Head of Corporate Real Estate

James Douglas; Mumbai; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

James Douglas is seeking a senior leader to head Corporate Real Estate, owning the end-to-end real estate strategy, portfolio management, leasing operations, infrastructure projects, and stakeholder governance across a nationwide property network.

The role requires guiding multi-site sourcing, lease structuring, cost optimization, and vendor governance, while building and leading a high-performing team, coordinating with design, operations, procurement, finance, and risk functions to ensure

Qualifications

• 15–20 years of experience in Corporate Real Estate, Infrastructure, Facilities Management, Hospitality, Retail, REITs, Property Development, Real Estate Consulting, or related sectors.
• Proven experience managing large-scale, multi-site, multi-location real estate portfolios and expansion programs.
• Strong expertise in property acquisition, lease negotiations, commercial structuring, vendor management, and transaction governance.
• Leadership experience managing geographically distributed teams and cross-functional stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute enterprise-wide real estate strategy aligned with business expansion and network growth objectives.
• Lead property sourcing, evaluation, commercial negotiations, lease structuring, and transaction closure for new locations and office spaces.
• Manage a large multi-location real estate portfolio, driving optimization through consolidation, relocation, renewals, and cost rationalization initiatives.
• Establish and maintain relationships with landlords, brokers, developers, and property partners across the country.
• Drive branch fit-outs, refurbishments, infrastructure upgrades, and facility expansion projects with quality, cost, and timeline adherence.
• Collaborate with design, infrastructure, operations, procurement, and project teams for seamless execution.
• Oversee vendor selection, contract negotiations, SLA governance, and performance management.
• Manage CAPEX and OPEX budgets, ensuring financial governance and cost optimization.
• Ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory, contractual, and internal policy requirements.
• Drive risk management, business continuity planning, documentation governance, and audit readiness.
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing real estate team across regions.

Skills

CAPEX Management

Commercial Negotiations

Lease Structuring

OPEX Management

Portfolio Management

Project Management

Vendor Selection

SLA Governance

Risk Management

Strategic Planning

Relationship Management

Stakeholder Management

Team Leadership

Education

MBA/PGDM

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Business/Commerce

Tools

Job description

One of our clients, a leading private sector financial services institution with a rapidly expanding national footprint, is looking to hire a Head – Corporate Real Estate to lead its end-to-end real estate strategy, portfolio management, leasing operations, infrastructure projects, and stakeholder governance across a large, geographically distributed property network.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute enterprise-wide real estate strategy aligned with business expansion and network growth objectives
• Lead property sourcing, evaluation, commercial negotiations, lease structuring, and transaction closure for new locations and office spaces
• Manage a large multi-location real estate portfolio, driving optimization through consolidation, relocation, renewals, and cost rationalization initiatives
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with landlords, brokers, developers, and property partners across the country
• Drive branch fit-outs, refurbishments, infrastructure upgrades, and facility expansion projects while ensuring quality, cost, and timeline adherence
• Collaborate closely with design, infrastructure, operations, procurement, and project teams to ensure seamless project execution
• Oversee vendor selection, contract negotiations, SLA governance, and performance management across service providers and facility partners
• Manage CAPEX and OPEX budgets, ensuring commercial discipline, financial governance, and cost optimization across the portfolio
• Ensure compliance with all statutory, regulatory, contractual, and internal policy requirements across real estate transactions and operations
• Drive risk management, business continuity planning, documentation governance, and audit readiness across the function
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing real estate team across multiple regions while fostering a culture of ownership, accountability, and operational excellence

Qualifications:

• 15–20 years of experience in Corporate Real Estate, Infrastructure, Facilities Management, Hospitality, Retail, REITs, Property Development, Real Estate Consulting, or related sectors
• Proven experience managing large-scale, multi-site, multi-location real estate portfolios and expansion programs
• Strong expertise in property acquisition, lease negotiations, commercial structuring, vendor management, and transaction governance
• Demonstrated experience leading branch, office, retail, or infrastructure rollout projects at scale
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, cost optimization initiatives, and commercial decision-making
• Experience building, transforming, or scaling real estate and facilities functions within large organizations
• Proven leadership experience managing geographically distributed teams and cross-functional stakeholders
• Strong stakeholder management, negotiation, governance, compliance, and problem-solving capabilities
• MBA/PGDM preferred; Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Commerce, or related disciplines

Skills

CAPEX Management, Commercial Negotiations, Compliance Management, Contract Negotiations, Fit-Out Management, Infrastructure Upgrades, Lease Structuring, OPEX Management, Performance Management, Portfolio Management, Project Management, Property Sourcing, Real Estate Strategy, Refurbishment Management, Relationship Management, Risk Management, SLA Governance, Strategic Planning, Transaction Closure, Vendor Selection