Real Estate Manager - NE Division

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA) operate collectively as the “Bridgestone West” strategic region, serving teams across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, they develop, manufacture, and market Bridgestone, Firestone, and associate brand products and solutions for a broad range of customers and industries.

About the role

The Real Estate Manager supports the execution of the Company’s new store growth strategy and portfolio management within an assigned geographical territory. This role assists with site selection, contract negotiations, development activities, financial analysis, portfolio management, and cross-functional coordination to support new store development and existing asset optimization. The position works closely with developers, brokers, landlords, and internal stakeholders such as construction, market planning, finance, operations, and legal. The candidate must reside in one of the following states: MI, OH, KY, VA, WV, PA, NY, NJ, DE, MD, CT, RI, MA, NH, VT, or ME.

Responsibilities

• Manage a defined territory, maintaining strong market knowledge and an understanding of new store opportunity points, trends, competition, emerging markets, and other factors that drive informed real estate decisions.
• Work closely with the asset management team to understand upcoming lease expirations of existing stores within the defined territory and assist with decisions or transactions associated with lease renewals or restructuring.
• Partner with Market Planning to identify priority trade areas and source sites accordingly to maintain an active pipeline of prospective sites within the assigned territory.
• Identify and acquire real estate for new store locations in trade areas that fit the organization’s profile for strategic growth through build-to-suit (BTS) programs, self-development, or acquisition, requiring effective negotiation skills, advanced financial acumen, and management of a broad network of developers and brokers.
• Assist with the management and tactical oversight of portfolio matters within the fleet of existing real estate assets, including lease renewals, subleases, easements, license agreements, acquisitions, dispositions, and surplus management.
• Work closely with the construction department and development partners on all aspects of new site due diligence, including interfacing with local jurisdictions throughout the entitlement process.
• Evaluate the totality of new store investment to ensure financial return requirements are achieved, including sales projection, land cost, building construction cost, site development cost, lease cost, goodwill, and FF&E cost.
• Fully negotiate all Letters of Intent (LOIs) to achieve desired strategic outcomes and partner with the legal team to complete required leases, purchase agreements, and other transactional documents.
• Manage a network of third-party developers and brokers to support growth and financial targets.
• Partner with environmental, health, and safety teams to identify and solve complex environmental matters pertaining to desired transactions.
• Prepare and present new store site packages for approval at the Real Estate Committee.
• Perform other responsibilities and duties as assigned by real estate leadership.

Requirements

• BS or BA required (business or real estate preferred).
• At least 8 years of real estate experience focused on real estate development, transactional, and portfolio management.
• Strong real estate technical knowledge, process knowledge, and experience with site selection and development for retail stores.
• Strong knowledge of real estate transactional and contractual documents, including leases, purchase agreements, due diligence, and construction contracts.
• Ability to read and understand construction drawings and scope of work for tenant improvements.
• Advanced financial acumen.
• Proficient with preparing and presenting PowerPoint presentations to senior leadership.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate and operate independently in a hybrid work environment with travel required 60% of the time.
• Corporate experience within a real estate department for a national retailer (or similar) required.
• Ability to work effectively and professionally with attorneys, paralegals, brokers, and other internal and external partners.

Benefits

• A supportive and engaging onboarding experience to ensure a smooth transition into the team.
• Opportunities for development and growth through training and regular mentorship.
• Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
• A truly global, dynamic, and challenging work environment.
• Agility and work/life effectiveness, with a focus on long-term well-being.
• An effective and inclusive team environment.