Director of Real Estate Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Director of Real Estate roles qualify as specialty occupations under the H-1B visa, making employer sponsorship achievable for candidates with a relevant bachelor's degree or higher. REIT firms, institutional investors, and large corporate real estate departments are the most active sponsors, and the role's strategic seniority means strong LCA prevailing-wage compliance is essential from day one.
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INTRODUCTION
We are looking for a Director of Real Estate & Facilities Operations to lead the physical environment in which IDEXX operates worldwide. You will lead a global team of more than 100 people covering facilities operations, regional site management across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific, janitorial and soft services, and global real estate. The role also owns executive security, crisis management and crisis response worldwide. The role does not include hospitality or dining services, at the Maine campus or elsewhere. Closer to home, you will directly manage these services for a corporate campus of more than 1,000,000 square feet housing corporate offices, manufacturing and R&D facilities here in Maine.
This is a newly created role at a time of significant planned growth. It brings operations, site management, soft services and real estate under one leader, so that capacity decisions, new site delivery and the operating model that supports them are planned together. You will report to the Senior Director, Global Facilities, and lead six direct reports. Close coordination with three global partner teams is crucial to this role: Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S); Project Management, Engineering and Strategic Planning; and Hospitality.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In this role, you will:
- Lead a global facilities and real estate organization through regional and functional managers, setting direction, standards and performance expectations.
- Directly manage facilities operations, hard and soft services (excluding hospitality and dining services), and site management for a corporate campus of more than 1,000,000 square feet housing corporate offices, manufacturing and R&D facilities in Maine.
- Ensure uninterrupted facilities support for manufacturing and R&D, including critical utilities, controlled environments and qualified systems.
- Own a global facilities operations center that serves as the single point of intake and dispatch for facilities demand, with clear service levels and work order performance.
- Direct hard-services maintenance, preventive maintenance programs and asset lifecycle planning across the portfolio.
- Direct global janitorial and soft services (excluding hospitality and dining services), standardizing specifications and quality across regions.
- Hold outsourced service providers, including security, to defined service levels and commercial terms.
- Own security, access control and surveillance for all sites.
- Own executive security, crisis management and crisis response globally.
- Ensure regulatory, life safety and code compliance at every site, and own business continuity and emergency response planning for the physical estate.
- Own global real estate strategy and lease activity, including site selection, negotiation, renewals, and renew-versus-relocate and total cost of occupancy analysis.
- Translate business growth into a multi-year property and capacity roadmap, and lead delivery of new and expanded facilities from business case through operational readiness.
- Support acquisition integration, bringing new sites onto IDEXX standards, systems and service models.
- Partner closely with the global EH&S, Project Management, Engineering and Strategic Planning, and Hospitality teams to align priorities, standards and delivery.
- Own the operating and capital budget for the function and present portfolio performance and capital recommendations to senior leadership.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What you need to succeed:
- Bachelor's degree in facilities management, engineering with an MBA as a plus.
- 12+ years of progressive experience in corporate facilities, property or real estate management, including 7+ years leading multi-site teams.
- Hands-on leadership across facilities operations, site management, janitorial and soft services, and corporate real estate. We are looking for breadth across all four, not depth in one.
- Experience with large, mixed global portfolios that include manufacturing, R&D, laboratories, distribution and corporate campuses.
- Experience directly managing a large campus or multi-building site that includes manufacturing and R&D space.
- Experience in maintenance planning, and in security and access control, including surveillance across a multi-site portfolio.
- Experience leading executive security, crisis management and crisis response on a global scale.
- Working knowledge of regulated environments, including USDA and FDA requirements as they apply to facilities, qualification and change control.
- Knowledge of environmental and building regulations across multiple jurisdictions, including energy, emissions, waste and permitting.
- A track record of delivering facilities and real estate capacity for business growth, including new sites and expansions.
- Experience directing outsourced service providers at scale, and owning operating and capital budgets of comparable size.
- Ability to lead through regional managers across time zones.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in veterinary, human diagnostics, pharmaceutical or medical device operations.
- Experience standing up facilities in a new country or region, or integrating acquired sites.
