Job Details

Description

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service.

As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

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 39 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 is centrally led (reporting to the VP Global Portfolio Management), providing services to and on behalf of the Regional Operations Leadership.

The Director, Real Estate Portfolio and Lease Management (Americas) is a key leadership position in the organization, leading a team responsible for metro planning, strategic transaction management, and portfolio compliance across North and South America. This role will have direct responsibility for shaping the Amex workplace footprint across the Americas regions – to ensure that Amex has the right space, in the right places and at the right cost, to win the talent war.

Specific responsibilities include:

Portfolio and Metro Planning

Partner with the Amex Regional 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 Americas portfolio.

Strategic Transaction Planning and Management

Lead the implementation of creative and cost-effective solutions for all transaction requirements in the US, Canada and LAC (Latin America and Caribbean) regions (collectively known within GREWE as the ‘Americas’ 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, coordinating 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.

Portfolio and Metro Planning:

• 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 analyze 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 socialization 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.

Strategic Transaction Management and Governance :

• Take overall and holistic responsibility for the strategic transaction program 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 Americas 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 (coordinating 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.

Operations Excellence:

• 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.

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.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 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 (Spanish language skills are useful, but not mandatory)

• Minimum of 10 years of of proven operational experience in a similar role (ideally in financial services) is required – with emphasis on portfolio strategy

• 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:

• Industry Certifications (e.g., MRICS and/or Corenet)

• 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

Qualifications

Salary Range: $123,000.00 to $215,250.00 annually bonus equity (if applicable) benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

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

• 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan

• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits

• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need

• 20 weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy

• 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

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site .

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. American Express will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including, but not limited to, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For positions covered by federal and/or state banking regulations, American Express will comply with such regulations as it relates to the consideration of applicants with criminal convictions.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

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Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the United States is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.

Job: Real Estate

Primary Location: US-New York-New York

Schedule Full-time

Req ID: 26003699