Senior Associate Director, Portfolio Management

SLAC; Redwood City (CA); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

18+ PTO days per year

Health benefits

Flexible work options

Tuition and training assistance

403(b) plan

Mental health programs

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Stanford University invites applications for a Senior Associate Director in Stanford Real Estate (SRE) within Land, Buildings and Real Estate (LBRE). The role oversees the SRP portfolio, driving strategic asset plans, asset management, and performance reporting for over 10 million square feet of R&D and office space valued in the billions.

Reports to the Managing Director and collaborates with internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• At least nine years of experience in principal real estate investing, including asset management and cash flow analyses.
• Experience with hold/sell analyses, due diligence, and developing asset strategic plans.
• Strong ability to communicate strategically and present recommendations to directors.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement long-term strategic asset plans to maximize value and returns.
• Lead leasing efforts, negotiations, and coordination of due diligence and contracts.
• Oversee budgets, capital expenditure plans, and forecasts for SRP assets.
• Manage relationships with operators, tenants, and third-party managers; coordinate cross-functional teams.
• Monitor portfolio performance, conduct market research, and present valuations for approvals.

Skills

Strategic asset planning

Financial analysis

Leasing negotiations

Stakeholder management

Leadership & mentoring

Risk management

Portfolio management

Decision analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related discipline

Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Real Estate, Law (desirable)

Job description

Redwood City, CA, United States (Hybrid)

Job Description

Stanford Real Estate (SRE), a division within Land, Buildings and Real Estate (LBRE), plays an important role in supporting the academic mission of Stanford University. SRE’s mandate is to optimize the value of the University’s income-producing lands by combining real estate expertise with an institutional investment approach.

The Senior Associate Director is responsible for the management of certain commercial real estate assets in the prestigious Stanford Research Park portfolio. The SRP Portfolio is comprised of 10.7 million square feet of improved R&D and office buildings, characterized by significant business complexity, value-creation potential, and risk mitigation requirements. SRP’s current market value is $3.6B, with an underlying unencumbered fee simple value of $10B. The Senior Associate Director is accountable for executing the near‑term and long‑term strategic plan, approved by the Board of Directors. The Senior Associate Director serves as a University representative to internal and external stakeholders, requiring critical thinking, professionalism, judgment, and discretion. The Senior Associate Director reports to the Managing Director.

Core Job Responsibilities

I. Strategic Asset Planning and Transaction Execution

Fulfill the SRP business plan to create property value and maximize risk‑adjusted returns through planning and analysis for specific assets. Specific responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement comprehensive long‑term strategic asset plans. Evaluate highest and best use of properties, make written recommendations to hold or sell properties, and promote reinvestment in building inventory.
• Identify opportunities for value and income growth through leasing, development, acquisitions, and/or dispositions based on market conditions.
• Secure approvals by conducting robust decision analyses, including financial analysis, legal analysis, design plans and budgets, and other relevant analyses. Present recommendations to and seek guidance from the Managing Director. Draft presentations, reports, transaction proposals and memoranda.
• Direct leasing efforts and negotiations, and support transactions at the discretion of the Managing Director. Prepare term sheets, review legal documents, and understand lease terms, landlord and tenant obligations, and critical risk points. Coordinate due diligence and brokerage/marketing strategy.
• Coordinate team of internal and external subject matter experts, including legal, finance, lease administration, environmental, market research, leasing, construction management and development.

II. Asset Management and Business Development

Perform most aspects of managing and owning real‑estate assets, resolve complex issues, and demonstrate tangible results. Serve as primary point person to operators, ground lessees, tenants, and third‑party property managers for SRP assets. Specific responsibilities include:

• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead efforts to coordinate closely with team members responsible for financial management, financial analysis, lease administration, portfolio operations, development (including design and construction), environmental management, property management, and tenant programs.
• Develop strategies for business development, tenant recruitment, and marketing outreach.
• Responsible for business relationship management. Develop outreach strategies that maintain regular strategic communication with lessees and tenants and seek opportunities to align efforts and reinforce each other’s investment goals. Frequently visit properties and maintain current understanding of asset and tenancy status.
• Responsible for operational oversight; direct third‑party property management operator(s), including overseeing execution of strategic asset plans, resolving issues, and planning and executing capital improvement projects.
• Supervise the preparation and management of annual operating budgets, capital expenditure plans, and forecasts for assigned properties.
• Oversee all requests for lease assignments, sublease approvals, lease extensions, and other requests relating thereto. Evaluate tenant rights, contractual obligations, and other legal analysis.
• Audit tenant credit and financial health and address issues of concern. Ensure compliance with all lease obligations; address non‑compliance with support of Managing Director and legal counsel, as needed.
• Resolve complex issues that oversee solutions that require interdisciplinary collaboration and/or technical expertise. Manage projects and solutions collaboratively across internal and external stakeholders, within a commercially reasonable standard, and with a focus on demonstrated tangible and timely results.

