Real Estate Manager: Southern Africa at ABB

Your role and responsibilities

Real Estate function’s objective is to effectively support ABB’s business activities by securing the most efficient and profitable use of ABB’s real estate facilities/assets. This requires local, professional real estate expertise, to ensure optimum results across all Business Areas and Divisions. The Real Estate Manager will work within a collaborative environment in the head office in Longmeadow, South Africa, reporting directly to the Country Holding Officer and dotted line to the Real Estate Manager for Process Automation.

• Work with all Business Areas and Divisions to establish a Real Estate strategy aligned with the business strategy of ABB’s operations.
• Develop strategic real estate plans for the medium term to enhance the Local Businesses’ facilities for both current and future needs. The outcome is a real estate master plan with required investments and space requirements to meet the strategy of the businesses.
• Guide, support and manage South Africa and other Southern countries on Real Estate requirements and as detailed above.
• Maximize efficiencies through consolidation and sub-letting initiatives.
• Manage the financial performance of the function to meet or exceed committed performance level (e.g. budget and forecast). Ensure financial accountability of the real estate function and accountability for all assets under Real Estate responsibility.
• Manage assets in a cost efficient and economical way to improve profitability, productivity, and flexibility.
• Establish and regularly update detailed corporate real estate inventory of all ABB owned, leased sites, plots of land, offices, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, storage, parking, cafeteria, etc.
• Lead or supervise all major real estate investments in owned or leased facilities and ensure such investments are submitted for formal approval and in line with Group policy.
• Benchmark, monitor, and report on related real estate occupancy costs for all facilities.
• Manage Real Estate activities with a focus on:
  • space efficiency through workplace design guidelines
  • identification of energy efficiency projects
  • optimized facility services through Integrated Facility Management to ensure high quality levels across all sites
  • Health Safety and Environmental (HSE) to ensure the implementation of the HSE requirements related to facilities with own and subcontract employees and to ensure safe working environment.
• Act as prime point of contact for local authorities for regulatory and compliance purposes.
• Establish an excellent working relationship for mutual trust and respect with ABB’s various Divisions and the countries’ management to pro-actively support its operational achievements and business targets.
• Ensure (with HR Partner support) that the area of responsibility is properly organized, staffed, skilled and directed. Guides, motivates, and develops direct and indirect subordinates within HR policies.
• Living ABB’s core values of safety and integrity, which means taking responsibility for your own actions while caring for your colleagues, and the business.

You will join a high performing team, where you will be able to thrive.
Qualifications for the role

• Bachelor’s degree in Administration, Accounting, Industrial Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years of professional real estate experience in a corporate or global real estate environment. Solid understanding of facility management and commercial / industrial real estate
• 5+ years in a management role.
• Strong focus and leadership in HSE practices within all real estate facility / project activities.
• Experience with facility management, real estate occupancy costs, commercial lease negotiations and knowledge of lease accounting.
• Familiarity with construction systems and building design to understand construction documents and achieve space and cost efficiencies.
• Strong Project Management experience
• Advanced understanding of Integrated Facilities Management and delivery
• Experience in real estate transactions.
• Knowledge of financial analysis (discounted cash flow and P&L).
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively communicate with stakeholders at country and global levels, architects, engineers, developers, commercial brokers, contractors and others.
• Strong organizational skills to collaborate with multiple support functions to achieve a positive working environment for the achievement of common business and corporate goals.
• Excellent negotiating & influencing skills.
• Availability to travel locally and abroad.
• Advanced English level.
• SAPOA trainings and real estate program completion advantageous
• Intermediate in use of Microsoft Office suite; experience with advanced PowerPoint, SAP and SharePoint is highly beneficial.
• Preference will be given to employment equity candidates.