Director of Real Estate

World Finance•Greenville, SC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Real Estate leads the Company’s branch real estate and facilities function across more than 1,100 branch locations in 16 states and the Branch Service Center. The role coordinates site strategy, lease negotiation, build-out, maintenance, and branch closures across the real estate and facilities lifecycle. It owns the strategy and occupancy cost of the lease portfolio and partners with Operations leadership, Legal, Finance, and Accounting to support branch growth, relocations, consolidations, and acquisitions while controlling cost and risk. The Director develops the multi-year real estate strategy, manages lease transactions and portfolio data, oversees branch facilities and build-out, and manages occupancy, facilities, and capital budgets and reporting. The role leads and develops the real estate and facilities teams, manages vendors and concurrent projects, and drives continuous improvement. Occasional travel to branch markets and properties, including overnight stays, is required. The position is based in an office environment.

Requirements

Proven ability to set strategy and lead managers in a multi-site, deadline-driven environment.
Strong commercial lease negotiation skills and command of lease economics.
Financial acumen, including budgeting, cost analysis, and evaluating real estate decisions against branch performance.
Experience managing third-party vendors, contracts, and large volumes of concurrent projects.
Ability to use data to drive decisions and communicate findings clearly to executive leadership.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels and with landlords, brokers, and vendors.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and accuracy.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365.
High degree of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information.
8–10 years of experience in corporate real estate, leasing, or facilities management.
3–5 years of experience leading managers or teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a multi-site retail, branch, or financial services environment.
Experience with CoStar and lease administration systems.
Real estate license or professional designation, such as CCIM, CPM, or FMP.
Working knowledge of lease accounting requirements under ASC 842.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a multi-year branch real estate strategy aligned with growth, relocation, consolidation, and acquisition objectives.
Own the lease portfolio pipeline, including expirations, renewals, relocations, and closures, and ensure decisions are made ahead of critical dates.
Partner with Operations leadership and Analytics to use branch performance and market data in decisions to open, relocate, merge, or close branches.
Establish and maintain company standards for site selection, branch layout, and branch appearance.
Oversee site selection, letters of intent, and lease negotiations for new, relocated, and renewal branches; personally lead high-value or complex transactions.
Set negotiation parameters and approval thresholds, and ensure required corporate approvals are obtained before lease execution.
Partner with Legal to define standard lease terms, acceptable risk positions, and template language.
Direct early lease buyouts and the disposition of excess or vacated property to minimize remaining lease liability.
Ensure executed leases are accurately handed off to lease administration and lease data and critical dates remain accurate; partner with Accounting on ASC 842 lease accounting requirements.
Oversee signage, furniture, flooring, and build-out for new, relocated, remodeled, converted, and acquired branches, delivering projects on schedule, within budget, and to brand standards.
Own vendor strategy, including vendor selection, contracts, pricing, quarterly business reviews, and performance management.
Ensure permits, code requirements, and landlord approvals are secured for branch projects.
Oversee branch repair and maintenance, enforcement of landlord maintenance obligations, the national document-shredding program, and Branch Service Center facilities and mailroom operations.
Partner with Marketing and Operations on rebranding and branch modifications to maintain a consistent look across the branch network.
Develop and manage occupancy, facilities, and capital budgets, and track actual spend against budget.
Report portfolio metrics to senior leadership, including occupancy cost per branch, upcoming lease expirations, project status, vendor spend, and realized savings.
Review and approve invoices and lease-related payments within delegated authority.
Identify and pursue opportunities to reduce occupancy and facilities costs across the portfolio.
Lead, coach, and develop the real estate and facilities teams.
Set functional goals and define clear roles and handoffs among the real estate, facilities, and locations teams.
Drive continuous improvement in the function’s processes, systems, and tools.
Lead and assist with ad hoc projects as needed.