Real Estate Development Manager

About the role

We are seeking a driven, highly organized, and strategic Real Estate Development Manager to lead new store growth initiatives across assigned markets.

Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate, negotiate, and execute retail real estate opportunities from site selection through store opening
• Manage the full development lifecycle from initial site identification through store opening
• Conduct market analysis, trade area evaluation, competitor mapping, and demographic review to prioritize opportunities
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with brokers, landlords, developers, municipalities, and key stakeholders
• Negotiate letters of intent, purchase agreements, leases, renewals, easements, and related real estate documents
• Cross-functionally coordinate with Research, Construction, Legal, Finance, Operations, and Leadership teams throughout the approval and development process
• Prepare and present real estate opportunities to various approval committees and executive leadership
• Manage project timelines, entitlement coordination, permitting, and overall deal progression to ensure timely execution
• Maintain accurate pipeline reporting, site tracking, and forecasting within internal systems
• Travel regularly throughout assigned territory to tour sites, evaluate markets, meet stakeholders, and oversee active projects
• Exercise strong judgment and financial discipline when evaluating opportunities, ensuring quality growth over volume-driven decisions
• Consistently generate pipeline activity while balancing strategic market planning and execution

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Real Estate, Business, Finance, Urban Planning, or related field
• 3–10+ years of experience in retail real estate, commercial brokerage, development, site selection, or related field
• Proven experience negotiating retail leases and/or purchase agreements
• Strong understanding of trade area analysis, demographics, traffic patterns, and retail site fundamentals
• Strong communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills
• Self-motivated with a high level of accountability, urgency, and professionalism
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint
• Willingness to travel extensively within assigned territories 70%