Leasing Category Manager - Malaysia

IKEA; Petaling Jaya; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading shopping centre management firm in Malaysia is seeking a Senior Leasing Manager to drive leasing strategies and build strong relationships with tenants. The ideal candidate has 10-15 years of relevant experience, strong negotiation skills, and a good command of English. This role focuses on securing profitable leasing and ensuring an attractive tenant mix across the portfolio.

Qualifications

• Min 10-15 years at a senior position in Leasing or Commercial development.
• Strong retailer network with excellent knowledge in tenancy agreements.
• Ability to analyze and organize large amounts of data.

Responsibilities

• Drive leasing category strategy to achieve occupancy and rental income.
• Negotiate and close lease deals with competitive terms.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with tenants and partners.

Skills

Leasing strategy development

Tenant relationship management

Retail market analysis

Negotiation skills

Data analysis

English proficiency

Knowledge of tenancy agreements

Education

Min Advance Diploma or Bachelor degree in Real Estate

Job description

Our portfolio of shopping centres are the hearts and hubs of our communities, creating a better everyday life for the 100 million visitors who visit us every year.

Together with our IKEA stores, we create meeting places for friends and families to have a safe and fun day out. We also develop land and invest in residential, office and other types of real estate to create vibrant destinations where people can live, work and play. With strong ambitions to grow our portfolio, we currently operate five meeting places in Malaysia and Thailand. These include IPC and MyTOWN in Kuala Lumpur, Toppen in Johor Bahru, the first phase of Klippa in Batu Kawan, and Megabangna in Bangkok. We are part of Ikano Retail, one of 12 IKEA franchisees and the only one owned by the family of Ingvar Kamprad, who founded IKEA in 1943.

About Ikano Centres

Our portfolio of shopping centres are the hearts and hubs of our communities, creating a better everyday life for the 100 million visitors who visit us every year.

Together with our IKEA stores, we create meeting places for friends and families to have a safe and fun day out. We also develop land and invest in residential, office and other types of real estate to create vibrant destinations where people can live, work and play. With strong ambitions to grow our portfolio, we currently operate five meeting places in Malaysia and Thailand. These include IPC and MyTOWN in Kuala Lumpur, Toppen in Johor Bahru, the first phase of Klippa in Batu Kawan, and Megabangna in Bangkok. We are part of Ikano Retail, one of 12 IKEA franchisees and the only one owned by the family of Ingvar Kamprad, who founded IKEA in 1943.

Job Description

At Ikano Centres, our mission is to create vibrant meeting places that deliver sustainable profit and growth. This will be a key role in securing profitable leasing, building strong tenant partnerships, and ensuring an attractive tenant mix for our all our shopping centres in our Malaysia portfolio. You will drive leasing strategies, develop new brand opportunities, and position Ikano Centres as a landlord of choice for both local and international retailers.

Your assignment

• Drive leasing category strategy and execution to achieve occupancy, rental income, and renewal targets.
• Plan and lead the tenant mix and development for your assigned category to strengthen centre positioning.
• Prospect and secure new-to-market brands while building long-term portfolio partnerships locally and regionally.
• Negotiate and close lease deals, ensuring competitive commercial terms and sustainable tenant relations.
• Analyse tenant performance, retail trends, and market benchmarks to guide decisions and future strategy.
• Oversee lease compliance, policies, and updates to align with governance requirements.
• Collaborate with design, construction, finance, operations, and other teams to deliver projects on time and with quality.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with tenants, stakeholders, and cross-border leasing partners.
• Provide clear direction and leadership to the leasing team, coaching and developing their competence.
• Represent Ikano Centres as a professional, trusted, and forward-looking partner in the retail industry.

Qualifications

• Min Advance Diploma or Bachelor degree in Real Estate or related discipline
• At least 10 -15 years at a senior position in Leasing, Commercial development or Real Estate combined
• Retail, property market and leasing knowledge and retail brands representation
• Commercial conditions in retail and shopping centres
• Strong retailer network & excellent knowledge in tenancy agreements / legal framework / documentations
• Strong understanding of retailers’ needs and requirements in the primary markets we are operating
• Ability to compile, organize, analyse and make relevant conclusion from substantial amounts of data
• Good command of English, both spoken & written. Proficient in Mandarin / Bahasa Malaysia preferred
• Experienced Senior Leasing Managers or Experienced leader in Commercial Real Estate

Additional Information

Please apply by 10-Nov-2025.