III. Portfolio Performance and Asset Valuation

Analyze and report on portfolio performance through an understanding of the local market. Develop and oversee key performance metrics to ensure portfolio and asset performance, as follows:

• Continually monitor and perform detailed reviews of property‑level operating metrics and asset financial performance to identify and make recommendations on how to capitalize on opportunities and proactively mitigate risks. Oversee data collection, analytics, and key performance metrics.
• Draft SRP reports and support the Managing Director in delivering monthly, quarterly, semi‑annual and annual portfolio reports; conduct monthly asset review meetings with Managing Director.
• Conduct market research and track performance of portfolio’s competitive set.
• Oversee appraisals and internal valuations; provide guidance to portfolio performance team on market leasing and operating assumptions. Present valuations to Managing Director for approval.
• Work with property managers and finance team to review each property‑level cash flow and capital budget; ensure maintenance of database and lease files.
• Evaluate property‑level performance with periodic stress tests and coordinate periodic budget reforecasts as needed.

Responsibilities include directing property management and mentoring analyst professionals; accountable for the performance of any direct reports.

Candidate Qualifications and Experience

Experience: At least nine (9) years of experience in principal real estate investing, including asset management, transaction underwriting, conducting hold/sell analyses and cash flow analyses, performing due diligence and feasibility analyses, and developing and implementing asset strategic plans.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related discipline, or an equivalent combination of technical education, training, and experience, is required. A Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Real Estate, Law, or other related post‑graduate degree is desired, although not required.

Preferred Professional Experience

• Broad, extensive experience in investment real estate asset management experience, capable of bringing a disciplined, organized, and institutional investment‑quality approach to overseeing the assets.
• Ability to develop and manage strategic business plans.
• Strong ability to communicate strategically and succinctly in written and verbal forms.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Experience working with large landlords and local jurisdictions in the Bay Area.
• Experience with ground lease and direct lease negotiations, due diligence, and transaction structures and closings.
• Experience overseeing operations and property management, capital project planning and management (renovations and development), and overseeing project budgeting and cost control decisions.
• Experience with decision‑making based on solid understanding of financial underwriting (e.g. present value/IRR calculations, yield returns, cash flow analyses, etc.)

Personal Attributes

• Effective interpersonal skills, including strong management, leadership, and mentoring skills.
• Highly motivated self‑starter who works independently and on cross‑functional teams; takes initiative with a sense of urgency, all with minimal supervision.
• Intellectually curious critical‑thinker, able to resolve complex challenges with diplomacy.
• Able to make well‑developed decisions with discretion, judgment, and professionalism.
• Able to plan several steps ahead, and define and chart contextual, strategic solutions.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills with the flexibility to adjust and adapt.
• Transparent, open communicator, especially with immediate supervisors, will quickly communicate challenges and recommendations.

LOCATIONS

Redwood City, CA (two days/week) and Palo Alto, CA (Thursdays)

Responsibilities

Core Duties:

Perform most aspects of managing and owning investment realestate for designated assets, such as preparing and implementinglong‑term strategic plans for assets in the portfolio, budgetforecasting and performance analysis, implementing value creationstrategies, and serving as primary point person to operators, groundlessees, and third‑party property management firms.

Manage leasing efforts and negotiations, including preparing termsheets, coordinating due diligence, coordinating legal and brokerageservices, executing marketing strategy, and leading negotiations withoversight by directors.

Recommend actions and/or resolve complex issues that requirecross‑functional or interdisciplinary solutions or technicalexpertise.

Develop and manage property strategies and solutions from initialconcept to implementation with a focus on opportunities to create valuefor the university, lessees, and tenants. Make strategic writtenrecommendations to secure support from the directors.

Conduct robust decision analysis, including financial analysis, evaluating tenant rights, contractual obligations, and other legalanalysis, as issues arise. Audit tenants’ fulfillment of leaseobligations and creditworthiness, and address issues of non‑compliancewith support of directors and legal counsel, as needed.

Perform detailed review of property‑level operating metrics.Conduct market research and track performance of properties’ competitiveset. Continually monitoring asset performance to identify recommendationson how to capitalize‑on opportunities and proactively mitigate risks.Evaluate changing…

• Pay Range $151,905 - 215,000
• Pay Frequency Annually
• Fixed Term N
• Stanford Schools and Units Land, Buildings, Real Estate (LBRE)
• Full time or Part time Full Time
• Regular or Temporary Regular
• Job Category Facilities
• Posting Date 09/28/2026, 11:24 PM
• Grade L
• Job Identification 201230

Benefits that support you, and your future

18+ PTO days per year

Health benefits start when you start

Flexible work options

$6000+ annual tuition and training assistance

403(b) plan

Mental health and wellness programs

Free and discounted commuter transportation

Applies to regular full‑time positions.

Notice to Applicants

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classifications and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of their job.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Stanford University provides job pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a particular job. The specific pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on a wide range of factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to geographic work location, relevant knowledge, skills and abilities, relevant education, years of relevant experience, depth and breadth of relevant experience, and performance; further including but not limited to other business and organization needs such as the scope and responsibilities of the position, the minimum qualifications, departmental budget availability, and market and internal equity across the university, school/ unit, department, as well as job reporting relations hips.

Why work at Stanford

World‑changing work in a culture of continuous learning

An inspiring community that values collaboration

High‑quality health and wellness benefits that put you and your family first

Access to world‑class education and career development, with tuition reimbursement, training assistance, and more