A traditional, medium-sized branded goods company in Northern Germany is seeking a freelance consultant and FM expert for 6 to 9 months to reorganize business activities in Corporate Real Estate Management (CREM) and Facility Management (FM).
Typical tasks in this role:**
Analysis of existing FM and CREM structures, processes, and service provider contracts within the scope of the corporate reorganization.
Development of a future-oriented strategy for corporate real estate and facility management to support the new business objectives.
Optimization of space management (space efficiency, workplace concepts, repurposing) in line with "Future of Work" strategies.
Realignment of operational facility management: ensuring the operational readiness of facilities and buildings, managing maintenance activities.
Consolidation and tendering of FM services; negotiation and management of Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Leadership of the internal FM team and coordination of external service providers.
Budget planning, control, and reporting to the executive management.
Relevant technologies, tools, or methods:**
CAFM / IWMS: Planon, ARCHIBUS, Spacewell, SAP RE-FX, PMWeb.
ERP systems: SAP S/4HANA, Oracle.
Project management: MS Project, Asana.
Office suite: MS Office / Google Workspace.
Methods: benchmarking, SLA management, life cycle cost analysis (LCC).
Typical KPIs or success metrics:**
Reduction of operational FM costs per m² by >10% through process optimization and consolidation.
Increase of the Planned Maintenance Percentage (PMP) to >80% to reduce reactive incidents.
Improvement of SLA compliance by external service providers to >95%.
Reduction of asset downtime for critical infrastructure by >20%.
Successful achievement of defined reorganization milestones within time and budget.
Key challenges, risks, or specifics:**
High resistance to change in the existing organization (change management).
Lack of transparency due to fragmented data and missing digital processes.
Complexity in renegotiating or terminating long-standing service provider contracts.
Ensuring business continuity during the restructuring.
Balancing cost-cutting pressure with maintaining service quality and employee satisfaction.
Concrete deliverables:**
Milestone 1: Completion of the as-is analysis and presentation of results.
Deliverable 1: Detailed assessment report with SWOT analysis and benchmarking.
Milestone 2: Approval of the new FM/CREM strategy and the target operating model.
Deliverable 2: Strategy paper, process map, and implementation roadmap.
Milestone 3: Successful completion of the service provider tender(s).
Deliverable 3: Signed new service contracts and handover plan.
Final deliverable: Handover documentation to the succeeding line management.
Must-haves:**
Completed degree (industrial engineering, facility management, real estate management) or equivalent qualification.
At least 10 years of professional and leadership experience in corporate real estate and/or facility management at corporate level or in upper mid-market.
Proven track record in restructuring FM/CREM organizations and in change management.
In-depth knowledge of tendering and managing complex FM services.
Nice-to-haves:**
Certification in facility management (e.g., CFM, GEFMA Facility Management Specialist).
Experience as an interim manager.
Experience in the manufacturing industry.
Personal attributes and mindset:**
Strong leadership and motivational skills to guide teams through a period of change.
Strategic and entrepreneurial thinking combined with operational execution strength.
High empathy and social skills in dealing with internal employees and external partners.
Confident appearance, resilience, and the ability to navigate politically complex situations.