Senior Leasing Manager | Retail

Al-Futtaim; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Al-Futtaim Retail Leasing is seeking a Retail Leasing Manager to oversee the leasing portfolio across the MENA region. You will manage negotiations, contracts, and roll-out locations for new brands, ensuring favorable terms and compliance.

In this role, you will build strong relationships with landlords and internal stakeholders, provide performance analysis, and support policy enhancements to grow the retail footprint while controlling financial impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Business Administration, or related field.
• 5+ years experience in retail leasing or real estate management.
• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Excellent analytical and financial acumen.

Responsibilities

• Manage, negotiate, and formalize all retail leasing transactions within the assigned portfolio.
• Source and negotiate prime real estate for existing and new brands, ensuring effective commercial and leasing terms.
• Execute lease admin tasks including contract reviews, legal reviews, payment processing, and documentation tracking.
• Ensure leasing system and tracking sheets are kept updated.
• Plan and execute roll‑out locations for retail brands under Al-Futtaim Retail.
• Negotiate early lease surrender/termination for store closures with minimal financial impact.
• Build and strengthen relationships with landlords and internal stakeholders.
• Run regular leasing reports and provide insights to management and stakeholders.
• Support lease review processes and collaborate with the legal department to identify and mitigate lease risks.
• Analyze the performance of the existing portfolio and negotiate rental reductions for leases and locations.
• Track and manage renewals to ensure competitive rates are achieved.
• Prepare presentations for management on leasing assignments and brand expansion strategies.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance the policies and process framework of the leasing department.
• Ensure all data/material related to regional properties are maintained, like mall floor plans and relevant details.
• Streamline the process of opening, closing, and renovating stores by liaising between the Store Development team and landlords.
• Support each business division in finalizing feasibility reports for new projects for presentation to Al-Futtaim Retail Investment Committee.

Skills

Negotiation

Relationship mgmt

Lease administration

Market analysis

Education

Bachelor's in Real Estate

Job description

Job Requisition ID: 180144

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate.

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day

Overview Of The Role

• The Retail Leasing Manager will be part of the Al-Futtaim Retail Leasing team, tasked with managing the retail leasing portfolio across the MENA region. The role involves financial and legal elements, providing strategic information, expertise, and management to internal stakeholders. Success in this position involves effective transaction management, stakeholder relationships, portfolio performance analysis, and policy enhancement, aiming to expand Al-Futtaim's retail presence while minimizing financial impact.

What You Will Do

Leasing Management

• Manage, negotiate, and formalize all retail leasing transactions within the assigned portfolio.
• Source and negotiate prime real estate for existing and new brands, ensuring effective commercial and leasing terms.
• Execute lease admin tasks including contract reviews, legal reviews, payment processing, and documentation tracking.
• Ensure leasing system and tracking sheets are kept updated.
• Plan and execute roll‑out locations for retail brands under Al-Futtaim Retail.
• Negotiate early lease surrender/termination for store closures with minimal financial impact.

Stakeholder and Relationship Management

• Build and strengthen relationships with landlords and internal stakeholders.
• Run regular leasing reports and provide insights to management and stakeholders.
• Support lease review processes and collaborate with the legal department to identify and mitigate lease risks.

Performance Analysis and Reporting

• Analyze the performance of the existing portfolio and negotiate rental reductions for leases and locations.
• Track and manage renewals to ensure competitive rates are achieved.
• Prepare presentations for management on leasing assignments and brand expansion strategies.

Policy and Process Enhancement

• Develop, maintain, and enhance the policies and process framework of the leasing department.
• Ensure all data/material related to regional properties are maintained, like mall floor plans and relevant details.
• Streamline the process of opening, closing, and renovating stores by liaising between the Store Development team and landlords.
• Support each business division in finalizing feasibility reports for new projects for presentation to Al-Futtaim Retail Investment Committee.

Required Skills To Be Successful

• Exceptional negotiation skills with a focus on retail leasing.
• Strong relationship management capabilities.
• Proficient in lease administration and documentation tracking.
• Ability to analyze market trends for strategic leasing decisions.

What Qualifies You For The Role

• Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in retail leasing or real estate management, preferably in a multi-national company.
• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Excellent analytical and financial acumen to assess leasing transactions.

About Al-Futtaim Retail

Al-Futtaim Retail has established itself as one of the leaders in Retail across the Middle East, Africa & Asia over the past 30 years. We have developed partnerships with some of the biggest and most respected Brands in the world including IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us in the Middle East and the Inditex Group of Brands (Zara, Mango, Bershka and P&B) across Asia. We are also one of the largest Global partners of Marks and Spencer’s in both regions with over 75 stores offering both fashion & food options.

Most recently we have been responsible for bringing brands to the Middle East for the first time with the exciting launches of Watsons and B&Q and we aim to continue to be agile and adaptive to our markets with new launches and further development. For this to be possible we aim to recruit the best talent from all backgrounds who will continue to challenge and develop our diverse workforce which includes over 100 nationalities across 12 countries. Join us today and make a difference…