Job Purpose
This role is responsible for managing the property portfolio across the Americana Restaurants business. This includes maintaining strong relationships with landlords, leading lease renewals, conducting rental and lease term negotiations, driving rental savings, ensuring alignment with Americana's terms and conditions, overseeing documentation and approvals, and managing store closures or disposals as required.
Key Responsibilities
- Meet with landlords to negotiate lease terms, assess financial viability, review store performance, and manage the renewal and legal review process.
- Prepare all lease renewal documentation and secure required internal approvals.
- Liaise with internal stakeholders, including Lease Administration, Finance, and Legal teams, to ensure a smooth and timely renewal workflow.
- Manage and maintain daily and weekly leasing reports.
- Proactively initiate lease renewals at least six months prior to lease expiry or other critical milestone dates.
- Maintain an up-to-date and accurate database of portfolio and lease details to ensure timely renewals and compliance.
- Stay informed of new strategic developments and market trends within each trade zone.
- Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with landlords and property owners.
- Minimize property cost inflation across the restaurant portfolio and actively drive rental cost savings.
- Monitor all property-related costs, including rent, rates, service charges, insurance, and dilapidation claims; challenge discrepancies and engage consultants where required to achieve optimal outcomes.
- Build and maintain a complete and reliable profile for each store, including land deed, owner identification, utility bills, official layouts, and related documentation.
- Deliver cost-effective disposal of closed or surplus stores in line with market conditions and business strategy.
- Define negotiation strategies and promote best practices to ensure effective and consistent lease negotiations.
Education, Experience and Qualifications
- 710 years of post-graduation experience, preferably within a multi-unit retail or development environment.
- Strong professional integrity, confidence, and consistency in execution.
- Proven ability to manage conflict and negotiate with experienced landlords.
- Highly process-driven with strong commercial acumen and determination.
- Excellent customer service, communication, and negotiation skills.
- Fluency in Arabic is mandatory; additional languages are an advantage.
Skills and Competencies
- Relationship management
- Negotiation and conflict management
- Commercial and financial acumen
- Process and documentation discipline
- Stakeholder management
- Customer service orientation
- Integrity and professionalism
