulatory & audit scrutiny: Operating within a highly regulated financial services environment, the role is subject to stringent internal and external audit requirements. The incumbent must possess a strong track record in controls and compliance, serving as the primary liaison for all critical facilities-related audits and ensuring adherence to corporate standards, regulatory mandates, and cybersecurity best practices.Financial stewardship & vendor ecosystem: The position manages substantial capital and operational expenditures related to infrastructure projects, asset optimization, and procurement. This includes cultivating strategic relationships with key global suppliers and vendors, ensuring performance, compliance with SLAs, and optimizing supply chain resilience to mitigate disruptions and drive cost efficiencies.Stakeholder management: The role requires strategic stakeholder management, fostering strong partnerships with technology, business, and audit functions, and coordinating closely with Citi technology infrastructure (CTI) for capacity planning and technology solutions.The vacancy created by the incumbent's resignation for the global head of critical facilities poses significant and immediate risks to Citi's global operations. Without a dedicated leader, the global coordination and oversight of mission-critical environments are jeopardized, increasing the risk of operational disruptions, extended outages, and failures in business continuity planning. The absence of a global head will lead to a leadership vacuum in critical risk management areas, including maintaining audit readiness, ensuring regulatory compliance, addressing information security vulnerabilities, and mitigating physical infrastructure risks. This could expose Citi to significant compliance failures, financial penalties, and a weakened overall risk posture. Key strategic objectives, particularly around net zero commitments, sustainability, and the adoption of advanced technologies for facility optimization, would be severely impacted or delayed. The oversight of critical supplier relationships, global capital projects, and large-scale renovations will suffer, potentially leading to cost overruns, project delays, and suboptimal performance from third-party partners. A prolonged vacancy at this leadership level can lead to uncertainty within global teams, impacting morale, productivity, and the ability to attract and retain top talent in this highly specialized field. Given the mission-critical nature, immense scale, and inherent complexities, combined with significant regulatory and financial risks, the immediate replacement of the global head of critical facilities is not merely advisable but essential. Prompt approval to initiate the recruitment process will allow us to quickly identify and onboard a qualified leader capable of maintaining and advancing Citi's operational excellence and strategic objectives.