Vice President of Leasing

About the role:

The Vice President for Leasing serves as a vital member of the executive leadership team, charged with shaping and executing strategic leasing initiatives across a portfolio of 45 community malls. This role is instrumental in maximizing occupancy, curating an optimal tenant mix, and driving revenue growth, all while cultivating strong partnerships with key tenants and stakeholders. Leading a high-performing leasing team, the VP works in close collaboration with operations, marketing, and development to ensure commercial excellence. Above all, this position plays a central role in advancing the organization's mission to uplift lives and establish the nation's premier network of community malls.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leasing Management

• Develop and implement leasing strategies to achieve and maintain high occupancy rates across all malls
• Analyze market trends, rental benchmarks, and competitor activity to inform pricing and positioning strategies
• Identify and pursue new tenant opportunities aligned with the company's brand and community positioning

Tenant Relations & Negotiations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with anchor tenants, national brands, and local retailers
• Lead lease negotiations, renewals, and restructuring to ensure mutually beneficial agreements
• Conduct regular business reviews with tenants and stakeholders to address concerns and strengthen partnerships

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and manage the leasing team to ensure high performance and professional growth
• Collaborate with mall operations, marketing, and development teams to align leasing with overall business goals
• Serve as the escalation point for complex tenant issues and interdepartmental coordination

Market Analysis & Reporting

• Oversee the preparation of market research reports, occupancy analyses, and rental rate studies
• Monitor leasing KPIs and provide regular updates to executive leadership
• Recommend improvements to leasing policies, processes, and systems for greater efficiency and effectiveness

Qualifications and Experience:

Educational Background

• Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Real Estate, or a related field;
• Masters degree in Business Administration or a related discipline is strongly preferred.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in mall or commercial leasing, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership or executive role;
• Ideally, someone who can leverage the EOS model to drive organizational alignment and growth.
• Proven success in developing and executing leasing strategies across large-scale retail portfolios.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire high-performing teams while driving cross-functional collaboration;

Industry Expertise

• Deep understanding of leasing and sales processes, retail trends, and tenant lifecycle management;
• Comprehensive knowledge of industry best practices, market dynamics, and relevant legal and regulatory frameworks;
• Skilled in negotiating complex lease agreements and managing anchor tenant relationships;

Network and Relationships

• Strong network of retail brands, brokers, and industry stakeholders;
• Ability to attract and retain high-value tenants through strategic partnerships and relationship-building;

Leadership and Strategic Thinking

• Visionary leadership with the ability to align leasing strategies with broader organizational goals;
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with a data-driven approach to portfolio optimization;
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement capabilities;

Mobility and Flexibility

• Willingness and ability to travel regularly across various mall locations and key markets as needed.