Manager, Real Estate Portfolio Strategy and Metro Planning (International)

Enterprise Shared Services (ESS) comprises key functions that are core to the company’s operations, including Global Real Estate & Workplace Experience, Global Supply Management, Business Resilience & Corporate Functions Governance, Aviation, Internal Fraud, and Global Security. ESS helps keep our company growing and puts our colleagues at the center of everything they do by delivering best-in-class services that power safe, resilient, and efficient operations around the world.

Global Real Estate and Workplace Experience (GREWE) is responsible for the full lifecycle of planning, execution and operations of American Express real estate. The Portfolio Management function, including Metro Planning, Transaction Management and Lease Administration, is centrally led and provides services to and on behalf of the Regional Operations Leadership.

The Manager, Real Estate Portfolio Strategy and Metro Planning (International) will report to the Director, Real Estate Portfolio Strategy and Metro Planning (International) and will play a key role in developing, maintaining and delivering strategic portfolio and metro plans across the International portfolio (APAC, India and EMEA). The role will combine portfolio strategy, financial and market analysis, stakeholder coordination and transaction planning to help ensure American Express has the right space, in the right places, at the right cost.

The Manager will also support the Director in the governance and day-to-day coordination of the International transaction programme. The role will manage defined transactions and workstreams, partnering with external brokers, Legal, Finance, Operations, Design & Construction, Technology, Security and other stakeholders. Overall strategic accountability, senior-level escalation and oversight of the International Transaction Management programme will remain with the Director.

Minimum qualifications

- Required Years of Related Experience: 7+ years’ relevant work experience
- Strong experience in corporate real estate portfolio strategy, metro/location planning, transaction management or a closely related discipline, ideally in a complex multinational occupier environment.
- Proven ability to develop and deliver portfolio or metro-planning analysis, translating business demand, supply, market and financial inputs into clear strategic options and recommendations.
- Strong financial and analytical capability, including the ability to build, review and interpret cost-benefit analyses and relevant real estate cost metrics in Excel.
- Working knowledge of accounting implications of real estate transactions, including the impact of different scenarios on P&L; familiarity with US GAAP is advantageous.
- Ability to comprehend, analyse and interpret complex business and real estate documents, including leases, amendments and related transaction documentation.
- Strong programme and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, dependencies and deadlines across geographies and time zones.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce concise executive-ready presentations, portfolio plans, transaction papers and status reporting.
- Strong stakeholder management, negotiation and consensus-building skills, including the ability to influence without direct authority and work effectively with senior leaders, external advisers and cross-functional teams.
- High attention to detail and a strong control mindset, with experience operating within governance, compliance and audit requirements.
- Agility in the face of shifting requirements and the ability to identify, communicate and escalate material risks promptly.
- Broad understanding of corporate real estate, facilities/operations, design and construction, technology and workplace considerations.
- Fluency in English; other European and/or Asian language skills are useful but not mandatory

Preferred Qualifications

- Degree in real estate, estate management, finance, business or a related discipline.
- Professional real estate qualification or industry certification (for example, MRICS and/or CoreNet).
- Experience in financial services, banking or another highly regulated multinational environment.
- Client-side corporate occupier experience across more than one international region.

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the UK is required as the company will not pursue visa