National Real Estate Development Manager

Ace Hardware•Oak Brook, IL

About The Position

The National Real Estate Development Manager is Ace Hardware’s primary growth leader and subject matter expert for real estate strategy and development. The role partners with New Business leadership, Market Development Managers, retailers, brokers, landlords, and developers to source, evaluate, negotiate, and secure high-quality retail locations. Its objectives include increasing the number, quality, and velocity of qualified sites in the new-business pipeline, reducing location and occupancy risk, accelerating store growth, and helping Ace retailers open stores in better locations and on better economic terms. The position owns national real estate sourcing strategy and execution, site selection and market analysis, broker-network management, pipeline development, and landlord and developer engagement. It collaborates across internal teams and external partners from site identification through lease execution and activation, while maintaining pipeline visibility, identifying bottlenecks, and developing corrective action plans. It also prepares decision-support analyses, standardizes real estate processes, and supports lease negotiation and deal structuring. The role requires retail real estate expertise, market analytics, financial analysis, negotiation capability, and cross-functional influence. Extensive travel throughout the United States is required, estimated at 40–60%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Real Estate, Finance, Urban Planning, Economics, or a related field.
At least seven years of commercial retail real estate experience, including demonstrated experience in site selection, commercial leasing, landlord negotiations, retail development, and market analysis.
Expertise in market analysis, retail site selection, lease negotiation, deal structuring, occupancy-cost and deal-economics analysis, comparative site analysis, financial modeling, ROI assessment, site-productivity forecasts, pipeline reporting, CRM discipline, and location-intelligence and reporting tools such as Sitewise and Salesforce.
Ability to build and manage national relationships with brokers, landlords, developers, REITs, shopping-center owners, and real estate disposition firms, and influence internal and external partners without authority.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, including preparing clear site recommendation packages and presenting findings to senior leadership and retailers.
Ability to travel extensively throughout the United States; expected national travel is 40–60%.
Demonstrated ability to build, manage, and measure a national real estate pipeline; establish broker- and market-level performance metrics; identify gaps and bottlenecks; and use data, accountability, and cross-functional influence to increase the quantity, quality, and velocity of qualified sites.
Strong strategic thinking, real estate negotiation, retail site selection, business acumen, financial analysis, relationship-building, market analysis, presentation, and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Ten or more years of retail real estate experience.
Experience supporting multi-unit retail expansion or a background in home improvement retail, hardware retail, franchise development, commercial brokerage, or tenant representation.
CCIM, SIOR, CPM, or a related professional designation.

Responsibilities

Own the national strategy and execution for proactively sourcing qualified real estate opportunities for Ace Hardware new store development.
Lead site selection and market analysis using Market First Strategy, demographic, traffic, psychographic, competitive, retail performance, and location-intelligence data across urban, suburban, rural, infill, redevelopment, and new-construction opportunities.
Partner with New Business and Market Development Manager leadership to turn growth priorities into broker assignments, market searches, and real estate deployment strategies; identify markets where real estate availability limits growth and develop intervention plans.
Establish, manage, and evaluate the national network of local tenant-representation brokers, including selection, onboarding, market coverage, expectations, accountability, communication, relationship management, and replacement of underperforming brokers.
Develop and maintain a national pipeline and inventory of potential store locations, identifying opportunities such as second-generation retail locations, grocery-anchored centers, redevelopment projects, urban infill, new construction, vacancies, retailer closures, bankruptcies, portfolio dispositions, and emerging developments.
Coordinate with New Business leadership, Legal, Finance, Retail Operations, Sitewise, Salesforce, brokers, and consultants from site identification through lease execution and activation; maintain pipeline visibility and reporting accuracy, identify barriers, and develop corrective action plans to improve site flow and speed-to-site.
Prepare and present financial, site, and decision-support analyses to senior leadership, Market Development Managers, and retailers, including occupancy-cost assessments, comparative site analyses, deal economics, site-productivity forecasts, ROI considerations, and recommendations.
Own or significantly influence standardization of national real estate processes for broker engagement, site submissions, market tours, comparative site analysis, letters of intent, site recommendation packages, retailer decision support, and cross-functional handoffs.
Support lease negotiation and deal structuring through the local tenant-broker network, including letters of intent, lease negotiations, renewals, purchase agreements, ground leases, and build-to-suit opportunities; evaluate and recommend terms such as base rent, tenant improvement allowances, free rent, CAM charges, renewal options, exclusivity, signage rights, and co-tenancy provisions.
Develop a national landlord and developer account strategy by identifying high-value ownership groups, REITs, developers, shopping-center owners, and disposition firms, and creating engagement plans to generate portfolio-wide and off-market opportunities and position Ace as a national retail tenant of choice.

Benefits

Incentive opportunities based on role and grade level.
401(k) retirement savings plan with a fully vested matching contribution in the first year, quarterly contributions, and an annual discretionary contribution, subject to eligibility requirements.
Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage for employees and dependents.
21 days of vacation immediately available, prorated in the first year, and up to six paid holidays depending on the month of hire.
Company car, phone, and fuel card for field-based positions.
Annual Ace Cares Week and 20 hours of paid time off per year to volunteer.
Opportunities to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Ace Helpful Fund through the Ace Foundation.
On-site classes, facilitator-led courses, tuition assistance, development, and coaching.
Campus events, including Employee Appreciation Week, vendor demonstrations, cookouts, and merchandise sales.
On-site or mobile services such as auto maintenance, car wash and detailing, dry cleaning, dentists, eye doctors, flu shots, and more.
Employee discounts on Ace merchandise, travel, fitness, computers, and other products and services.
Paid birth/adoption bonding time off.
Adoption cost reimbursement.
Employee Assistance Program with access to therapists and lawyers and guidance on financial, elder-care, and child-care matters.
Identity theft protection.