The Retail Director will drive the strategy and development function of a major greenfield grade A retail business through the entire lifecycle from initial vision, through early stage feasibility, design and project delivery and maintaining the execution of the strategic initiatives of the development.

He/She shall increase the value of the projects by creating and retaining great client relationships, understanding and defining needs of retailers and end users (residents, visitors, office employees, etc.), creating and continuously shaping the products and finding ways how to achieve set goals including delivering a remarkable retail tenant mix to the projects.

JOB DESCRIPTION

1.Lead and formulate the retail strategy, mall positioning, design concept, tenant mix, leasing plan and commercial terms to achieve the company’s financial targets.

2.Create the retail business plan to actualize target rental income budget and planned occupancy levels.

3.Secure pre-lease and leasing opportunities.

4.In conjunction with the Development team, plan and implement all facets of the development process including strategy, planning, design and tenancy.

5.Analyse customer, market and competitor business and trends for strategic business planning to establish rental levels and consumer preferences.

6.Source and seek out prospective tenants, generate new leasing leads and negotiate qualified deals from inception to final execution.

7.Build a strong network of retailers (local and international), prospects and market practitioners and foster good relationships with them.

8.Actively network with industry stakeholders, developers and retailers to establish market intelligence and monitor movement in the retail market.

9.Negotiates lease terms that address items including, but not limited to, space, basic and percentage rent, term, extra charges and construction allowances.

10.Monitor leasing timeline to achieve project target schedule.

11.Communicates and coordinates with Legal department to have documentations prepared incorporating the terms agreed upon; initiates preparation of tenant space; notifies construction department to send shell drawings and construction guidelines to tenant.

12.Collaborate with tenants to align their business to meet the mall’s vision, retail standards and objectives to continuously drive foot traffic and business performance.

13.Look into additional income strategies such as casual leasing, media advertising, space rental for events and activities to generate additional revenues for the company.

SKILLS REQUIRED

·A proven track record of leasing in a major retail development environment is required.

·Strong financial, budgeting, lease analysis and reporting skills.

·Have in-depth knowledge of deal structures and lease terminology.

·Excellent negotiation and closing skills.

·Strong leasing and lease management experience and knowledge.

·Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and oral.

·Ability to lead and motivate a team.

·Ability to work under pressure and handle challenging situations.

·Creative and innovative approach to solving problems and resolving issues.

·Confidence, drive and enthusiasm.

·Adaptability - fitting into the culture

·Customer-centric

·Good business networking skills

·Ability to think and act independently

·Demonstrate proven leadership skills and be open, collaborative, team player

·Hands on experience building and managing high-performing teams

·Outstanding business sense with distinctive problem solving and analysis skills

·Innovative thinker, collaborative and comfortable solving ambiguous problems

WORK EXPERIENCE

·Minimum 15 years real estate asset management and lease experience within shopping mall/mixed-use real estate development and strong working knowledge of commercial/retail leasing

·GCC experience desirable not essential

·Proven record of successful interaction with brokers and tenant-representation agents

·Understands the basic principles of retail operations, marketing communications, technical aspects of managing a shopping mall etc.

EDUCATION

·A Bachelor’s degree in a related field or an Associate’s degree plus relevant work experience.

·MBA is desirable.