Real Estate Manager, EMEA

Company Description
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview
The Real Estate Manager will support the company multi-channel portfolio strategy with a responsibility to drive execution of the company real estate decision in the regions covering Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal and Scandinavia. This person will be responsible for real estate execution of new projects, critical dates and optimizations of existing portfolio. As part of the regional team, this position will provide guidance, analysis and recommendations on future sites and new market opportunities connected to the overall strategy. Additionally, this person will drive data quality to ensure that the expansion and optimization plans are based on reliable market data and strong financial foundation to deliver sustainable profitable growth.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

* Responsible for the entire real estate portfolio (retail, hospitality, offices, showrooms, etc.) in the regions of Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal and Scandinavia
* Support the company's growth strategy by optimizing existing real estate fleet and delivering new stores across channels
* Market research by regions and channels, and develop real estate expansion plan in partnership with regional business teams
* Build database of market and competitors data
* Drive execution and negotiation of all real estate decisions in the specific region for new projects, critical dates and optimizations (relocations, downsize, expansion, closures) of existing portfolio
* Create and constantly update the project pipeline for the region by keeping it up to date with all existing and potential new locations within the region
* Lead the overall expansion review processes by managing the preparation of presentation material, managing that projects are in line with strategy and targets
* Lead the preparation for landlord meetings and portfolio reviews
* Oversee day to day real estate operations across the region and maintain oversight of preferred real estate consultants and brokerage firms
* Develop and maintain internal cross-functional relationships as well as external partnerships
* Manage lease administration process and data capture

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

* 8-10 years of experience (priority within international retail brand's real estate / expansion teams) with a proven track record in store expansion
* Thorough knowledge and understanding of the regions' retail market
* Well-established contacts with local landlords, real estate brokers and international retailers
* Legal knowledge on statutory EMEA real estate lease structures and ability to review leases to provide summary for actions based on real estate activities
* Ability to collect data and build competitive landscape, drive disciplined and knowledge based Real Estate processes
* Experienced deal maker & excellent negotiations skills
* Significant experience identifying and successfully negotiating new store locations as well as researching and recommending store optimizations (relocations, downsize, expansions, closures)
* Strong project manager with demonstrated experience developing, managing and directing a project from conception to completion
* Strong analytical, problem solving, organization and communication skills, as well as accountability and ownership
* Significant experience partnering with finance and legal to drive improvement in real estate portfolio
* Demonstrated ability to balance heavy transaction and negotiation workload successfully
* Detailed oriented to ensure full compliance to audits and processes
* Frequent travel across the EMEA region is required
* Comparable retail brands is preferred
* MRICS. Real Estate related discipline