Manager Real Estate Portfolio Strategy and Metro Planning

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 

Portfolio and Metro Planning (40%) 

• Develop, maintain and coordinate strategic Metro Plans for major locations across the International portfolio, under the direction of the Director and in partnership with Regional Leadership and key business stakeholders. 
• Gather, validate and analyse key planning inputs including headcount and seat demand/supply forecasts, occupancy and utilisation data, portfolio constraints, market intelligence, strategic options and relevant real estate cost metrics. 
• Develop clear, evidence-based real estate options and recommendations, including financial cost-benefit analysis, to support portfolio and transaction decisions. 
• Partner closely with Finance, Controllership, Operations, Design & Construction, Technology and other stakeholders to ensure assumptions, dependencies, risks and costs are appropriately reflected in strategic assessments. 
• Coordinate portfolio and metro-planning inputs for the GREWE Long Range Plan and annual budget processes, ensuring timely and accurate submissions. 
• Prepare high-quality materials for portfolio reviews and leadership discussions, and support the Director in socialising Metro Plans and long-range recommendations with senior stakeholders.

Strategic Transaction Management and Governance (30%) 

• Support the Director in managing the International transaction pipeline, maintaining clear visibility of key lease events, transaction milestones, dependencies, decisions and risks. 
• Lead or coordinate defined transactions and workstreams from strategy through execution, within agreed governance and approval parameters, using contracted external brokers and legal counsel as appropriate. 
• Monitor lease action dates and proactively coordinate with GREWE Business Partners, Regional Leadership and other stakeholders to evaluate potential real estate actions, including renewal, termination, expansion, contraction, acquisition and disposition. 
• Undertake comparative qualitative and quantitative analysis of transaction alternatives and prepare recommendations for review by the Director and relevant leadership forums. 
• Coordinate market searches, site selection and site evaluation activities with brokers and internal stakeholders, including Technology, Security, Operations and Design & Construction. 
• Support commercial and lease negotiations, ensuring agreed business terms, appropriate tenant protections and Amex process requirements are reflected; escalate material commercial, legal, timing or risk issues to the Director. 
• Maintain effective working relationships with landlords, brokers and other transaction counterparties for assigned matters, while supporting the Director on senior or sensitive relationship escalations. 

Operational Excellence, Reporting and Compliance (20%) 

• Maintain disciplined transaction and portfolio reporting, including pipeline status, milestone tracking, risk/dependency reporting, market analysis and performance metrics. 
• Prepare and coordinate required transaction documentation, including real estate execution documents (REEDs), Funding Requests (FRs), business cases and approval materials, ensuring appropriate stakeholder review and governance. 
• Coordinate transaction close-out activities and ensure required records are complete and compliant with internal process, audit and Third Party Lifecycle Management requirements.
• Partner with Global Supply Management where brokerage procurement or RFP activity is required.
• Support continuous improvement of portfolio planning and Transaction Management processes, tools, reporting and benchmarking, working closely with global counterparts to promote consistency of approach. 
• Coordinate lease termination and restoration obligations with Regional Operations and Design & Construction teams, including clarity on scope, timing and budget implications. 

Lease Administration Partnership (10%) 

• Partner closely with the Lease Administration team to ensure executed terminations, amendments, renewals and other lease changes are accurately reflected in lease administration systems and that required close-outs are completed to compliance and audit standards. 

Other Duties 

• Support the Director and Regional Leadership teams on International portfolio strategy, transaction planning and related ad hoc analysis. 
• Act as a key working-level partner to Global Strategy and global Portfolio Management colleagues on cross-regional planning and transaction initiatives. 
• Represent GREWE in relevant internal working groups and, where appropriate, external industry forums.