The Senior Director, Pricing Escalations will lead the development and execution
of ABM’s centralized pricing escalation function, overseeing the strategy,
communication, negotiation, and implementation of client price increases across
the organization. This leader will build and scale a new team, redesign
processes, leverage financial and operational data to drive pricing decisions,
and partner closely with Operations to balance client relationships with
business objectives while leading enterprise-wide change management.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Operating Model Transition & Redesign
Lead the redesign of the Pricing Escalation Management SOP to reflect
centralized FP&A ownership, re-anchoring final approval authority and
escalation decision rights that currently sit with Operations roles (Industry
Group President, Branch Manager/RVP, COO) to the centralized team and FP&A
leadership.
Define a clear operating model for how Operations stays involved going
forward: participating in client delivery/negotiation where relationship
history or local context adds value, and continuing to own day-to-day client
relationship management — while cost analysis, pricing strategy, and final
decisions sit with the centralized team.
Stand up the centralized team's intake, case-management, and approval
workflows to replace the field-led decision process end-to-end, including for
escalations currently in flight under the legacy model.
Determine, in partnership with the Head of FP&A and executive leadership, the
revised approval matrix and thresholds (including resolving the open question
of percentage-based vs. revenue-dollar-based triggers) now that approval sits
centrally rather than in the field.
Centralized Execution
Own end-to-end execution of pricing escalations company-wide: pulling and
analyzing ERP cost data, client notification, negotiation strategy, objection
handling, and final documentation — directly, rather than solely supporting a
field-led process.
Directly own client-facing negotiation strategy for escalations that meet
defined thresholds, bringing in the local Account Manager or Operations
leader for relationship context and, where warranted, direct participation in
the client conversation — while the centralized team retains decision
authority on terms.
Track every active escalation nationally against the required timeline (T-65
internal approval through T-60 client notification, T-45 conditional meeting,
T-30 negotiation, T-15 documentation, T-0 go-live, and T+30 review), owning
the schedule directly rather than monitoring it from the sidelines.
Manage the expedited process for unplanned cost events (regulatory changes,
supply chain shocks, force majeure), securing executive approval and
documenting any deviations from standard timeline.
Cross-Functional Coordination
Pull and analyze cost and pricing data directly from ERP systems, with
support from the broader FP&A team, to identify and prioritize which accounts
the centralized team should pursue for escalation — replacing the
field-supplied cost inputs in the legacy SOP.
Build the cost-justification package for each escalation (CPI, labor,
materials, and supplier cost trends) using ERP and FP&A analysis rather than
data routed through Operations.
Determine on a case-by-case basis when to bring Operations into client
delivery — client meetings or negotiations — based on relationship history
and local context, while retaining central decision authority over strategy
and final terms.
Partner with Legal/Contracts to confirm escalation-clause compliance,
CPI/index caps, and required notice periods, and ensure cases meeting
mandatory legal-review triggers (increases above 7%, CPI-capped clauses,
active disputes, or regulated-industry contracts) are routed at least 15
business days ahead of client notification.
Coordinate with RSS and Contract Set Up teams to submit new pricing ahead of
billing cutoffs and confirm written sign-off before any escalation is
considered closed.
Maintain a close, collaborative working relationship with Operations and
field leadership, who continue to own client relationships and support
delivery even as cost analysis and final decision authority sit with the
centralized team.
Reporting & Enablement
Build and maintain company-wide reporting on escalation pipeline status,
approval-cycle time, timeline adherence, concession activity, and revenue
protected/at risk, for the Head of FP&A and executive leadership.
Own documentation and audit trail across all required milestones (approval,
notification, meeting, concessions, final terms, billing update,
post-implementation review).
Train Account Managers, Branch Managers, and RVPs on their role under the new
centralized model, along with the notification, objection-handling, and
negotiation standards the centralized team will apply.
Team Leadership
Hire, develop, and manage the performance of the centralized Pricing
Escalations team, including evaluating whether any pricing-related headcount
currently in Operations should transition into the new team.
Present regular updates on escalation trends, risk, transition progress, and
resolution performance to the Head of FP&A and other senior stakeholders.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field.
8+ years of progressive experience in pricing, revenue operations, FP&A, or
a related finance/commercial function, including 3+ years of people
leadership.
Demonstrated experience leading a major operating-model change — ideally
centralizing or re-owning a function previously run in the field or by
another department — within a large, multi-business-unit organization.
Strong working knowledge of pricing structures, contract escalation
clauses, CPI/index-linked pricing, and billing/revenue processes.
Hands-on experience pulling and analyzing cost and pricing data directly
from ERP systems (e.g., SAP or similar) to inform pricing decisions.
Proven ability to lead through organizational change and influence senior
stakeholders — including Operations leadership, Legal, and executive
leadership — particularly where decision rights are shifting between
functions.
Direct experience leading or closely supporting client-facing pricing or
contract negotiations, not just overseeing a process from a distance.
Excellent analytical skills, with experience building reporting/dashboards
(Excel required; Power BI, Tableau, or similar a plus).
Exceptional communication and negotiation skills, with experience
presenting to senior leadership.
Preferred:
MBA or relevant advanced degree.
Experience in a services, facilities, or field-based industry with a
distributed branch/account-management structure.
Six Sigma, process-improvement, or project-management certification.
ABM (NYSE: ABM) is one of the world’s largest providers of integrated facility,
engineering, and infrastructure solutions. Every day, our over 100,000 team
members deliver essential services that make spaces cleaner, safer, and
efficient, enhancing the overall occupant experience.
ABM serves a wide range of market sectors including commercial real estate,
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empower clients to achieve their goals. Committed to creating smarter, more
connected spaces, ABM is investing in the future to meet evolving challenges and
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