Head of Real Estate

Shine Associates•Bentonville, AR

About The Position

Shine Associates, LLC has been retained to search, identify and recruit a Head of Real Estate on behalf of Walton Enterprises (‘Company’). This position will be based in either Bentonville, AR or Denver, CO and report to the President. Walton Enterprises (‘WEI’) supports the personal, philanthropic, and business activity for the Walton family. We are a family-led organization, supporting multiple generations of Sam and Helen Walton’s family. WEI is seeking a Head of Real Estate (‘HRE’) who will report to the President of WEI. This leader will oversee a team that delivers exceptional end-to-end real estate and property services to the Walton family and their related entities, including asset management, property operations, design and construction management, estate management, guest services, facilities management, hospitality and events support, and security. The HRE will bring a holistic, operationally oriented approach—creating a consistent, personal experience while stewarding resources efficiently and aligning service delivery to family preferences. The HRE will guide how services are delivered across the portfolio—determining which capabilities should be provided through WEI versus third parties—and will own vendor selection, contracting, performance management, and quality control.

Requirements

Significant experience (typically 15+ years) leading real estate and property operations for a complex, multi-site portfolio with a high service expectation.
Prior family office or UHNW private setting experience is strongly preferred, with demonstrated ability to operate discreetly and build trust with principals and household teams.
Track record overseeing mixed-use assets and the full lifecycle of property operations, capital projects, and vendor networks.
Experience integrating security considerations into property operations and projects, partnering effectively with security professionals and external agencies as needed.
High integrity and confidentiality; mature judgment and steady temperament.
Service-oriented, humble, and collaborative; comfortable leading through change.
Practical, solutions-first approach with a bias toward action and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

Lead, hire, develop, and retain a high-performing team across the service lines; set clear expectations and build accountability.
Serve as a player/coach—able to engage in detail when needed while elevating the team’s systems, standards, and talent.
Build a culture of service, discretion, collaboration, continuous improvement and efficient stewardship of resources.
Support governance meetings across various decision-making bodies for property matters.
Seek support for decisions across multiple constituents for property-related decisions, such as budget approvals, project support, security recommendations, capital improvements, etc.
Create and manage budgets, forecasts, investment pro-formas, and capital planning for the portfolio; steward resources in line with family preferences and risk posture.
Improve operating efficiency through smart staffing models, vendor leverage, process standardization, and technology—without compromising the service experience.
Partner with WEI finance/accounting and risk management/insurance teams on controls, reporting, and risk transfer as needed.
Own day-to-day performance of the property operations platform—ensuring reliable execution, service standards that match family preferences, and discreet, family-first support.
Translate family preferences into clear operating procedures, service levels, and escalation paths; ensure consistency across locations and providers.
Establish a disciplined cadence of planning, prioritization, and follow-through across workstreams (operations, projects, leasing, special services, and event support).
Integrate security considerations into property operations, travel/event planning on properties, and project delivery in partnership with security leadership and external partners.
Develop and maintain a strategic real estate plan for the portfolio, including lifecycle planning (renovations and capital improvements).
Build a data-driven framework to assess needs, risks, options, and tradeoffs; present clear recommendations that facilitate timely decision-making by the President, WEI leadership, and family stakeholders.
Work to improve quality and consistency of property reporting that provides real-time visibility into portfolio activity (property operations, leasing, projects, vendors, and events support).
Oversee the pipeline of development, acquisitions, renovations, and construction; ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to the expected quality.
Lead or oversee project design and construction management across internal teams and third parties, including permitting, procurement, scheduling, and risk management.
Run disciplined project governance: scope control, change management, owner’s representation, and after-action reviews to improve future delivery.
Own the end-to-end vendor lifecycle: requirements definition, RFPs, selection, contracting, onboarding, performance management, and renewal/exit decisions.
Set clear KPIs and quality standards for vendors (property management, construction trades, hospitality/events support, security services where applicable) and address issues quickly and professionally.
Identify opportunities for outsourcing and cost synergies while protecting service quality and discretion.