Chief Real Estate Officer

BROOKLYN NAVY YARD DEVELOPMENT CORP•New York, NY

2d•$270,000 - $270,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) is seeking a Chief Real Estate Officer (CRO) to lead one of the nation’s most dynamic urban industrial campuses. This role will guide a complex real estate portfolio, driving its next phase of growth, development, and long-term value creation, and execute the BNY Master Plan. The CRO will manage key cross-functional teams across Leasing, Real Estate Development, Planning & Transportation, and Design & Construction, executing strategies that align with BNYDC’s mission, strengthen financial stability, and advance workforce development objectives. The role also focuses on social and climate impact goals, developing and integrating sustainability and energy management strategies. The CRO will represent BNYDC in negotiations with tenants, development partners, government agencies, financial institutions, and other key stakeholders, and will engage in public speaking and networking, with occasional travel for business development.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Business Administration, Real Estate, Urban Planning, Public Policy, or a related field.
12-15+ years of progressive senior leadership experience across public and private sector real estate portfolios spanning affordable housing, commercial, mixed-use, and industrial campuses/properties.
8+ years of experience managing people managers, overseeing large cross-functional teams.
Significant experience leading complex, multi-phase development projects.
Demonstrated success in place-based development and brand-building initiatives.
Experience leading sustainability, energy, or decarbonization efforts at scale.
Demonstrated strategic, financial, and analytical expertise for large-scale commercial real estate portfolios, asset management, and development initiatives.
Experience structuring complex transactions (multi-stakeholder, mission-related “investments”, etc.) and public-private partnerships.
Deep financial acumen, including development & municipal financing and capital structuring.
Proven ability to lead and close high-stakes negotiations and maintain long term relationships with those same entities (often anchor tenants).
Demonstrated success managing senior teams across diverse functions, organizational restructuring, and large cross-functional initiatives.
Strong familiarity with public-private partnerships, government processes, and mission-driven development.
Excellent communication, writing, public speaking, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Ability to translate vision into execution through disciplined operational leadership.
Knowledge of sustainability, energy systems, and decarbonization strategies.

Nice To Haves

Must be available some evenings and weekends as needed for events, public forums, etc (1-2 per month) and conference travel (3-5 per year).

Responsibilities

Serve as a key member of the Executive Team, contributing to BNYDC’s mission by executing real estate strategies that advance economic growth, quality job creation, and long-term asset value.
Manage 4 direct reports, overseeing a total staff of 22, across Leasing, Real Estate Development, Planning & Transportation, and Design & Construction.
Coach team leaders and champion a culture of high-performance, accountability, and innovation for all staff.
Build & maintain strategic relationships with elected officials, government agencies (City, State, and Federal), and institutional partners (community, educational, and industry).
Represent BNYDC externally through industry engagement, public forums, key stakeholder meetings, conferences, etc.
Collaborate with internal teams to strengthen the Yard’s identity as a premier hub for innovative manufacturing and economic opportunity.
Lead the strategic management of the Yard’s real estate portfolio to optimize tenant mix, financial performance, asset value, mission alignment, and industrial focus.
Develop a multi-revenue optimization plan to calibrate campus expenses, asset condition, and mission-aligned revenue discounts.
Direct strategies related to complex, high-value lease negotiations, tenant retention, restructuring of agreements, vacancies, and lease enforcement.
Contribute to financial modeling, asset valuation, capital strategy, debt management, and long-term forecasting efforts with Finance & Real Estate Development teams.
Support Business Development with tenant attraction, retention, and ecosystem connectivity.
Partner with External Affairs to elevate brand positioning and place-based identity.
Lead planning, financing, and execution of complex multi-phase development initiatives, ensuring projects include high-performance design, resilience, and sustainability standards.
Structure and negotiate innovative development partnerships with business tenants, institutional partners, and private developers (when applicable).
Partner with the COO to develop systems that facilitate the seamless handoff between construction projects and ongoing facilities maintenance and systems monitoring.
Develop and manage an implementation plan and financial and capital structures to advance the development of Master Plan projects.
Identify and secure anchor tenants and strategic development partners for future buildings.
Coordinate design, planning, and entitlement processes with architects, consultants, and public agencies.
Partner with the President on market positioning, tenant outreach, and development strategies.
Oversee development and implementation of campus mobility and access strategies that reinforce tenant attraction and retention efforts.
Coordinate infrastructure investments to support future growth and operational scalability.
Provide executive leadership for sustainability, decarbonization, and energy management across the campus, embedding goals into asset management and capital planning strategies.
Implement a portfolio-wide sustainability roadmap aligned with city and state climate standards.
Secure funding, incentives, and strategic partnerships to support related initiatives.
Oversee building performance initiatives, including energy efficiency retrofits, electrification, emissions reduction, and benchmarking.
Collaborate with internal and external partners to advance clean energy, renewable infrastructure, and innovative systems solutions.
Ensure regulatory compliance and best-in-class reporting practices.