Jobs › Cushman & Wakefield

Sr. Account Director

Cushman & Wakefield · Chicago, IL · $221,000–$260,000 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 3, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a client relationship you inherited that was in trouble. What did you do to turn it around?

What they are checking: Whether they can rebuild trust with a frustrated client through specific actions rather than charm alone.

Describe a time you grew a contract, either by adding scope or winning a renewal. How did you spot the opening?

What they are checking: Whether they treat expansion as part of the job and can tie new scope to proven client value.

Tell me about a time you had to move out a director who wasn't performing. How did you handle it and what happened to the account?

What they are checking: Whether they act on weak talent quickly while protecting service continuity for the client.

Give me an example of an innovation or best practice you brought to a client that they didn't ask for.

What they are checking: Whether they push service delivery forward instead of only meeting the contract as written.

How do you develop the people on your account team so they're ready for bigger roles?

What they are checking: Whether they invest in growing talent, which the posting lists as one of four core accountabilities.

What would you do

You'd own an account worth five to ten million dollars across several service lines. Walk me through how you set the strategy for an account like that in your first ninety days.

What they are checking: Whether they can build an account plan from the contract and client goals instead of just reacting to daily requests.

Your account spans Integrated Facility Management, Project and Development Services, and Transaction Management. How do you hold functional directors in each line accountable when they don't all report the same way?

What they are checking: Whether they can lead senior specialists through clear goals and reviews, even when they know less about each service line.

The client's regional real estate lead in Europe is unhappy, but the U.S. leadership thinks everything is fine. How do you handle that?

What they are checking: Whether they manage a multi-region relationship without letting one happy stakeholder hide another unhappy one.

The client wants to cut the facilities budget by fifteen percent next year. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can protect service quality and the relationship while offering realistic savings options.

About the work

How do you read an account P&L, and what are the first numbers you look at when margin starts slipping?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the financial levers of an outsourcing contract well enough to catch problems early.

What KPIs and SLAs would you put in front of a corporate occupier client at a quarterly business review, and how do you keep that meeting from becoming a status report?

What they are checking: Whether they can turn service metrics into a strategic conversation the client values.

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The full job description

As published by Cushman & Wakefield.

Job Title Sr. Account Director Job Description Summary The Sr. Account Director is a key role in C&W with responsibility to manage the client relationship while providing exceptional client service and delivering on all aspects of the contract. The Sr. Account Director sets the strategy for the account, establishes the goals and leads and manages a team of functional Directors and/or Sr. Managers with accountability for delivering outstanding results within their areas of responsibility. Manages the day-to-day client relationship of one or more client accounts in multiple geographic regions within Global Occupier Services (GOS) across two or more service lines below: 1. Integrated Facility Management (including Engineering, EH&S, Sustainability, Supply Chain Mgt. etc.) 2. Project & Development Services 3. Transaction Management 4. Portfolio Administration 5. Portfolio and Workplace Strategy The Sr. Account Director is typically responsible for between five and ten million dollars in revenue. This position provides management across all aspects of the accounts including, but not limited to: 1. Service Delivery Excellence (including innovation, best practices etc.) 2. Client Experience & Relationship Management 3. Talent Management and Team Development 4. Financial Performance (including P&L, contract expansion / renewals etc.) Job Description ESSENTI A L FUNCTIONS A ND RESPONSIBILITIES • Obtain a thorough understanding of the client’s business goals and strategies to align real estate services with these objectives • Impl e ment the overall vision, strateg y and measurem e nt metrics to the applicable service lines • Develop and maintain strong client relationships • Impl e ment and manage account governance process • Provide disciplined contract management to meet superior deliver y of all contract deliverables • Identif y existing and new opportunities for enhancing service solutions and capabilities • Assist w ith risk mitigation and dispute resolution for client and C & W • Activel y manage and develop account talent in partnership with HR, including promotion of diversit y , equity & inclusion, talent revie w s, performance reviews, succession planning etc. • Support collaboration and performance of all partners including Finance, HR, Sourcing, Legal, Operations, etc. • Develop and maintain account P&L management, profitabilit y and overall financial performance • Contribute to the overall service and financial performance of C & W through effective cross-selling and relationship / contract expansion • Ensure quantitative and qualitative anal y tics and evidenced-based decision m a king KEY COMPETENCIES 1. Leadership 2. Customer Relationship Management 3. Technical Skills 4. Organization Design & Management Skills 5. Communication (oral and written) 6. Matrix Organization / Business Partner Skills 7. Presentation Skills 8. Business Acumen IMPO R T A NT EDUC A TION • Bachelor’s degree requ i red • Mast e r’s de g ree o r MBA p ref e rred IMPO R T A NT EXPERIENCE • Minim u m o f 10 y ears at management level or other similar capacity • Experience in directl y l e a d i n g a n d managing te a ms, and managing people-managers • Client, P&L and contract management experience • Experience in the management of an integrated services account, including In te g r a t e d F a c i l i t y M a n a g e m ent , P r o j e ct & D e v e l op m ent S e r vi c e s , Tr an s a c t i on M a n ag e m ent, P o r t f o l i o A d m i n i s t ra t i o n a n d S t r at eg i c C on su l ti ng. • In-depth understanding of the business impact of technical contributions Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements. The compensation that will be offered to the successful candidate will depend on factors such as whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the geographic area in which the work will be performed, market pay rates in that area, and the candidate’s experience and qualifications. The company will not pay less than minimum wage for this role. The compensation for the position is: $ 221,000.00 - $260,000.00 Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email Accommodations@cushwake.com . Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us. INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”

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