Job Summary:
We are seeking an experienced Leasing Manager to lead site acquisition, lease negotiation, portfolio management, and restaurant expansion activities across the UAE. The role is critical to delivering our growth strategy and requires a commercially driven leasing professional with proven experience in the restaurant, QSR, and F&B sector.
The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and securing new restaurant locations, managing existing lease portfolios, and ensuring all franchisor and corporate approval requirements are successfully completed.
Key Responsibilities:
- Site Acquisition & Expansion
- Identify and evaluate new restaurant and QSR locations across the UAE.
- Conduct market, catchment, competitor, footfall, and site feasibility analysis.
- Lead negotiations with landlords and developers to secure commercially viable lease terms.
- Manage the full acquisition lifecycle from site identification through lease execution and store opening.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with major developers, landlords, and property stakeholders.
- Lease Negotiation & Portfolio Management
- Manage a portfolio of active restaurant leases.
- Lead lease renewals, rent reviews, lease restructurings, and renegotiations.
- Deliver rent reduction and lease optimization initiatives.
- Maintain lease expiry schedules and renewal trigger calendars.
- Ensure no lease lapses, penalties, default notices, or compliance breaches occur.
- Franchise & Corporate Approvals
- Prepare and submit franchisor or corporate site approval packages (RFS or equivalent).
- Coordinate cross-functional approvals with operations, finance, development, and brand stakeholders.
- Resolve site approval challenges and drive applications through to final approval.
- Strategic Market Development
- Monitor real estate market trends and competitor activity.
- Develop market mapping and expansion plans for existing and new brands.
- Support portfolio optimization through relocations, closures, and store network restructuring.
- Financial & Commercial Analysis
- Conduct lease commercial evaluations and financial modelling.
- Calculate:
- Effective rent
- Rent-free amortization
- Turnover rent breakpoints
- Occupancy cost as a percentage of sales
- Develop rent comparison and NPV models to support leasing decisions.
Requirements:
- ExperienceApplicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- Minimum 8 years' commercial real estate and leasing experience.
- Minimum 5 years' restaurant, QSR, or F&B leasing experience, including at least 3 years within the last 5 years.
- Minimum 3 years operating at Leasing Manager level or equivalent, with direct responsibility for negotiations and portfolio ownership.
- Current or most recent role tenure of at least 2 years.
- Personally managed a portfolio of at least 25 active leases.
- Personally secured and opened a minimum of 8 restaurant sites within the last 3 years.
- Successfully prepared and obtained approval for at least 10 franchisor or corporate approval submissions (RFS or equivalent).
Market Knowledge- Minimum 4 years of continuous UAE market experience.
- Current UAE resident.
- Proven occupier-side leasing experience.
- Strong knowledge of Dubai and Sharjah trade areas.
- Working knowledge of Northern Emirates and Oman preferred.
- Established relationships with UAE landlords, developers, and property decision-makers.
Sector Experience- Direct experience within restaurant, QSR, or F&B operations.
- Experience working for an operator, franchisee, or restaurant group.
- Multi-brand portfolio management experience preferred.
- Franchisee-side QSR experience preferred.
