Global Work Place Principal

Principal, Head of Real Estate – Pharmacy Division

Reports to: Global Head of Global Workplace

Background

Cigna’s Pharmacy division manages a complex and mission-critical real estate portfolio that includes high-volume distribution centers, specialty and mail-order pharmacy facilities, office locations, and critical data centers that support pharmacy operations nationwide. The portfolio supports business units that deliver essential medications, specialty therapies, and patient-centric services across the United States.

Given the operational, regulatory, and logistical importance of pharmacy real estate, Cigna is seeking a seasoned real estate leader with significant experience in industrial leasing, mission-critical facilities, and large-scale operational portfolios. This Principal will be responsible for shaping strategy, optimizing performance, and overseeing execution across the entire Pharmacy real estate footprint.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in corporate real estate, with a track record managing complex industrial environments and partnership-driven stakeholder relationships.

Role Summary

The Principal, Head of Real Estate – Pharmacy Division, is the senior-most real estate leader dedicated to the Pharmacy business within Cigna. This individual will define and execute the real estate strategy for all pharmacy-related assets—ensuring that distribution, fulfillment, office, and data center facilities align with business growth, regulatory requirements, operational resilience, and financial performance.

Reporting to the Global Head of Global Workplace, the Principal will serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, pharmacy operations, supply chain, technology, and risk teams. This role is responsible for end-to-end real estate lifecycle management, from strategy and portfolio planning to transactions, design/construction oversight, operations, and workplace governance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Portfolio Management

• Develop and oversee the long-term real estate strategy for the Pharmacy division, ensuring alignment with Cigna’s enterprise objectives.
• Manage a diverse portfolio including distribution centers, specialty pharmacies, offices, and data centers.
• Forecast future real estate needs based on business growth, automation trends, regulatory changes, and operational priorities.
• Drive portfolio optimization through consolidation, expansions, relocations, and cost-management initiatives.

Transactions & Industrial Leasing

• Lead all real estate transactions, with emphasis on high-volume industrial leasing, renewals, acquisitions, and dispositions.
• Negotiate complex lease terms, ensuring favorable conditions that support operational resilience and flexibility.
• Maintain strong market intelligence on industrial, logistics, and mission-critical facility trends.

Stakeholder & Executive Engagement

• Serve as the primary real estate liaison with Pharmacy leadership, supply chain teams, technology, finance, security, and risk management.
• Present portfolio performance, business cases, and investment strategies to senior executives.
• Build strong relationships with external partners, landlords, developers, and service providers.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure all facilities comply with pharmacy regulations (DEA, FDA, Board of Pharmacy), data center standards, safety codes, and environmental requirements.
• Execute real estate governance frameworks, ensuring data accuracy, transparency, and disciplined decision-making.
• Manage risk across the portfolio, including resilience, redundancy, and operational continuity.

Financial Management

• Evaluate cost-saving opportunities and operational efficiencies across the portfolio.
• Optimize total occupancy cost while maintaining required service levels.

If you will be working at home occasionally or permanently, the internet connection must be obtained through a cable broadband or fiber optic internet service provider with speeds of at least 10Mbps download/5Mbps upload.

For this position, we anticipate offering an annual salary of 133,100 - 221,900 USD / yearly, depending on relevant factors, including experience and geographic location.

This role is also anticipated to be eligible to participate in an annual bonus and long term incentive plan.

At The Cigna Group, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits, with a focus on supporting your whole health. Starting on day one of your employment, you’ll be offered several health-related benefits including medical, vision, dental, and well-being and behavioral health programs. We also offer 401(k), company paid life insurance, tuition reimbursement, a minimum of 18 days of paid time off per year and paid holidays. For more details on our employee benefits programs, click here.

About The Cigna Group

Doing something meaningful starts with a simple decision, a commitment to changing lives. At The Cigna Group, we’re dedicated to improving the health and vitality of those we serve. Through our divisions Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Health Services, we are committed to enhancing the lives of our clients, customers and patients. Join us in driving growth and improving lives.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, age, disability, sex, childbirth (including pregnancy) or related medical conditions including but not limited to lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital or familial status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by applicable equal employment opportunity laws.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing the online application process, please email: SeeYourself@cigna.com for support. Do not email SeeYourself@cigna.com for an update on your application or to provide your resume as you will not receive a response.

The Cigna Group has a tobacco-free policy and reserves the right not to hire tobacco/nicotine users in states where that is legally permissible. Candidates in such states who use tobacco/nicotine will not be considered for employment unless they enter a qualifying smoking cessation program prior to the start of their employment. These states include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Washington State.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.