- IFMA CFM or FMP, CoreNet MCR, or equivalent certification.
- Experience implementing IWMS or CMMS platforms and lease administration systems.
- Lean or Six Sigma credentials.
WHY IDEXX
We’re proud of the work we do, because our work matters. An innovation leader in every industry we serve since 1983, our team members help pet owners worldwide keep their companion animals healthy and happy, ensure safe drinking water for billions, and help farmers protect livestock and poultry from disease. We have customers in over 175 countries and a collaborative global workforce. Our culture embraces challenges and encourages learning and discovery. At IDEXX, you’ll be supported by competitive compensation, incentives, and benefits while enjoying purposeful work that drives improvement. If meaningful work and a sense of purpose are at the top of your list, you’ll find it here. Let’s pursue what matters together.
EEO Statement
IDEXX values a diverse workforce and workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. IDEXX is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by local, state, or federal laws.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Director of Real Estate Jobs
Align your degree to the role
USCIS scrutinizes whether your degree field directly relates to real estate leadership. A bachelor's in real estate, finance, urban planning, or business administration strengthens the specialty occupation argument. A general degree in an unrelated field can trigger a Request for Evidence.
Target REIT and institutional employers first
Publicly traded REITs, pension fund real estate arms, and large commercial developers file LCAs regularly for Director-level roles. These employers have established immigration infrastructure and are more likely to absorb the H-1B filing timeline without withdrawing the offer.
Search verified sponsors on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate lists employers with confirmed LCA sponsorship history for real estate roles, so you can prioritize outreach to companies that have already navigated the filing process for this job category rather than cold-applying to unknown sponsors.
Verify prevailing wage before negotiating
Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your role and metro area. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the Level III or IV rate for real estate management occupations before you receive a written offer.
Disclose your visa timeline during offer negotiations
H-1B status takes three years initially, and cap-subject petitions depend on annual registration. If you're already in H-1B status with another employer, portability lets you start once the new petition is filed, which removes the lottery uncertainty from your start-date discussion.
Prepare a PERM-ready credential file early
If your employer plans to pursue an EB-2 or EB-3 green card after hiring, PERM labor certification requires documented recruitment efforts. Assembling your foreign degree equivalency evaluation, transcripts, and professional certifications before the offer makes the transition faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Director of Real Estate role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes, provided the employer can demonstrate the position normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field such as real estate, finance, or business administration. Generic management degrees without a real estate or finance concentration can complicate the specialty occupation argument, so the job description needs to reflect the technical and analytical demands of the role, not just supervisory duties.
Which visa types realistically cover a Director of Real Estate position?
The H-1B is the most common path, covering an initial three-year period extendable to six. If you're a Canadian or Mexican national, TN visa status is available for certain management roles, but real estate directors must confirm the position fits a recognized USMCA profession category. The L-1A is an option if you're transferring within a multinational firm at a managerial level. EB-2 and EB-3 green card categories apply for permanent sponsorship once you've established the role.
How do I find employers willing to sponsor a Director of Real Estate role?
Migrate Mate is the most direct way to identify employers with verified sponsorship history for real estate leadership roles. Focusing your search there lets you prioritize companies that have filed LCAs for comparable positions rather than spending time on employers without an established immigration process.
Does my foreign real estate qualification count toward the degree requirement?
USCIS accepts foreign degrees if they're evaluated as equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree by a recognized credential evaluation service. A three-year Australian or UK real estate or business degree is often accepted as equivalent, but you'll need a formal evaluation report to include with the I-129 petition. Work experience can supplement a degree under a three-for-one rule, where three years of relevant experience substitute for one year of education.
What makes a Director of Real Estate LCA more complex than other roles?
Directors of Real Estate often have fluctuating or performance-linked compensation structures, including bonuses and equity. The LCA prevailing-wage obligation applies to the base salary component, but USCIS and DOL review total compensation to confirm the role isn't artificially structured below the certified wage level. You should confirm with your employer that the base salary alone meets the DOL Level III or IV prevailing wage for your work location before the LCA is filed.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Director of Real Estate jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.