About the RoleWe're looking for a Senior Leasing & Strategy Manager to lead high-impact projects and shape the strategic direction of OpenAI's global real estate portfolio. You'll partner with the Leasing and Transactions team to own the full lifecycle of lease transactions, with a strong emphasis on detailed lease review, financial analysis, and portfolio strategy. You'll also evaluate new opportunities, manage risks, and ensure all leasing decisions align with OpenAI's long-term business objectives.
This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.
You'll thrive here if you're excited to:
- Develop and execute real estate strategies that balance cost, flexibility, and growth needs.
- Perform detailed proposal and lease reviews of serviced office and direct leases to negotiate the best outcome for OpenAI.
- Shape portfolio decisions by creating models, scenarios, and recommendations for leadership.
- Balance strategy with day-to-day execution, ensuring outcomes align with company priorities.
- Partner with landlords to foster relationships.
- Introduce scalable processes that improve efficiency and decision-making.
In this role, you will:- Lead end-to-end execution of lease transactions, from strategy and RFPs through lease negotiation, review, approvals and signing.
- Conduct in-depth review of proposals and leases to ensure they benefit OpenAI.
- Develop portfolio strategies and and translate insights into clear, executive-level presentations and briefing materials.
- Build robust financial models and scenario plans.
- Track lease expirations, critical dates, and portfolio exposure to enable proactive decision-making.
- Collaborate cross-functionally (Strategic Finance, Legal, Design & Construction, Occupancy Planning, Accounting, and other teams) to align lease terms with strategic and operational needs.
- Partner on budgeting, variance reporting, and monthly financial reviews with Strategic Finance and Accounting teams.
- Maintain accurate reporting and portfolio analytics to inform future strategy and investments.
- Assist with Letter of Credits, Security Deposit and Certificates of Insurance and work with internal and external stakeholders on updates to LOC and Security Deposits.
- Team with Lease Administration to ensure a high level of accuracy on reporting.
- Track lease expirations and assist in coordination of restoration work and move-out oblig
- ations.
- Use AI-powered tools to accelerate analysis and scenario-planning and to streamline lease review, financial modeling, and portfolio reporting.
- Support sustainability initiatives by ensuring lease requirements align with OpenAI's environmental goals.
You might thrive in this role if you have:- 6-8+ years of corporate real estate transactions across commercial office, industrial, and warehouse environments; in-house experience strongly preferred.
- Advanced expertise in lease interpretation, real estate strategy, financial modeling, and risk assessment.
- A proven ability to create clear deliverables for executive decision-making.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to resolve ambiguity and independently solve complex issues.
- Balanced strategic planning with execution, moving seamlessly from big-picture portfolio strategy to detailed lease review.
- Proficiency in ChatGPT, Codex, Google/Microsoft Suites, and Lease Administration systems.
