VP, Asset Management, Self-Storage

Heitman; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligible

Benefits package

Job summary

Heitman is seeking an experienced Asset Manager to lead our Self-Storage portfolio within our North American private equity team in Chicago. The role emphasizes collaboration with Portfolio Management, Acquisitions, and Financial Operations & Analysis, and requires strong relationship management with joint venture partners and property management.

You will plan budgets, forecast income and expenses, and lead financial modeling and value-add initiatives.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of relevant real estate investment experience, with 5 years of asset management experience.
• Proven ability to define, develop, and execute asset management strategies, including oversight of third-party property management and joint venture partners.
• Ability to analyze and interpret market trends, third-party reports, and competitor surveys.
• Strong knowledge and experience with budgets and overall financial reporting, with an ability to analyze large amounts of data and obtain improvement opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to collaborate with others.
• Knowledge of construction and redevelopment terminology, with a strong understanding of standard capital real estate capital projects.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring capabilities, with the ability to guide and develop junior team members.
• Experienced in the investment due diligence process with the ability to provide local market leasing assumptions and competitive insights.
• Proficient in real estate valuation and appraisal techniques and processes.
• Advanced financial modeling skills with the ability to translate quantitative data into actionable insights; Power BI is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage a diverse real estate portfolio focused on self-storage.
• Implement asset management strategies, including income and expense forecasting, capital budgeting, value creation, and risk-return analysis.
• Plan and organize asset objectives and resources to meet financial objectives.
• Evaluate performance against budgets and benchmarks, adjusting strategies to optimize outcomes.
• Utilize data analytics to inform asset-level strategy and drive performance improvements.
• Establish operating strategies and monitor property management and JV partners.
• Implement value-add initiatives such as expansions, reconfigurations, and capital improvements.
• Prepare and oversee budgets, valuations, appraisals, and leasing plans.
• Lead financial analysis and modeling to support asset-level decisions.
• Assess current and projected performance and identify opportunities for repositioning.
• Gain market expertise through site visits and industry analysis, collaborating with internal/external teams.
• Conduct regular property inspections and communicate findings to stakeholders.
• Support acquisitions through market and leasing assumptions during underwriting.
• Serve as primary relationship manager for joint venture partners.
• Lead disposition efforts, including broker selection and pricing strategy.
• Assist in financings and refinancings with capital markets and finance teams.
• Present strategic recommendations to senior leadership and investment committees.

Skills

Asset management

Budgeting and financial reporting

Data analytics

Power BI

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Market analysis

Due diligence

Financial modeling

Job description

This Opportunity

Heitman is seeking an experienced Asset Manager to join our team. The ideal candidate will bring their subject matter expertise within the Self-Storage asset class to our North American private equity team to effectively manage our assets within clients’ portfolios. This role will be highly collaborative, and the successful candidate will be impactful in building relationships with internal teams including Portfolio Management, Acquisitions, and Financial Operations & Analysis, as well as effectively partner with external stakeholders including joint venture partners and property management.

