Director, Retail Leasing Strategy

TIAA; Newport Beach (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Nuveen Real Estate is seeking a senior Leasing Strategy professional to lead merchandising and leasing across a national portfolio of open-air retail assets. The role reports to the Head of Retail Leasing Strategy and serves as the external face to retailers and brokers, coordinating with transactions, asset management, and capital teams.

Ideal candidates bring 5+ years in retail real estate, with strong leasing economics, market insight, and a track record in driving lease-up and value

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required in a relevant field.
• Extensive experience in retail real estate, ideally with institutional ownership, development, or advisory platforms.
• Strong knowledge of suburban open-air formats, mall/inline dynamics, and retail leasing economics.

Responsibilities

• Lead merchandising and leasing strategies across open-air and high street retail properties.
• Drive retailer curation and leasing execution with asset management and brokers.
• Direct third-party leasing broker relationships and set performance expectations.
• Oversee leasing materials, pipeline reporting, and investor presentations.
• Evaluate deal terms to align with underwriting and market comps.
• Partner with transactions and fundraising to support underwriting and market positioning.
• Advise on retailer demand and lease-up strategy for acquisitions or redevelopment.

Skills

Construction Management

Due Diligence

Financial Acumen

Financial Analysis

Financial Risk Management

Financial Statements

Market/Industry Dynamics

Organizational Savviness

Real Estate Investments

Real Estate Property Management

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Nuveen Real Estate is seeking a strategic and execution-oriented Leasing Strategy professional to join its platform, reporting to the Head of Retail Leasing Strategy. This is a senior leadership role and a key external face of the platform within the retail leasing and retailer community, driving merchandising strategy, leasing performance, and retailer relationships across a national portfolio of open-air suburban retail assets. The Head Director will work cross‑functionally with teams across transactions, asset management, and capital raising to ensure leasing strategies support overall investment objectives and drive long-term value creation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead merchandising and leasing strategies across open-air and high street retail properties, aligning with asset business plans and platform goals.
• Drive retailer curation and leasing execution in collaboration with asset management and external leasing teams/brokers.
• Direct third‑party leasing broker relationships across the portfolio, setting clear leasing objectives and holding brokers accountable to performance and pipeline expectations.
• Oversee leasing materials, pipeline reporting, and presentations for internal teams and investors, reviewing prospect activity and marketing efforts across the portfolio to ensure leasing execution remains consistent and on strategy.
• Evaluate deal terms and economics to ensure alignment with underwriting, market comps, and long‑term asset value.
• Partner closely with transactions and fundraising teams to support underwriting, market positioning, and investor‑facing materials.
• Advise on retailer demand and lease‑up strategy for acquisitions, redevelopment, and development initiatives.
• Build and maintain relationships with national, regional, and emerging retailers across categories (grocery, F&B, wellness, fashion, etc.), translating relationships into market insight and off‑market leasing opportunities.
• Track retail trends, market shifts, and leasing performance metrics to guide portfolio‑wide strategy.
• Represent Nuveen and organize industry events, dinners, and other engagements to source retailer leads, maintain visibility, and deepen market intelligence.

Educational Requirements

Bachelor's Degree Required

Work Experience

5+ Years Required; 7+ Years Preferred

Physical Requirements

Physical Requirements: Sedentary Work

Career Level

7IC

Required Experience

5+ years of experience in retail real estate, ideally within institutional ownership, retail development, or advisory platforms. Experience on the retailer side in real estate, strategy, or operations is a plus.

Comfortable with frequent travel

Preferred Experience

• 7+ years of experience in retail real estate, ideally within institutional ownership, retail development, or advisory platforms. Experience on the retailer side in real estate, strategy, or operations is a plus.
• Strong understanding of suburban open‑air retail formats, lifestyle centers, and high street merchandising.
• Demonstrated success in driving leasing strategy and execution across diverse asset types and geographies.
• Deep industry relationships with retailers and brokers, particularly in F&B, wellness, fashion, and emerging retail categories.
• High proficiency in lease economics, merchandising logic, and financial modeling fundamentals.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions.
• Willingness to travel nationally as the role requires.
• Familiarity with both gateway and high-growth secondary markets.
• Natural curiosity for retail, consumer behavior, and evolving trends in shopping, dining, and lifestyle experiences.
• Experience with redevelopment or ground‑up retail development projects.
• An active Broker in Charge or Supervising Broker license (or the equivalent), in good standing with the state of issuance, is required.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring ordinance and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Related Skills

Construction Management, Due Diligence, Financial Acumen, Financial Analysis, Financial Risk Management, Financial Statements, Market/Industry Dynamics, Organizational Savviness, Real Estate Investments, Real Estate Property Management

Anticipated Posting End Date:

2026-09-14

Base Pay Range: $170,000/yr - $200,000/yr

Actual base salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, base salary of internal peers, prior performance, business sector, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, the competitive compensation package may include, depending on the role, participation in an incentive program linked to performance (for example, annual discretionary incentive programs, non-annual sales incentive plans, or other non-annual incentive plans).

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