The Senior Lease Project Manager, Corporate Real Estate provides project planning and oversight for corporate real estate projects such as office relocations, lease renewals, office right-sizing (expansions or downsizes), construction, data cabling infrastructure, and IT equipment installation across a portfolio of 400+ offices in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
In addition to managing a portion of the lease portfolio, this position serves as the day-to-day leader of the lease project management team - the first point of escalation for project issues, the reviewer of the team's work, and the owner of the group's standards and reporting. The role is intended to resolve project-level matters within the team so that only items requiring executive decision, approval, or negotiation are elevated to the Vice President, Corporate Real Estate.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Team Leadership and Oversight Responsibilities shall include:
- Serving as the first point of escalation for project issues - resolving them at the team level and elevating to the Vice President only those matters requiring executive decision, approval, or negotiation.
- Assigning projects and balancing workload across the team; monitoring the project pipeline and critical dates so that renewals, expirations, and expansions are addressed within required notice periods.
- Reviewing project plans, budgets, market surveys, proposals, lease abstracts, and relocation plans prepared by the team prior to executive or stakeholder review.
- Mentoring, coaching, and onboarding lease project managers on lease negotiation, market analysis, project planning, vendor management, and financial reporting.
- Establishing and maintaining standard processes, templates, and documentation standards for the function; partnering with Legal, Finance, IT, Procurement, and HR on cross-functional issues.
- Consolidating team reporting into portfolio-level updates for the Vice President and executive leadership, including project status, budget variance, critical dates, and risks.
- Providing input to the Vice President on hiring, goal setting, and performance feedback, and serving as backup to the Vice President as needed.
Corporate Real Estate Lease Project Management Responsibilities shall include:
- Managing lease projects in the portfolio - including brokerage, contracts, space planning, construction, IT, and relocation coordination.
- Building project plans, goals, and budgets, and analyzing real estate markets and comparing available spaces across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
- Negotiating business terms in a proposal and legal terms in a lease contract.
- Financial reporting - tracking project budgets, creating PO's and FF&E orders, submitting expense reports, and assisting with rent analysis as needed.
- Transacting under the company's corporate real estate broker license, including commission agreements and coordination with Accounting on collection of earned commissions.
- Conducting recurring project meetings and preparing weekly project reporting for multiple departments, vendors, and stakeholders.
- Adhering to Associa Corporate Real Estate standards and applicable real estate licensing requirements.
- Other duties as assigned.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's Degree in a related field (i.e. architectural/design, business, real estate, facilities/property management, technical trade/engineering) and 7+ years of experience in corporate real estate, project management, facilities management, or office lease transaction management, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Experience managing concurrent lease transactions across a large, multi-site office portfolio; experience with Canada and/or Mexico markets is a plus
- Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, or supervising others - through direct reports, a team lead role, or leadership of cross-functional project teams
- Licensed in real estate in the state of Texas, or willing to obtain licensure within 90 days of hire
- Willing and able to travel as needed (approximately 20%)
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Proven ability to lead, develop, and motivate a team of project managers, and to hold others accountable to deadlines, budgets, and standards.
- Sound judgment in determining which issues can be resolved at the team level and which require escalation to executive leadership.
- Able to independently manage a high volume of lease transactions while overseeing the work of others, delivering projects on time, on budget, and with the expected ROI.
- Strong project management skills, including the ability to create, document, and enforce repeatable processes and standards across a team.
- Familiar with the commercial real estate industry with emphasis on office use, including lease negotiation, brokerage practices, and commission structures.
- Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with a proven ability to influence others, present to executive leadership, and partner across departments with a customer service mentality.
- Working knowledge of corporate budgeting and procurement; proficient in Microsoft Office.
