Leasing Manager – Food & Beverage

LEASING MANAGER SELECTION CRITERIA

FFSU Reports to: Country Manager Dubai UAE

1. EXPERIENCE MANDATORY

• Total commercial real estate / leasing experience: minimum 8 years
• Restaurant QSR or F&B leasing specifically: minimum 5 years of which at least 3 within the last 5 years
• At Leasing Manager level or equivalent (own portfolio own negotiation authority not supporting someone elses): minimum 3 years
• Current or most recent role tenure: minimum 2 years under 18 months in each of the last two roles is a stability flag to probe
• Portfolio personally managed: minimum 25 active leases at any one time
• New restaurant sites personally secured and opened: minimum 8 sites in the last 3 years
• Franchisor / corporate approval files (RFS or equivalent) personally compiled through to approval: minimum 10 files

2. MARKET MANDATORY

• UAE market experience: minimum 4 years continuous currently UAE-resident
• Occupier-side experience required landlord-side or agency-side only does not qualify
• Trade-area knowledge: active working knowledge of Dubai and Sharjah as a minimum; Northern Emirates and Oman preferred
• Landlord and developer relationships: must be able to name specific individuals and organisations not just describe the market

3. SECTOR MANDATORY AND THE PRIMARY SCREEN-OUT

• Direct restaurant / QSR / F&B portfolio experience operator-side or franchisee-side
• Retail-only mall-leasing-only office or residential backgrounds are disqualified this is the exact profile mismatch behind the current vacancy and two referred candidates have already been rejected by the Country Manager on this ground
• Multi-brand portfolio experience preferred (3 brands managed simultaneously)
• Franchisee-side QSR environment preferred (3 years)

4. DEMONSTRATED CAPABILITY PROOF REQUIRED NO NUMBER SET

Candidate must be able to evidence each of the following with named sites dates and outcomes. What matters at screening is that the capability is proven not the size of the figure scale is calibrated to their previous portfolio not to ours.

• Rent reduction / lease restructuring has personally led and closed rent reductions or restructured terms on existing leases. Must give the site the opening position the closing position and what was conceded.
• Site acquisition has personally taken restaurant sites from identification through to signed lease and opening
• Approval file delivery has driven franchisor or corporate approval files to completion and can explain a past rejection and how it was fixed
• Renewal management can evidence a clean record: no lapsed renewals no fines no default notices in their portfolio
• Closures and relocations has executed these end-to-end (preferred minimum 5)

5. EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION

• Bachelor degree in Real Estate Business Administration Finance Engineering or a related discipline mandatory
• RICS / MRICS or equivalent professional accreditation preferred not required
• UAE Broker Card / RERA registration preferred not required but indicates active market participation
• Postgraduate qualification not required and should not be weighted

6. TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Lease commercial analysis must be able to calculate effective rent rent-free amortisation turnover rent breakpoint and total occupancy cost as a percentage of sales. Test this live with a term sheet.
• Financial modelling builds own rent comparison and NPV models in Excel
• Structured site selection methodology catchment footfall co-tenancy access visibility competitor proximity
• Portfolio administration maintains a lease expiry calendar with renewal trigger dates

7. PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Business English fluent written and spoken
• Arabic preferred not mandatory
• UAE driving licence and own vehicle mandatory site visits are a daily requirement
• Notice period maximum 60 days

8. DISQUALIFIERS REJECT AT CV STAGE

• Retail-only office or residential background with no restaurant portfolio
• Landlord-side or agency-side only no occupier-side experience
• Fewer than 8 restaurant sites delivered in the last 3 years
• Notice period exceeding 60 days
• No UAE driving licence

Apply now!

Employment Type : Full Time
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1