Portfolio Manager

Herbert Smith Freehills; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global law firm is seeking a Portfolio Manager based in London to manage their real estate portfolio. The role involves overseeing lease negotiations, managing occupancy costs, and ensuring alignment with operational objectives. Ideal candidates will have a background in real estate management, strong negotiation and financial analysis skills, and experience in multinational environments. This is a permanent, full-time position focused on delivering high performance and innovation.

Qualifications

• Significant relevant experience from a multinational environment.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate new leases and re-negotiate existing ones.
• Manage the firm's lease transactions and broker relationships.
• Produce annual premises reports.

Skills

Financial Analysis Skills

Negotiation Skills

Supplier Management skills

Change & Improvement Management Skills

Project Management Skills

Education

BSc or BA in Real Estate or related field

MRICS or similar designation

Job description

The Opportunity

We are looking for a dynamic real estate professional to join the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Corporate Real Estate team as Portfolio Manager.

This role is responsible for managing the full life cycle of the firm's real estate portfolio which includes 28 office premises in 21 countries, totalling 1.30m square feet (121,000 square metres) of space. The role holder will work proactively with business leaders, our finance teams and other stakeholders to align the firm's real estate portfolio with the firm’s operational and strategic objectives and thereby manage the firm's ongoing occupancy costs.

Based in London, the role holder will be working in a small team located in London and Sydney. This professional team shares knowledge and supports each other in a non-hierarchical way. The role holder will interact with HSFK senior management, Regional and Office Managing Partners, suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure an optimised and cost-efficient real estate portfolio.

Primary Objectives

The primary responsibilities include :

• Negotiation of new leases
• Re-negotiation of existing leases
• Lease event management
• Lease agreement standardisation
• Space optimisation
• Occupancy cost reduction
• Reviewing the HSFK portfolio against market data
• Management of our relationships with real estate brokers
• Production of the firm's annual premises report

Role holder responsibilities are broadly broken down into three areas :

Transaction management

• Overall responsibility for the management of the firm's lease transaction
• Appointing, in most cases, a real estate broker to negotiate with the landlord or landlord’s broker
• Appointing internal or external legal counsel to advise on the transaction
• Work with the Business Finance team, providing real estate assumptions and coordinating other inputs, to run financial models for options being considered and presented.
• Producing the relevant papers to gain internal approval in a timely manner
• Ensuring the execution of the lease documentation

Property Management

• Acting as an "internal expert" in respect of matters relating to the management of the firm's occupied portfolio globally
• Advise on day-to‑day landlord and tenant relationships as required
• Manage and report against lease renewals, rent reviews and options negotiations, coordinating professional teams as necessary
• Management of service charge budgets in the firm's primary locations, including reconciliations, collation, interpretation and validation of evidence from landlord.

Advising on dilapidation and make‑good provisioning

• UK only - liaise with our external rating advisers in regard to ensure Business Rates assessments and payments are correct and appealed or challenged where necessary.
• Co‑ordinate advice on the firm’s dilapidations liabilities and obligations at lease expiry.
• Advise on the management of sub‑leases including management of sub‑tenant relationships, service charge budgets and reconciliations, and managing disputes

Portfolio Reporting

• Track real estate market across all cities where the firm has an office, leveraging our relationships with our brokers
• Produce reports for the Global Executive highlighting planned lease events and opportunities for early negotiation, leveraging advice from our real estate brokers
• Track space utilisation and occupancy cost data globally

Produce the firm's annual premises report

Lead the project to select an appropriate portfolio management and reporting tool

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

• BSc or BA in Real Estate or related field (or equivalent experience), MRICS or similar designation a plus
• Significant relevant experience from a multinational environment
• Financial Analysis Skills
• Negotiation Skills
• Supplier Management skills, especially real estate brokers
• Change & Improvement Management Skills
• Envisions ways for the firm to differentiate itself and is driven to achieve this

Make things happen in a complex environment

Remains focused on long term objectives and broad firm issues

Team

Office Operations

Working Pattern

Full time

Location

London

Contract type

Permanent Contract

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.