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With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you’ll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that’s unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.
At American Express, you’ll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we’ll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world’s best customer experience every day. And we’ll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.
Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.
About Global Real Estate & Workplace Experience (GREWE)
Global Real Estate and Workplace Experience (GREWE) is a global team at American Express (Amex) responsible for the full lifecycle of planning, execution, and operations of Amex real estate. GREWE supports over 75,000 Amex colleagues and contractors in over eight million square feet of property located in 59 countries. Our real estate portfolio consists of large full-service campuses, office buildings, sales offices, airport lounges and data centers. The global GREWE team is comprised of ~120 Amex full time staff that leverage ~5,000 contractors and is part of the broader Enterprise Shared Services organization, which delivers shared business services to colleagues across the enterprise.
GREWE Vision: Provide the world’s best workplace experience at a competitive cost for every colleague, at every site, every day
GREWE Strategic Priorities:
- Portfolio: The right buildings, in the right places, at the right cost
- Design & Build: Inspiring spaces that bring together colleagues, customers, and our brand
- Operations: Operational excellence that drives performance, speed and reliability while minimizing disruption and risk
- Hospitality: Seamless, high-quality colleague services at every site and every moment that matters,
Real Estate Portfolio Management (including Metro Planning, Transaction Management and /Lease Administration) is an internal GREWE function that are is centrally led (reporting to the VP Global Portfolio Management), providing providing services to and on behalf of the Regional Operations Leadership.
The Director, Real Estate Portfolio and Lease Management (International) is a key leadership position in the organization, leading a team responsible for international metro planning, strategic transaction management, and portfolio compliance. This role will have direct responsibility for shaping the Amex workplace footprint across the international regions – to ensure that Amex has the right space, in the right places and at the right cost, and to win the talent war.
Specific responsibilities include:
Portfolio and Metro Planning
Partner with the Amex VP/Regional Leads, their regional teams, and other key internal stakeholders (as well as external partners) to design, create, align, manage, and formally document strategic long term metro plans for each of the major metro locations in the Amex International portfolio.
Strategic Transaction Planning and Management
Lead the implementation of creative and cost-effective solutions for all transaction requirements in the APAC, India and EMEA regions (collectively known within GREWE as the ‘International’ portfolio). Co-ordinating effortlessly with all regional and global stakeholders to ensure high levels of communication and understanding of the forward transactional pipeline. Delivering class-leading transaction solutions, with target of consistently top-quartile deal performance.
Operational Excellence
Manage relationships with third party landlords, and other lease counterparties, co-ordinatingcoordinating closely with Amex regional and site-based operational teams, to ensure Amex’s interests are closely managed in accordance with all lease obligations being managed and met. Deliver full compliance with all Amex’s third party relationship management policies and requirements.
Lease Administration
Partner closely with Lease Administration team to ensure modification of the lease administration systems to reflect termination, lease amendments or any other changes in lease terms, and that all required closeouts are processed according to compliance and audit standards.
Major Duties & Responsibilities
- Lead and perform strategic portfolio planning, to develop and implement efficient real estate options and solutions on behalf of Amex.
- Overall responsibility for management, co-ordination and delivery of strategic Metro Plans for all GREWE locations, coordinating with all other GREWE stakeholders and internal / external business partners to gather and analyse all key inputs for the Metro Plans including seat / headcount demand & supply forecast and needs, strategic options, real estate market assessments, and financial analysis including all relevant real estate cost metrics.
- Support the Regional Leadership in the socialisation and reporting of Metro Plans to Senior Leadership, to establish long range planning alignments.
- Co-ordinate closely with Finance and Controllership partners, as well as other stakeholders (including Operations, Design & Construction, Technology) to deliver financial cost benefit analysis to support all strategic transaction assessments, and deliver costed options to Leadership for review and approval.
- Plan, co-ordinate and provide all required inputs (including the detailed CBA assumptions) within required timelines for the annual GREWE Long Range Plan budgeting exercise (Q1), and similarly co-ordinate the required metro strategy and transaction-related inputs for the annual GREWE budget programme (Q3).
- Manage transaction and portfolio reviews with GREWE Regional Leadership and stakeholders, and provide executive communication to Leadership around negotiation strategies, timing, and decision options.
- Take overall and holistic responsibility for the strategic transaction programme and timelines (including clarity around all key dependencies), and report regularly to Leadership around progress against timeline, identifying and highlighting any risk factors.
- Ensure management of lease action dates within an appropriate time horizon via notification to GREWE Business Partners and Regional Leadership, meeting with GREWE VP/RL’s and Business Partners to understand the potential real estate actions, co-ordination of discussions to understand the BU strategy, running comparative analyses to outline qualitative and quantitative aspects of various alternatives and supporting the decision making progress relative to determination of the optimal solution.
- Monitor lease expirations, and negotiate lease renewals within prescribed timeline, leveraging contracted external brokers to manage transactional work on Amex’s behalf.
- Identify and recommend opportunistic transactions outside of pipeline, based on market conditions.
- Manage all landlord, external broker and site selection relationships within the International regions.
- Work closely with Country and Regional Operations teams to support lease-related aspects of building-level Landlord and Property Manager relationships, and act as escalation point as required, including co-ordination with senior Landlord representatives as required.
- Review business terms of pre-negotiated renewal options, well in advance of exercise deadline (to allow alternative strategies), and compare against market conditions, to determine most advantageous cost alternatives.
