Real Estate Transaction Specialist

AbbVie - Contractor Position; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

AbbVie is seeking a Real Estate Transaction Specialist to lead and execute office portfolio real estate transactions, aligning with enterprise strategy, cost optimization, risk management, and workplace objectives. You will collaborate with business units, finance, legal, project management and facilities to deliver data-driven, compliant decisions.

The role requires experience in corporate real estate, end-to-end transaction leadership, and strong governance and negotiation skills.

Qualifications

• Corporate real estate experience within a corporate organization as an end-user.
• Proven ability to develop governance meetings, presentations, and materials for stakeholder management.
• Understanding of lease administration, audit, compliance, and financial reporting from landlord and tenant perspectives.
• Leadership and organization skills to drive business unit goals.
• Financial management of projects and contract/negotiation experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end real estate transactions including renewals, acquisitions, dispositions, and terminations.
• Develop financial models and analyze occupancy costs, rent, operating expenses, capex, and incentives.
• Manage governance meetings, presentations, and materials for timely stakeholder decisions.
• Collaborate with Workplace Services and cross-functional teams for enterprise alignment.
• Ensure transactions comply with policies, approvals, governance and risk controls.

Skills

Corporate real estate

Governance meetings

Lease administration

Financial reporting

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Job description

Role/Department: Real Estate Transaction Specialist/Corporate Real Estate
Responsible for leading and executing real estate transactions within our office portfolio. This role ensures alignment with enterprise strategy, cost optimization, risk management, and delivery of workplace objectives. Partnering closely with business units, finance, legal, project management and facilities to deliver data-driven, timely, and compliant real estate decisions. Carries out complex initiatives with multiple disciplines and/or ambiguous issues. Displays a balanced, cross-functional, collaborative, team centered perspective.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Key Responsibilities

• 1. Lead end-to-end on time execution of real estate transactions, including:
  • Lease renewals, renegotiations, restructures
  • New site acquisitions and dispositions, expansions, contractions, and early terminations
  • Develop and implement transaction goals aligned with portfolio and business objectives
  • Manage external brokers and advisors to ensure optimal negotiation outcomes
  • Oversee lease administration inputs, critical dates, and documentation accuracy
• 2. Financial Analysis & Deal Structuring:
  • Develop financial models comparing scenarios and alternative workplace strategies
  • Analyze total occupancy cost, rent, operating expenses, capital exp, and incentives
  • Prepare business cases and funding requests with clear ROI and risk factors
  • Benchmark deal terms and market conditions to support negotiation strategy
• 3. Stakeholder Management
  • Direct responsibility for developing governance meetings, presentations, documentation and materials in support of timely stakeholder management
  • Partner with business leaders to review space demand projections, and operational needs
• 4. Collaborate with Workplace Services leadership for direction on enterprise alignment including:
  • Facilities Management (day to day issues, property coordination and future improvements)
  • Project Management (for build-outs and delivery timelines)
  • Lease Administration, Legal and Finance (Documentation, critical dates, etc)
• 5. Governance, Compliance & Risk Management
  • Ensure transactions comply with internal policies, approval processes, and governance
  • Manage key risks including financial exposure, lease obligations, and timing dependencies
  • Maintain documentation for audits and internal reporting requirements

Skills/Qualifications

• Corporate real estate experience required with time spent inside a corporate organization as an end-user. In-depth Functional / Industry Knowledge is required
• Proven experience developing governance meetings, presentations, documentation and materials in support of stakeholder management. Highly flexible and adaptable to change
• Understanding of lease administration, lease audit, lease compliance and financial reporting from the landlord and tenant perspective
• Leadership and organizational skills are required to determine the Business Unit's goals
• A College or University degree and/or relevant proven work experience is required and MBA or MCR preferred
• Financial management of projects and contract and negotiation experience is required

**Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).

Working Model: Hybrid (#LI-Hybrid)
We have a balanced hybrid working model to ensure you get the flexibility you need, and the successful candidate will spend their time between working in the office and working from home.