Strategist - Sandton at Broll

MAIN FUNCTION

The position will develop Client real estate strategies and in addition:

• Collaborate with the RE team and vendors
• Manage relationships with landlords and/or tenants
• Effectively manage RE vendors
• Assess performance of property portfolios, and identify opportunities to extract value from assets

This role has 6 key interfaces:

• Take direction from the Client real estate custodian to drive forward Real Estate Strategy
• Work with the Client’s local business to understand needs
• Work with the other workstreams to integrate insights
• Work with other divisions in Broll and external partners/parties to integrate insights and deliver comprehensive real estate strategies, and facilitate their implementation
• Interact with landlords and direct property transactions strategically
• Provide meaningful input towards the cohesion of the team

MAIN DUTIES
Develop asset and portfolio strategies for clients to meet the business needs in and outside of South Africa.

• Develop and maintain a real estate strategies aligned to business growth plans
• Work with the global and/or investment teams to develop the strategies for clients
• Keep abreast of market best practice and emerging trends
• Agree and deliver against performance measures for successful management of the real estate portfolio

Ensure timely and effective implementation of real estate strategy

• Ensure all key critical event dates are met
• Co-ordinate project teams and take initiative in developing business cases / recommendation papers
• Co-ordinate project teams to deliver real estate transactions, managing productive stakeholder relationships
• Determine priorities with a supporting implementation/project plan
• Support transactions team to deliver execution of real estate strategies through transactions
• Demonstrate commercial / economic value in all real estate transactions

Stakeholder Management

• Communicate, influence and gain buy-in from stakeholders on RE strategy and direction
• Partner with stakeholders to effectively understand their requirements
• Develop relationships with key business stakeholders across clients to understand business direction
• Influence key business stakeholders in direction of real estate
• Act as an ambassador for Client RE within its business
• Ensure effective monitoring of stakeholder feedback

Financial Management

• Ensure budget actuals are closely managed against forecasts, performance is reported, trended and if necessary recovery plans quickly and implemented
• Identify opportunities for converting strategies into transactions in a manner that must (and is conditional to) deliver recognized value to Clients
• Meet annual income targets

Personal Development

• Support leadership to meet Client standards
• Proactively set appropriate development opportunities that are aligned with the Broll core business
• Research best practice and information sharing across colleagues and the Client RE teams
• Support diversity throughout the team

Manage regional process and procedures

• Ensure Client Global and Group governance and standards are applied
• Efficient execution of process and procedure
• Clear communication to all stakeholders

Provide centre of expert knowledge of Real Estate

• Give intermediate input to a range of forums/activities where specialist knowledge is of value
• Import best practice and strategy from external market and industry ‘think-tanks’

REQUIREMENT

Qualifications / Education:

• Masters / Honours / 4-year degree level education, preferably in real estate, business or related field
• Fluent in both spoken and written English
• Strong financial and IT desktop skills

Experience required:

• 3 – 10 years professional experience within the real estate sector
• Experience within large business, and interfacing with senior personnel
• Knowledge of Africa Real Estate market including players and current trends
• Portfolio management experience – preferably corporate real estate
• Business case development and writing
• Lease negotiation experience (optional)

Skills and Aptitude:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong financial and analytical management abilities
• Strong commercial acumen
• Intermediate financial modelling skills
• Ability to learn new skills and acquire knowledge
• Ability to write clear compelling reports
• Ability to compile Business Cases that can be presented with confidence to Clients
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills

Candidate Profile:

• Energetic and dynamic
• Self-confidence
• High attention to detail
• Superior time management