Responsibilities

• Manage a diverse real estate portfolio focused on self-storage.
• Implement asset management strategies, including income and expense forecasting, capital budget, value creation activity, and risk return analysis for assets.
• Plan and organize asset objectives and resources to meet asset needs and financial objectives.
• Evaluate performance against budgets, business plans, and internal/external benchmarks, and proactively adjust strategies to optimize outcomes.
• Utilize data analytics to inform asset-level strategy, identify trends, and drive performance improvements.
• Establish operating strategies and closely monitor property management teams and joint venture partners to ensure alignment and execution.
• Implement and monitor value-add strategies, including property expansions, unit reconfigurations and product improvement plans, ensuring initiatives are executed efficiently and result in accretive returns.
• Prepare and oversee annual budgets, valuations, appraisals, and leasing plans for assigned assets.
• Lead financial analysis and modeling to support asset-level decision-making and portfolio strategy.
• Assess current and projected performance of properties, identifying opportunities for enhancement or repositioning.
• Gain deep market expertise through site visits, industry analysis, and networking; collaborate with internal and external teams to adjust strategies based on market dynamics.
• Conduct regular property inspections to understand challenges, assess business plan, evaluate operational performance of third-party teams, identify improvement opportunities, and communicate findings.
• Support acquisitions team for new investment underwriting, providing market and leasing assumptions and participating in due diligence activities, as necessary.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for joint venture partners, facilitating strategic alignment, reporting, and collaborative decision-making.
• Lead disposition efforts, including broker selection, pricing strategy, marketing oversight, and transaction execution.
• Assist in executing financings and refinancings, working closely with capital markets, legal, and finance teams
• Prepare and present strategic recommendations and performance updates to senior leadership and investment committees.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of relevant real estate investment experience, with 5 years of asset management experience with a preference for candidates with Self Storage experience. Title and years of experience may vary based on scope and complexity of prior roles.
• Proven ability to define, develop, and execute asset management strategies, including oversight of third-party property management and joint venture partners.
• Ability to analyze and interpret market trends, third-party reports, and competitor surveys.
• Strong knowledge and experience with budgets and overall financial reporting, with an ability to analyze large amounts of data and obtain improvement opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to collaborate with others.
• Skilled in communicating complex issues clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing
• Knowledge of construction and redevelopment terminology, with a strong understanding of standard capital real estate capital projects.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring capabilities, with the ability to guide and develop junior team members.
• Experienced in the investment due diligence process with the ability to provide local market leasing assumptions and competitive insights.
• Proficient in real estate valuation and appraisal techniques and processes.
• Advanced financial modeling skills with the ability to translate quantitative data into actionable insights; experience with Power BI is a plus.
• Experience working with legal documentation including management agreements, joint venture documents, loan agreements, Purchase and sale agreements and other asset-related legal instruments.

Job Location and Travel

• This position is based in our Chicago office.
• Our teams work in a hybrid environment and in-office days vary by team.
• Moderate to extensive travel required.

We are looking for great candidates who have a unique combination of experiences, traits, and talents. We couldn’t describe you in a list of bullet points, so consider this posting a conversation starter.

Right Company, Wrong Role? Check out our other opportunities or refer a friend!

The Firm

Founded in 1966, Heitman is a global real estate investment management firm. Our mission is to lead the evolution of real estate through investments that fulfill the needs of people and communities in a world of constant change. To learn more about our organization and culture, click here.

Total Rewards (Compensation, Benefits & Perks):

At Heitman, we believe that our success is driven by the success of our team members. That's why we use market data to ensure competitive compensation for every role, reflecting our commitment to investing in our team. When we grow, you grow!

The expected annual base salary range for this role is $160,00-$190,000 and will be further discussed during the interview process. This range represents what Heitman reasonably and in good faith believe s we would pay a qualified candidate for this role at the time of posting (based on a full-time equivalent schedule). Your actual base salary placement will depend on factors such as (but not limited to): your relevant experience, time in role, base salary of internal peers, prior performance, business sector, and geographic location. In addition, all of our team members are bonus eligible and participate in a generous annual bonus plan, with the percentage varying based on your role and level, ensuring that your contributions are recognized and rewarded.

In alignment with our People First core value, we offer rewarding careers that focus on both personal and professional growth. We are dedicated to helping you and your family thrive, both in the office and at home. To support this, we provide competitive compensation and a leading-edge, human-centric benefits package. Click here to view the details of our benefits.

Additional Information

Candidates applying for roles requiring travel must hold a valid, non-expired driver’s license.

Equal Employment Opportunity: Heitman is an equal employment opportunity employer and complies with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, physical, medical or mental disability or condition (including, without limitation, HIV and AIDS), developmental disability, handicap, denial of family and medical care leave, denial of pregnancy leave, domestic partner status, status as a victim of sexual or domestic violence (or familial relationship to such victim), veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, arrest records, citizenship status, criminal history that has been expunged, unfavorable discharge from the military, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws.