Department: Charlotte Area Transit System Department

Salary: $145,541.00 - $209,213.74 Commensurate with Experience

SUMMARY
The Director of Real Estate and Transit-Oriented Development serves as the executive leader responsible for directing CATS' real estate, transit-oriented development, acquisition, appraisal, portfolio management, land use coordination, and related property strategy functions. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this position leads a growing multidisciplinary division responsible for advancing capital project delivery, protecting and optimizing agency property interests, supporting transit-oriented development and joint development opportunities, and building the policies, systems, and organizational capabilities needed for long-term real estate stewardship in a regional transit authority environment.

This role provides strategic and executive oversight across acquisitions, appraisals, leasing, property and corridor preservation, land surveying, real estate systems, portfolio management, transit-oriented development, and related economic development coordination. The position is responsible for implementing a policy-driven, scalable, and accountable program with clear standards, governance, workflows, and performance expectations. Work includes directing senior managers and functional leaders; aligning real estate decisions with capital program, operational, legal, financial, and community development priorities; and representing CATS in complex negotiations and intergovernmental relationships.

The Director ensures real estate and TOD decisions support agency service needs, capital expansion and renewal, long-term public value, equitable community outcomes, and integration of transit investments with land use and development patterns across the region. The role serves as CATS' senior representative with public agencies, developers, property owners, legal and appraisal professionals, elected leadership, community stakeholders, and federal partners, including the Federal Transit Administration.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

The following duties are standard for this position. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification.

Strategic Leadership and Program Direction

• Directs the agency's overall real estate and TOD strategy, ensuring alignment with capital program priorities, operational needs, long-term property stewardship, and regional development objectives.
• Establishes long-range goals, priorities, and strategic frameworks for acquisitions, appraisals, portfolio management, leasing, TOD, joint development, and related real estate functions.
• Guides the continued evolution of the real estate function to a policy-based, scalable and accountable program.
• Ensures real estate and development strategies support mobility, ridership, corridor protection, land use integration, and public value creation.

Policy, Governance, and Systems Stewardship

• Establishes and governs frameworks, policies, standards, and procedures for real estate transactions, appraisals, leasing, easements, dispositions, corridor preservation, joint development, and related program activities.
• Leads development of governance structures, business processes, workflows, and performance expectations that strengthen consistency, transparency, accountability, and audit readiness.
• Oversees real estate systems, records practices, documentation standards, and related administrative infrastructure needed to support a modern real estate program and meets FTA requirements.
• Ensures decision-making and program administration are supported by reliable data, defensible documentation, and clear organizational controls.

Division Oversight and Organizational Development

• Leads and manages a growing organizational structure that may include the Assistant Director of Real Estate, Senior Manager of Real Estate, Land Survey Manager, acquisition and appraisal leaders, portfolio and leasing staff, TOD staff, systems support roles, and other assigned personnel.
• Establishes organizational roles, reporting relationships, staffing models, and succession approaches appropriate for a maturing real estate and TOD division.
• Provides strategic direction, coaching, and accountability to managers and senior staff while fostering a culture of professionalism, responsiveness, collaboration, and public service.
• Supports workforce development and institutional capability-building so the division can sustain high-quality performance as responsibilities expand.

Acquisition, Appraisal, and Transactional Oversight

• Provides executive oversight of acquisition, appraisal, relocation-related coordination, easement, disposition, and other property transaction activities supporting capital delivery, agency operations, and strategic property needs.
• Ensures transactional real estate activities are aligned with project priorities, schedule needs, documentation standards, regulatory requirements, and agency governance expectations.
• Reviews significant or sensitive transactions, policy questions, dispute issues, and major negotiation matters requiring executive attention.
• Supports effective coordination among real estate staff, project teams, consultants, legal counsel, and agency leadership on complex transaction matters.

Portfolio Strategy, Leasing, and Asset Optimization

• Directs strategy for property use, surplus designation, leasing, tenant agreements, corridor protection, access rights, and other portfolio management decisions affecting agency real property interests.
• Balances revenue generation, mission support, future transit flexibility, public accountability, and long-term asset value in portfolio strategy decisions.
• Oversees approaches to real estate portfolio planning that support both current agency needs and future expansion, redevelopment, or preservation opportunities.
• Helps ensure the agency's real property assets are managed intentionally and in a manner consistent with strategic, financial, and operational goals.

TOD, Joint Development, and Economic Development Coordination

• Directs agency strategy related to transit-oriented development, joint development, public-private partnerships, value capture opportunities, and other development initiatives on or adjacent to transit property.
• Oversees negotiation and structuring of development pathways, developer relationships, development agreements, and related land use and implementation issues.
• Supports integration of affordable housing, equitable development, multimodal access, community benefit, and place-making considerations into TOD strategy where appropriate.
• Coordinates with planning, housing, economic development, and local jurisdiction partners to align transit property strategy with broader public policy and development objectives.

Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensures compliance with applicable regulatory frameworks, including FTA requirements, URA-related requirements, appraisal standards, state real estate rules, permitting requirements, documentation rules, and related oversight expectations.
• Coordinates with legal counsel and internal partners to interpret and apply statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements affecting agency property interests and transactions.
• Maintains expectations for complete, traceable, and defensible records and decision processes across the division.
• Helps identify and manage legal, financial, reputational, operational, and community risks associated with real estate and development activities.

Executive Negotiation and External Representation

• Serves as the agency's senior representative in complex real estate negotiations, development discussions, intergovernmental coordination, public meetings, policy discussions, and governing body actions.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships with developers, property owners, city and county leadership, MPOs, housing and planning agencies, legal and appraisal professionals, and other external stakeholders.
• Represents CATS' interests in zoning, entitlement, redevelopment, land use, and development-related forums affecting agency property and transit-supportive growth.
• Provides executive briefings, recommendations, and strategic counsel to the Chief Development Officer, executive leadership, boards, and other governing or oversight bodies.

Financial Planning and Capital Coordination

• Oversees financial and business case considerations related to property transactions, lease structures, TOD opportunities, value capture concepts, and joint development feasibility.
• Coordinates with finance, capital planning, project delivery, and other internal partners to align real estate actions with budgets, funding requirements, project schedules, and long-term investment strategies.
• Supports evaluation of financial implications, public return, development risk, and strategic value related to major real estate decisions.
• Ensures real estate and TOD activities are integrated appropriately into broader capital and organizational planning processes.

Other Responsibilities

• Researches industry trends, legal and policy developments, and leading practices in public-sector real estate, TOD, joint development, leasing, and portfolio management and recommends improvements as appropriate.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Core Competencies:

The position requires demonstrated competency in the following areas:

Strategic Real Estate and TOD Leadership - Ability to establish and lead a comprehensive public-sector real estate and TOD function that supports capital delivery, operational needs, land use integration, and long-term value creation.

• Sets clear strategic direction for a complex and expanding division.
• Aligns real estate and development work with broader organizational and regional goals.
• Balances immediate transactional needs with long-term institutional interests.

Governance and Program Building - Ability to create structure, policy, systems, and accountability in a function transitioning from practitioner-driven execution to a scalable institutional model.

• Establishes standards, workflows, and decision frameworks that improve consistency and transparency.
• Strengthens administrative infrastructure, performance expectations, and organizational discipline.
• Builds sustainable capability rather than relying solely on individual expertise.

Executive Negotiation and External Influence - Ability to represent the agency credibly and effectively in high-stakes negotiations, development discussions, and intergovernmental settings.

• Navigates sensitive issues involving public interests, private development, legal considerations, and community concerns.
• Builds confidence with senior external stakeholders and internal leadership.
• Advances agency objectives through diplomacy, preparation, and sound judgment.

Regulatory and Public Accountability - Ability to ensure real estate and TOD activities comply with applicable requirements and reflect strong public-sector stewardship.

• Maintains disciplined attention to compliance, documentation, and defensibility.
• Supports readiness for audits, oversight, and public scrutiny.
• Reinforces accountability in decision-making and program administration.

Leadership and Organizational Development - Ability to lead senior staff and managers, develop organizational capability, and create a high-performing division.

• Provides clear expectations, coaching, and accountability across multiple functional areas.
• Supports manager development, succession planning, and role clarity.
• Promotes a culture of professionalism, collaboration, and service.

Communication and Policy Translation - Ability to explain complex real estate, financial, legal, and development concepts clearly to varied audiences and translate policy goals into executable strategies.

• Communicates clearly with executives, elected officials, boards, staff, and community stakeholders.
• Frames complex issues in ways that support informed decision-making.
• Bridges technical, legal, and public-facing dimensions of the work effectively.

Supervision Given to:

• Senior Manager Real Estate
• Manager of Real Estate Portfolio

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in real estate, urban planning, public administration, business administration,