- Engage and manage external brokers to identify sites (if buying or leasing new space) or external brokers to market property (if selling) and coordinate the negotiations of sales through a field broker.
- Oversee site selection/site evaluation, and generate recommendations working with GREWE Regional Leadership, and key stakeholders and partners including Technology, Security, and others.
- Own/manage lease negotiations to achieve best possible transaction outcome, leveraging external brokers (as needed), and counsel from internal and external Legal representatives (co-ordinating with internal GCO (legal) teams for the deployment of external legal resources as required).
- Provide oversight and direction to local brokerage negotiations, to ensure compliance to Amex process and incorporation of all appropriate tenant protections.
- Identify and provide appropriate reporting around strategic long term planning for lease actions or real estate actions. Lease or real estate actions may evolve from key dates within existing leases and/or evolve from business requirements, and include lease expirations and various options (renewal, termination, expansion, contraction, etc.).
- Lead the development of a global Transaction Management process workflow including published ‘flash reporting’ as appropriate, to ensure high stakeholder understanding of project timelines and project progress towards critical points (and any dependencies) for all transactional activity.
- Initiate RFP process if new brokerage representation is required, working with American Express Global Supply Management (Procurement).
- Ensure regional GREWE TM and global Lease Management team complete proper documentation for every identified transaction, to comply with all internal Process and audit requirements including:
- Document all defined solutions via a real estate execution document (REED) that is distributed to all stake holders for approval, to ensure clarity on approach, next steps and key milestones.
- Creation of the Funding Request (FR) that outlines quantitative and qualitative aspects of the transaction, including presentation of the transaction Business Case to Regional Operating Committee (and or any other Amex Leadership group) as required.
- Oversight of the FR approval, document execution, and close-out processes.
- Oversight of the entire transaction process including brokerage aspects (to ensure each transaction is compliant with Amex process) and legal requirements (to ensure the lease is written to align with the deal terms and reflects the appropriate tenant protections).
- Lead the development of enhanced portfolio reporting opportunities, covering both metric analysis and strategic planning. In particular, to measure, monitor, and benchmark transactions to Amex’s global requirements.
- Liaise closely with global counterparts and team members to ensure consistency of approach and process.
- Ensure compliance with all American Express policies and procedures, including the Third Party Lifecycle Management requirements (via the ‘Alternate Practice’ compliance model).
- Regularly compile updates, and present relevant market analysis, to GREWE Leadership.
- Manage and oversee all lease termination obligations: for example where returning premises to original conditions, work with Design & Construction / Regional Operations teams to develop clear understanding of restoration requirements and budgets per lease or statutory obligations.
- Manage and lead two internal direct reports.
- Partner closely with Lease Administration team to ensure modification of the lease administration systems to reflect termination, lease amendments or any other changes in lease terms, and that all required closeouts are processed according to compliance and audit standards.
Other Duties
- Position will serve on the Amex GREWE Regional Leadership teams (for APAC, India and EMEA)
- Serves as the key partner to Amex Global Strategy team supporting regional strategy planning
- May serve on external boards of directors in industry groups: Corenet, RICS etc.
Required Qualifications
- University/Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent
- 10+ years’ relevant work experience
- Excellent communication skills, in particular to senior level leadership
- Demonstrated management skills to deal with issues ranging from senior level to administrative.
- Demonstrated leadership and team-building skills, including the ability to manage remote direct reports, as well as the ability to influence without direct authority.
- Strong oral and written communication, negotiation and analytical skills, including a proven track record in undertaking and delivering metro planning work
- Understanding of accounting treatments, particularly from US GAAP perspective, and the impact of different transaction scenarios on P&L treatment.
- Strong financial analysis skills, including the ability to read (and write) cost benefit analyses in Excel.
- Ability to comprehend, analyze and interpret complex business and real estate documents, including all forms of leases and related documents, as well as ownership documentation.
- Ability to write reports, manuals, and presentations using clear and distinctive style, including metro planning, executive reports, leader updates, and project flash reporting as required.
- Excellent interpersonal, and consensus building skills, as well as strong program management experience.
- Proven record of providing excellent internal and external customer service.
- Ability to effectively respond to sensitive issues and complex inquiries expediently.
- Agility in the face of shifting requirements
- Fluency in English language (other European and/or Asian language skills are useful, but not mandatory)
- Minimum of 10 years of proven operational experience in a similar role (ideally in financial services) is required – with emphasis
- Minimum of 5 years directly managing metro planning and strategy for a corporate occupier, as well as experience in direct asset/portfolio management, and compliance/risk management.
- Deep understanding of corporate real estate, facilities management, design and construction, and hospitality services
Preferred Qualifications
- Degree in real estate or estate management would be an advantage
- Experience in the financial services industry, particularly in a banking-related business, would be an advantage
- Industry Certifications (e.g., MRICS and/or Corenet)
Key Working Relationships
- Establish and manage relationships with all key senior leaders in regions of responsibility, as well as those global leaders with a primary location in the Americas.
- Establish and manage relationships with key enabling partners (CEG, Finance, Tech, GCO, Risk, Compliance)
- Establish and maintain consistent cross-regional/global franchise transaction management leadership in partnership with Americas counterpart
- Strategic partner relationships, particularly preferred broker suppliers; cross-segment RE/FM/PM relationships; institutional and network forums
We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:
- Competitive base salaries
- Bonus incentives
- Support for financial-well-being and retirement
- Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location)
- Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
- Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location)
- Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
- Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
- Career development and training opportunities
Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.
